Court-ordered spills of water on the Columbia River dam system are getting credit for helping ensure more juvenile fish reach the Pacific Ocean, where they can thrive and eventually return upstream.
Restoring iconic salmon runs in the Pacific Northwest has a corollary in the business world. Success equates to moving product.
Dramatic numbers of returning coho salmon to the upper and middle Columbia River, and equally impressive results for sockeye salmon in the Snake River basin, are directly related to quickly and safely reaching the Pacific Ocean.
Recent years of court-ordered spills at federal dams have ensured more juvenile fish are sped through the system and reach the ocean.
Michele DeHart, executive director of the Fish Passage Center in Portland, cites the role of spills in boosting fish returns.
