There has been quite a push to remove the lower Snake River dams lately.
I don’t understand the push to remove the dams that have fish ladders and no mention of the dams that don’t allow fish passage.
The Hells Canyon Dam (1967) and Dworshak dams (1971) blocked fish runs from the upper Snake and north fork of the Clearwater, respectively.
Of course, fish hatcheries were built to mitigate the loss.
And, of course, the number of native fish declined.
So the ratio of native fish to hatchery fish was not optimal to the biologists, so the hatcheries have been restricted from producing large numbers of fish.
Add to the mix the introduction of smallmouth bass a hundred years ago and walleye in the ’60s.
Add the flourishing sea lions and native nets in our rivers, and our salmon and steelhead don’t stand a chance.
It has little to do with the lower Snake River Dams.
Mark White
Port Angeles