Sockeye solutions

THE SPRING ANAMAZING JOURNEYBEGINS FOR IDAHO'SENDANGERED ANDTHREATENEDSALMON.YOUNG SALMONLEAVE IDAHO TO LIVEIN THE OCEAN...WHILE ADULTSALMON RETURN TOSPAWN.OUR STEVELIEBENTHALCONTINUES HISAWARD-WINNINGCOVERAGE OFIDAHO'S SALMONCRISIS... WITH A LOOKAT EFFORTS TO SAVEIDAHO SALMONSPECIES FROMEXTINCTION.IT'S TONIGHT'S IDAHOBACK ROADS.IDAHO'S SALMON,INCLUDING THECRITICALLYENDANGEREDSOCKEYE AREHEADEDDOWNSTREAM.

IT'S ANINE HUNDRED MILEJOURNEY FOR SOME,DURING WHICH THEYUNDERGO ANAMAZINGTRANSFORMATION."THEIR KIDNEYS AREREVERSINGFUNCTION, THEIRGILLS ARETRANSFORMING, SOTHAT BY THE TIMETHEY REACH THEESTUARY, EIGHTHUNDRED TO EIGHTHUNDRED FIFTYMILES FROM THEPLACE WHERE WEARE STANDING (THESTANLEY BASIN),THEY ARE VERYCLOSE TO THE TOTALTRANSFORMATIONTHEY WILL NEEDWHEN THEY HIT THESALT WATER IN THEOCEAN."THATTRANSFORMATIONONCE TOOK LESSTHAN TWO WEEKS,AS RAGING SPRINGRUNOFF PUSHED THESMOLTSDOWNSTREAM.

BUTFROM LEWISTONDOWNSTREAM THEWATER NO LONGERRAGES.

IT IS A SERIESOF EIGHTRESERVOIRSCREATED BY EIGHTDAMS ON THE LOWERSNAKE ANDCOLUMBIA RIVERS.SINCECONSTRUCTION OFTHE LAST DAM IN THEEARLY 1970S,SOCKEYE NUMBERSHAVE PLUMMETED.IN THE LAST FIVEYEARS, RETURNS TOTHIS LAKE HAVE BEENELEVEN, THIRTEEN,THIRTY-THREE,FOURTEEN ANDELEVEN."BUT SOCKEYE AREN'TTHE ONLY SPECIES INDECLINE."IF YOU ZOOM OUTYOU CAN SEE THATTHEY'RE REALLY THECANARY IN THE COALMINE FOR IDAHO'SOTHER ANADRAMOUSFISH SPECIES.

AS THESOCKEYE GO, SOWILL GO CHINOOKAND STEELHEAD, ANDCHINOOK ANDSTEELHEAD AREREALLY MUCH MORESIGNIFICANTECONOMICRESOURCE FOR THESTATE OF IDAHO."THIS YEAR'S RETURNOF CHINOOK SALMONIS A FRACTION OFTHE TEN YEARAVERAGE, AND SOFAR, LOWER THANLAST YEAR'S SPARSERETURN."MOST OF THEFISHING SEASONSARE CLOSED, ANDHATCHERYMANAGERS ARECONCERNED WEWON'T EVEN GETENOUGH SALMONAND STEELHEADBACK TO FULFILL THEHATCHERY NEEDS,LET ALONE FISHINGAND HARVESTING."SO WHAT IS BEINGDONE?

HERE INIDAHO THEGOVERNOR'SSALMON WORKINGGROUP, COMPRISEDOF DOZENS OFENVIRONMENTALGROUPS AND RIVERUSERS, HAS BEENMEETING FOR A YEAR.ENVIRONMENTALGROUPS ARE INSOLID AGREEMENTTHAT THE SOLUTIONIS TO BREACH THEFOUR DAMS ON THELOWER SNAKE.

BUTRIVER USERS,ESPECIALLY GRAINGROWERS WHO USEA SYSTEM OFBARGES TO GETTHEIR GOODS TOMARKET, FEAR THATWOULD DECIMATETHEIR LIVELIHOODS.AND WHERE THEREWILL BE MANY WHOWILL RESISTREMOVING DAMS NOMATTER WHAT,SALMON ADVOCATESARE HOPING THEWORKING GROUPWILL COME UP WITHSOLUTIONS THATWILL SAVE IDAHO'SENDANGERED ANDTHREATEND FISHWHILE PRESERVING AWAY OF LIFE THATWOULD BENEFIT FISHAND PEOPLE IN THECOLUMBIA BASIN."MY GROUP IS VERYCOMMITED TO SAVINGIDAHO SALMON.

WEBELIEVE THAT WILLREQUIRE REMOVINGDAMS. BUT WEEQUALLY COMMITEDTHAT AS SALMONRECOVERY GOESFORWARD,COMMUNITIES INIDAHO WASHINGTONAND OREGON AREKEPT WHOLE ANDMADE BETTER."STEVE LIEBENTHALIDAHO NEWS 6THE GOVERNOR'S