A federal judge’s ruling this week that dam operators need to take steps to mitigate the harm their dams inflict on Columbia Basin salmon and steelhead was extremely welcome news.

Let’s be clear about what’s at stake. As many as 16 million adult salmon and steelhead used to return to the basin. Now, the annual return is under 2.5 million, and the vast majority of them are produced in hatcheries. Many Columbia-Snake River Basin populations are gone forever; 13 of those that remain are listed under the Endangered Species Act.

It is not alarmist to say that we’re running out of time. Thankfully, the federal judge in this case recognized that, as well, noting in his decision that the threats facing salmon and steelhead are “dire and immediate.”

His decision is an important step in the long-running effort to save Columbia Basin salmon and steelhead from extinction. To be sure, much more work still needs to be done. But right now, I want to celebrate a moment of good news in our region’s decadeslong effort to ensure wild salmon survive and recover.

Scott Putnam

Lewiston

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