Wild Salmon & Steelhead News is produced by the Save Our wild Salmon Coalition. Read on to learn about the condition and trends of endangered wild salmon and steelhead populations in the Columbia-Snake River Basin and the many benefits they deliver to the people and ecosystems in the Northwest and nation. And to find out what you can do to get more involved and help protect and restore them to healthy, abundant and fishable populations.
Contact Angela if you have questions or to discuss how to get more involved.
IN THIS ISSUE:
1. 2019 RETURNS OF THE SNAKE AND COLUMBIA RIVER SALMON FALL FAR SHORT OF FISH MANAGERS’ LOW PREDICTIONS; COMMUNITIES STRUGGLE AS FISHING SEASONS CLOSE
2. CONGRESSMAN MIKE SIMPSON (R-ID) ASKS “WHAT IF?” THE LOWER SNAKE RIVER DAMS MUST BE REMOVED TO PROTECT SALMON AND STEELHEAD FROM EXTINCTION
3. POLITICAL PROGRESS AND EMERGING LEADERSHIP IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
4. ‘DAMMED TO EXTINCTION’ - NEW DOCUMENTARY HIGHLIGHTS THE PLIGHT OF SOUTHERN RESIDENT ORCAS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF RESTORING THE LOWER SNAKE RIVER AND ITS SALMON
5. NEW CALF IN MAY MEANS “+1” FOR SOUTHERN RESIDENT ORCAS!
1. 2019 RETURNS OF THE SNAKE AND COLUMBIA RIVER SALMON FALL FAR SHORT OF FISH MANAGERS’ LOW PRE-SEASON PREDICTIONS; NORTHWEST COMMUNITIES STRUGGLE AS FISHING SEASONS CLOSE.
Almost across the board, adult salmon returns to the Columbia and Snake River continue to head in the wrong direction. Returns so far this season for spring Chinook, sockeye and steelhead all show continued and very troubling declines. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s 2019 forecast for Snake River Spring Chinook, for example, was just 11,200 fish - of which 2,100 were wild fish (Historic returns numbered in the millions). Then, in late May, forecasts were downgraded twice, with returns occurring at only 30% of these initial projections. As a result of these terrible returns, Idaho closed Chinook salmon fishing on the Clearwater river in May, with Washington State quickly following suit.
Summer Chinook returns which began in mid-June were initially tracking fish managers’ (low) pre-season estimates, but recently dropped off. The only potential bright spot may be coho, or silver salmon, but it is still too early to know for certain. They are particularly sensitive to ocean conditions; their relatively robust numbers may indicate that cyclic poor ocean conditions have recently improved. Most Columbia River coho begin life in hatcheries and return to the lower Columbia River – and so are largely unaffected by Bonneville and the other federal dams and reservoirs further upstream.
Context is critical here. Salmon returns to the Columbia Basin this year are among the lowest on record – they are coming in at just a fraction of the 10-year average and in many cases far below what fisheries experts predicted at the start of the season. For Snake River populations, this is the fifth consecutive year of decline in adult returns. Despite billions of dollars spent across more than two decades, the return-on-investment is, by any definition, unacceptable. Clearly, a new lawful and science-based approach is needed (Hint: it includes a restored, freely flowing river).
Needless to say, the benefits that salmon deliver – including essential food for critically endangered Southern Resident orca – have also declined steeply too and are creating a nest of related problems harming communities and ecosystems.
For communities like Riggins, Idaho, these fishing closures mean severe economic harm. The sport fishing industry has been a huge component of their annual income and economic activity: guiding, sales, rentals, hotels, food, etc. Without fishing opportunity, the town’s tourism economy suffers. Kerry Brennan, a part-time guide told the Lewiston Morning Tribune that he thought salmon returns had already bottomed out in years previous, and “if this ain’t the bottom, it’s going to be pretty scary.”
Robust salmon runs up the Snake and into tributaries like the Clearwater River can attract tourists regionally and nationally. A study by the Idaho Fish and Wildlife Foundation found that a restored salmon and steelhead fishery would create thousands of full-time jobs statewide and add hundreds of millions of dollars annually to river communities like Riggins, Salmon, and Challis. A restored Snake River has the potential to not only bring back healthy salmon runs, but to also rebuild and diversify healthy communities across the Northwest.
For more information:
(1) Seattle Times: Chinook bust on the Columbia: Spring returns worse than forecast on Northwest’s largest river (Mapes, 30 May 2019)
(2) Lewiston Morning Tribune: Spring chinook season comes to close (Barker, 5 June 2019)
(3) Idaho Fish & Game: very few sockeye salmon returning to Idaho (9 July 2019)
2. CONGRESSMAN MIKE SIMPSON (R-ID) ASKS “WHAT IF?” THE LOWER SNAKE RIVER DAMS MUST BE REMOVED TO PROTECT SALMON AND STEELHEAD FROM EXTINCTION
At a conference last April hosted by the Andrus Center of Public Policy, Congressman Mike Simpson (R-ID) delivered keynote remarks expressing his grave concerns about the declining populations of Idaho-bound wild salmon and steelhead and the health and future of the Bonneville Power Administration (the agency responsible for marketing and distributing the power generated by the federal dams in the Columbia Basin).
Congressman Simpson announced that he is “getting tired of Idaho paying the costs of those dams and getting none of the benefits” and he committed “to do whatever is necessary to bring the salmon back.” Congressman Simpson’s remarks were welcomed by salmon and fishing advocates across the region that have been fighting for years to protect and restore native fish populations endangered by the harmful effects of the federal dams and their reservoirs – especially on the lower Snake River. Though he did not explicitly endorse removal of the lower Snake River dams, he did serve it up as an option that he and his staff have been studying closely and talking about with others.
The facts around Snake River salmon, of course, are stark and urgent action is needed to protect and restore the Northwest’s native fish and the many benefits they deliver to our communities and ecology.
- All remaining Snake River salmon and steelhead populations are at risk of extinction today
- Adult returns to the Snake River have declined steadily in each of the last five years and in 2019 are among the lowest returns on record.
- Our region and nation has spent $16B+ over the past two decades, but has yet to recover a single population in the Columbia and Snake rivers.
- Many fishing businesses and communities on the coast and inland are struggling to make ends meet; declining Snake and Columbia river salmon and steelhead returns are a big part of the problem.
- The last five salmon plans produced by the federal government have all been found inadequate and illegal.
By any metric, the federal government’s salmon strategy for the Columbia Basin is failing and a dramatically new approach is needed. Congressman Simpson understands this.
Congressman Simpson is also worried about the big financial challenges that the BPA faces today: it has burned through more than $800M in reserves in the last 5 or so years; its projects – dams and reservoirs – are aging and costs to maintain and repair are steadily rising. Despite heavy spending, its salmon recovery investments have delivered a dismal return-on-investment, its latest plan is illegal, and the court – and the people of the Northwest – require much more. Meanwhile, renewable energy projects are expanding and their costs plummeting. For the first time in more than 80 years, the BPA business model isn’t working so well. In his comments in April, Rep. Simpson emphasized the importance of both BPA and wild salmon to the people of Idaho and the Northwest and the need to address the related problems they face together.
(1) Read some of Congressman Simpson’s quotes from his keynote address at the Andrus Center conference here (PDF).
(2) See Congressman Simpson’s full remarks here (45 minutes; video).
(3) Idaho Statesman: Simpson stops short of calling for dam removal to save salmon. But he is asking, ‘What if?’ (25 April 2019)
(4) Seattle Times Guest Opinion: Can Bonneville Power Administration be saved? (31 May 2019)
3. POLITICAL PROGRESS AND EMERGING LEADERSHIP IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
While Congressman Simpson has made recent public commitments to restore wild salmon and steelhead and ensure a healthy BPA, he isn't the only one. In the last several years, policymakers at the state and federal levels have begun to step up, shake up the status quo and push for real solutions to recover salmon, protect orca and invest in affected communities. SOS supports this leadership and calls for it to continue and grow.
First, it is important to recognize the strong and successful partnership that SOS and its member groups have maintained with the State of Oregon and Nez Perce Tribe. We are very grateful for this alliance. Both have been steadfast in their commitment to salmon recovery, to holding the federal government accountable to the federal laws and to upholding our obligations to Northwest people, cultures and ecosystems.
Second, we greatly appreciate Senator Murray’s successful efforts to kill HR 3144 in the 2017-18 Republican-controlled Congress. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers’ bill would have overturned the excellent 2016 court decision that invalidated the federal agencies’ 
latest (terrible) salmon plan and it would have rolled back court-ordered spill that’s helping salmon in the near-term while we work to restore the lower Snake River by removing its four deadbeat dams.
Third, we applaud Governor Inslee and the Washington State legislature for supporting and fully funding ($750K) Lower Snake River Stakeholder Forum that will bring stakeholders together in the coming months to identify and detail the types of investments that will be needed to transition affected communities if/when these four dams are removed. This is a critical conversation that cannot occur soon enough.
Fourth, in recognition of the critical plight of salmon and steelhead populations in Idaho, Governor Little recently convened Idaho’s own Salmon Recovery Working Group – bringing together stakeholders to identify 
strategies and actions that will recover Idaho’s native fish populations.
Finally – and perhaps most importantly – we need to recognize and acknowledge YOU and so many others like you – that have attended meetings, made phone calls, sent emails and delivered support and pressure to our policymakers. None of the progress we’ve made would have happened without your help. Endless pressure, endlessly applied. We will never recover wild salmon, restore a free flowing lower Snake River, or protect Southern Resident orcas without your active support. Thank you for all you have done to help open a critical window of opportunity for salmon, orcas and communities. We have much hard work ahead to support the leadership to date – and to build on it in the weeks and months ahead. The plight of orca and salmon is urgent – and there’s no time to waste. Thank you!
4. ‘DAMMED TO EXTINCTION’ - NEW DOCUMENTARY HIGHLIGHTS THE PLIGHT OF SOUTHERN RESIDENT ORCAS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF RESTORING THE LOWER SNAKE RIVER AND ITS SALMON
The recently released documentary Dammed to Extinction explores the urgent plight of Southern Resident orcas and their need for many more chinook salmon. This unique whale population was listed under the Endangered Species Act in 2005 but their numbers have continued to decline since that time. Today just 76 whales survive.
The film focuses on the Northwest’s ‘dean of orca research’ Ken Balcomb and other orca experts and advocates who describe this amazing community of whales and explain how the four dams on the lower Snake River have choked off a critical orca prey (spring chinook salmon) from access to 5,000+ miles of once highly productive river and stream habitat upstream. Experts predict that restoring this river in southeast Washington State by removing its costly, deadly dams will return many hundreds of thousands of chinook salmon each year and help feed starving orcas during the critical winter months when other salmon populations are especially scarce.
SOS and our coalition partners are working with the filmmakers to show the documentary in Northwest locations and inspire audiences to act. We are planning additional screenings in the coming months. Check here for a schedule of dates and locations.
For further information:
(1) Dammed to Extinction website
5. NEW CALF IN MAY MEANS “+1” FOR SOUTHERN RESIDENT ORCAS!
In late May, a new calf was spotted among the Southern Resident orca. This is the second calf to be born to the group of whale since the start of 2019!
The newest orca born to the J Pod, J56, brings the total count of Southern Resident orcas up to 76. Scientists were further thrilled when it was determined that the new calf was a girl. "If she makes it to her teens she might start producing babies of her own," Ken Balcomb from the Center for Whale Research told Q13 Fox.
Last summer, the region watched in heartbreak as J35 (Tahlequah) pushed her dead calf around for 17 days and over 1,000 miles. These two births bring great hope, as only about 50% of orca survive to see their 2nd birthday, and no calf born to the southern residents from 2016-2018 survived. As of now, the two new calves appear healthy.
With the population so low, every individual whale is critical for the orcas' survival and recovery.
For more information:
(1) Seattle Time: New orca calf reported in southern-resident J pod
(1) Seattle Times: It’s a girl: Researchers get closer look at J pod orca baby
Finally, we would like to thank the following businesses for their support and generous contribution to SOS!
