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Dictionary of Dam Jargon
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What Salmon Advocates Say |
| Dams: |
Not all dams are created equal. The Northwest depends on hydropower for almost 70 percent of its ene
rgy. However, some dams do more harm than good. The four dams on the lower Snake River kill fish by slowing down the river into a series of slackwater lakes leaving fish more prone to predation, chopping up young salmon in its lethal turbines, and increasing water temperature in the river. |
| Fish Ladders: |
All four Lower Snake River dams are equipped with fish ladders. Fish ladders are an important part of aiding the migration of adult salmon back to the natal streams. However, fish ladders do not aid juvenile salmon in their journey downstream to the ocean. For Northwest salmon, dams pose as great or greater threat for young salmon than adults. |
| Flow: |
Flow is one of the two most important salmon recovery measures we have as long as dams are still in place. It refers to the amount of water traveling in a river downstream towards the ocean, which helps salmon migrate to the ocean by getting downstream quickly and avoiding predators. Scientists have clearly shown a link between the amount of water in-stream and young salmon survival, confirming what common-sense has told us all along: Salmon Need Water! |
| Habitat Restoration: |
Although habitat restoration is a good and necessary part of salmon restoration, the four Lower Snake River dams limit salmon's access to millions of acres of pristine wilderness and salmon habitat in Idaho. This area was once the home to abundant populations of salmon. Healthy salmon habitat is ready and waiting, by removing the four Lower Snake River dams salmon can once again reach it. |
| Removable Spillway Weirs: |
Removable Spillway Weirs are expensive techno-fixes designed to be put on every dam on the Lower Columbia and Lower Snake rivers by 2016. RSWs cost upwards of $30 million apiece not including monitoring costs. There is no evidence that RSWs will achieve anything but increased power production. They have not been proven to measurably increase salmon survival. |
| Salmon Returns: |
Scientists agree that a cyclical, therefore temporary, improvement in ocean conditions has resulted in higher salmon returns to the Columbia and Snake Rivers over the last few years than were experienced through the 1990s. This spike brought good fishing, increased business to rural communities, and hope to working men and women who depend on salmon for their livelihoods. But despite this upswing, wild salmon populations are far from levels needed for sustainable recovery. The recovery benefit of recent increases, if any, can only be measured in the next generation; for instance, whether the increased return of 2001 has recovery value can only be measured in 2005 and 2006, when its offspring return. Indeed, since the 2001 spike, most Snake River salmon and steelhead have again been declining, in some cases by 50 percent. |
| Spill: |
Spill is a critical salmon recovery measure we have as long as dams are still in place. Considered by scientists to be the most effective method of aiding baby salmon on their journey to the ocean, spill flushes salmon over the dams helping them avoid the deadly turbines. |
| Trucking and Barging: |
The system of trucking and barging salmon around the dams, known as "Operation Fish Run," is a drain on taxpayer money with little benefit in return. The feds vacuum up young salmon from behind the dams, load them onto trucks or barges, drive them downriver and deposit them below the dams. The salmon are disoriented, their homing instincts have been disrupted and they're exhausted. Science shows that trucking and barging has not slowed the rate of salmon declines. Moreover, salmon that travel in-river typically survive at higher rates than those that are trucked or barged. |
More Information on Dam "Techno-Fixes" in our Library.
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