Memo to Northwest writers, reporters, editorialists, and columnists – Aug. 21, 2013 Columbia River temperatures over 70 degrees continue
From August 12 through 18, water temperatures were 70 degrees or higher 63 times at Columbia and Snake River federal dams passable to salmon, up from 56 times last week. Temperatures at The Dalles and John Day Dams have been 70 F or higher 25 straight days, and have been above 70 F at all four main-stem Columbia dams for 10 straight days. At Ice Harbor Dam on the Snake River, temperatures have been above 70 F 31 straight days – a full month. On August 17, temperatures at The Dalles and John Day Dams hit 72 F, the highest reading so far this summer.
Total daily exceedances for the summer are nearing 200. This week’s specifics:
Forebay (above dam) Tailrace (below dam)
Bonneville Dam
Aug 12 71.2 F 71.3 F
Aug 13 71.3 F 71.3 F
Aug 14 71.3 F 71.4 F
Aug 15 71.4 F 71.4 F
Aug 16 71.6 F 71.6 F
Aug 17 71.8 F 71.9 F
Aug 18 71.8 F 71.8 F
The Dalles Dam
Aug 12 71.3 F 71.4 F
Aug 13 71.4 F 71.5 F
Aug 14 71.6 F 71.7 F
Aug 15 71.7 F 71.8 F
Aug 16 71.8 F 71.9 F
Aug 17 71.9 F 72 F
Aug 18 71.8 F 71.9 F
John Day Dam
Aug 12 71.5 F 71.4 F
Aug 13 71.6 F 71.6 F
Aug 14 71.9 F 71.8 F
Aug 15 71.9 F 71.8 F
Aug 16 71.8 F 71.8 F
Aug 17 71.9 F 72 F
Aug 18 71.8 F 71.8 F
McNary Dam
Aug 12 70 F
Aug 13 70.3 F
Aug 14 70.7 F
Aug 15 70.9 F
Aug 16 71.4 F
Aug 17 71.5 F
Aug 18 71.5 F
Ice Harbor Dam
Aug 12 70.3 F 70.8 F
Aug 13 70.3 70.6 F
Aug 14 70.2 F 70.8 F
Aug 15 70.2 F 70.7 F
Aug 16 70.1 F 70.7 F
Aug 17 70.1 F 70.4 F
Aug 18 70.1 F 70.5 F
Fish species now migrating, and thus being exposed to these very stressful temperatures, include Columbia and Snake River fall chinook salmon, Columbia and Snake River steelhead, and Pacific Lamprey.
Columbia-Snake temperatures are at http://www.fpc.org/tempgraphssl/NETFullYear_tempgraph.aspx
For more information, please contact:
Joseph Bogaard, deputy director, 206-286-4455 x103, joseph@wildsalmon.org;
Gilly Lyons, policy director, 503-975-3202, gilly@wildsalmon.org
