DamSense Tribute to Jim Waddell

We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Jim Waddell, the founder of DamSense and a tireless advocate for the Pacific Northwest. If you knew Jim, you know the magnitude of this loss–not just for the movement to breach the Lower Snake River Dams (LSRD) but also for our community. We will remember Jim […]

Clallam PUD Passes Landmark Resolution for Lower Snake River Dam Breaching

On April 24, 2023, the Clallam County Public Utilities District passed a landmark resolution “Supporting Breaching the Lower Snake River Dams (LSRD) to Aid Recovery of Threatened and Endangered Salmon, Steelhead and Southern Resident Orca, Provide Justice to Northwest Tries, and Investment in a Sustainable, Equitable Future.” Clallam PUD is the first to pass a […]

Paulette Jordan, Jim Waddell, Chris Pinney, and Ken Balcomb Call for Executive Action to Breach the Lower Snake River Dams

Paulette Jordan (Coeur d’Alene Tribe), Save the American Salmon, Jordan Coalition, DNC Council on the Environment & Climate Crisis, Director of Native American Engagement; Jim Waddell, Civil Engineer, US Army Corps (Retired); Chris Pinney, Senior Fisheries Biologist, Walla Walla District, US Army Corps (Retired); and Ken Balcomb, Director, Center for Whale Research are calling for […]

2020 Lower Snake River Dam Breach Mitigation Plan and Cost

Our Mitigation Plan 2020 report shows dam breaching plus mitigation can be done for approximately $500-750 million. This report outlines various mitigation features that will or could be required upon breaching the four lower Snake River dams (LSRDs). Mitigation is based on the assumption that all four dams are breached by removing their earthen berms […]

Waddell Amicus Brief Seeks Immediate Dam Breaching

An amicus curiae (“friend of court”) is not a party to the legal case. Amicus briefs are meant to provide additional information, expertise or insight to the court to assist with decision-making. An Amicus brief filed by Jim Waddell and a collective of experts – Chris Pinney, Deborah Giles, Ken Balcomb, and Rod Sando – […]

2021 “State of the Snake”

As 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 […]