REPORT: Snake River Status Quo Not an Option

SEATTLE-- Today, Washington Sen. Patty Murray and Gov. Jay Inslee issued a long-awaited final report evaluating the services of the four lower Snake River dams and their devastating impacts on salmon populations. The report concludes that the current state of salmon recovery projects on the Snake River is unsustainable and will not lead to the recovery of salmon populations, whose numbers have been declining for decades due in large part to the four dams.

Alongside the report, Sen. Murray and Gov. Inslee released recommendations calling for immediate study and investment in projects that would replace the services the dams provide prior to considering removal of the four dams.

In response Dan Ritzman, Sierra Club Lands, Water, and Wildlife campaign director, issued the following statement. 

“Today’s report confirms what we already knew – the status quo at the Snake River is not tenable. 

“Simply put: salmon in the Columbia/Snake River basin will not recover while the four lower Snake River dams stand.

“Now is the time to get to work towards salmon recovery, but only if we act boldly and quickly to  invest in the necessary transportation, clean energy, and irrigation solutions across the Pacific Northwest. We do not have time to waste, and we call upon the Biden Administration and all members of the Northwest congressional delegation, regardless of party, to join with Tribes, local elected leaders, and community stakeholders to stop this extinction now.

“We thank Gov. Inslee and Sen. Murray for their engagement on this issue, and we will continue to support the Tribal Nations who have worked so hard and so long to save the salmon.”