Re: “Trump preserved the Snake River dams. It will benefit the Northwest” (June 27, Opinion):
President Donald Trump neither preserved the Snake River dams by abandoning the Resilient Columbia Basin Settlement, nor did his motion profit the Northwest.
He merely destroyed the cooperative work of the settlement. The decades-long authorized battle will now resume.
The reviews that the salmon are recovering are, sadly, unfaithful. Most Decrease Snake wild fish runs hover on the point of extinction, and it might already be too late to avoid wasting the southern resident orcas, who eat largely Chinook salmon and who’re ravenous.
The 4 Decrease Snake River Dams present solely about 4% of the Northwest’s energy. Previously-barged grain may make it to market on 140 miles of improved practice tracks. There will likely be plentiful water for irrigation with out the dams. For these replaceable objects, should we lose our salmon, orcas and an totally distinctive, huge ecosystem, whereas violating tribal treaties? Certainly not.
Hydropower will not be “clear” energy. The slack water behind the dams produces methane gasoline. The gasoline output will solely improve as temperatures proceed to rise. The excessive temperatures will even improve salmon kills. Salmon require cool water to dwell.
The science helps dam breaching as a vital step in therapeutic the Snake River. When? Now!
Marjorie Millner, Vancouver
