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Commentaries and editorials

Don’t Blame Dams

by Patricia Schroeder
Letters, The Idaho Statesman, October 29, 2003

Breach the dams — here we go again. These advocates have no conscience when they say breach the four lower Snake River dams, which they blame for the decline in native fish runs.

They ignore the fact that there are dozens of runs in Washington, Canada and Alaska suffering more than the Snake River runs and there are no, yes no, dams on those rivers.

The ocean environment, harvesting for canning off our coast, seals, sea lions, terns, etc. are far more detrimental than four dams (worth millions of dollars) above the Columbia dam complex — which must stay in place, or is it next? Dams — the cleanest, cheapest and in-place source of electricity and irrigation water for the support of hundreds of agricultural products (millions of dollars and jobs). Run off the floating canneries and put a bounty on seals, seal lions and terns — which will cost nothing — and watch the native fisheries expand.

Related Pages:
Irrigation from 4 Lower Snake River Reservoirs, by Reed Burkholder, 1993


Patricia Schroeder, Boise
Don’t Blame Dams
The Idaho Statesman, October 29, 2003

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