Hot water kills half of Columbia River sockeye salmon

[cilla4progress]

81. I live just down the Columbia River valley from the Methow,

in the Entiat valley. I am an irrigator, backcountry horseback rider, environmentalist, and progressive. And the Methow valley has a fair share of Seattle-area second home-owners with a liberal bent. I think we should be careful lest we paint with too broad a brush.

That said, what I would like people to know is how much money, effort and political capital has been invested in my River, the Entiat, and now how sadly futile those efforts now seem. Efforts that include packing baby salmon into mountain lakes by mule train. Millions have been spent to maintain and rebuild salmon stocks here, an icon of the Pacific Northwest, which were first destroyed in the building of the great dam system. The granddaddy of course being grand coulée.

These dams not only decimated salmon populations, but also took down native cultures in this area. When they were built, starting in the 1930s - by no less than FDR - they were seen as a savior for the depression-ridden and parched scablands wanting for stimulus and development.

So it's never been a simple set of issues. This scenario is beyond tragic and I suppose will send natural resource managers scrambling for an emergency response.

I hope, as is said here, this isn't a harbinger, but it's hard to think it isn't.

Fragile planet, fragile ecosystem. So blessed to live here and have enjoyed her landscapes and her bounty.