Editorial: State gains keener watch of dams to protect salmon
By The Herald Editorial Board
A recent agreement among Washington state and federal agencies is now expected to allow the state more oversight over federal hydroelectric dams, authority that is intended to keep the Columbia and Snake rivers cooler and cleaner and better able to sustain salmon.
As with most bureaucratic fixes, the switch in authority and the changes that could come of it won’t happen swiftly, but they represent another opportunity to recognize the costs and responsibilities of the Northwest’s premier source of energy, at a time when the region is becoming increasingly reliant on electricity from renewable sources.
The state Department of Ecology, following a rule change by the federal Environmental Protection Agency, can now require that federal agencies responsible for the eight dams — four on the Columbia and four on the Snake — develop plans and take actions that will keep the rivers cooler than 68 degrees to protect salmon, particularly as they return to spawn in the tributaries where they hatched.
The state agency will also monitor and could potentially fine federal dam operators for releases of pollutants, such as the lubricants used in dam turbines. Oils spills of up to 1,000 gallons have been reported in the past, The Inlander reported last week, but federal agencies had never been fined or otherwise held accountable for such spills.
Salmon, along with their importance to the region’s economy and culture, also are vital to the survival of several fish species, the state’s orca whales and other wildlife.
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