2021 “State of the Snake”
Posted /Library, Must ReadsAs fish returned to spawning grounds on the Snake River this year, they passed through eight dams and were counted through a PIT tag detection system at Lower Granite Dam. Fish counted in 2021 reflect the enduring decline of salmonids in the river, with sustained negative implications for the food chain they are a part of, and the local economy. It has been 29 years since the spring, summer and fall chinook run were listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), 30 years for sockeye, and 24 years for steelhead, with no recovery in sight for any group. In 2021, Bonneville Power Administration continued status quo ratepayer funded salmon recovery through the Fish and Wildlife program and Snake River Compensation Plan, and failed to recommend dam breaching in a 2020 Environmental Impact Statement. Immediate breaching of the four lower Snake River dams is the only viable and remaining solution to save these species from impending extinction.
Read the Full Report – 2021 “State of the Snake” here.
Prior year reports: