76 Congressmen Try to Teach Dubya How to Count

[Nemont]

Buzz and Paws,
While breaching of the dams would be THE solution I just can't see any politician willing to take the plunge.

Here is why: California and their huge population and hence huge electoral vote numbers. Can you imagine the campaign ad? "Here is the man who supervised the destruction of FOUR DAMS which produced electricity that could have been transmitted to California. Remember in November that so and so voted to give you less electricity even while California experienced blackouts and brownouts." If you come up with a way to get around that then the dams will come down eventually

 

[BuzzH]

Nemont,

Actually, the four dams on the Snake provide very little power to the NW, and I'm not sure that much, if any, reaches California. At any rate, the 4 dams combined provide about 3 percent of the total grid. Which could easily be mitigated by improving the effeciency on the remaining 120ish dams on the Columbia system. In fact, its predicted that just some simple modifications on the generating plants on the remaining main stem Columbia dams could compensate for the loss, plus power to spare.

Another angle you arent looking at is that the price of a wee bit of power loss to save many, many, many millions of dollars for the tax payer is what the candidate that does the right thing needs to focus on. Dont lie, tell them there was a net loss of power, but also tell them it will be compensated for and in the end, you're tax dollars wont be thrown away.

Plus, there are politicians that are willing to take the plunge...Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber openly endorsed dam breaching...a modern day Teddy Roosevelt.

Paws,

The problem with the dams is almost solely a problem with smolt survival or a lack thereof. On some bad years, smolt (baby fish) suffer a 98%+ mortality. On a good year mortality is still in excesss of 70% Causes of mortality are being ground up in turbines, weakened by traversing many miles of slack water behind the dams, predation by all sorts of stuff (from being in the river too long).

The agencies have tried exhaustive efforts at decreasing smolt mortality...turbine screens, barging smolt, etc. etc. etc. Even going as far as paying anglers to catch and kill pikeminnows (they eat smolt). Thats were a good portion of the couple billion has gone. Despite these efforts, runs still continue to decline.

Another big factor in this issue is that the dams dont very often release water that they agreed to release in conjunction with smolt release. Which would basically "flush" smolt to the ocean.

Thats the quick answer.

 

[pawclaws]

"Causes of mortality are being ground up in turbines, weakened by traversing many miles of slack water behind the dams, predation by all sorts of stuff (from being in the river too long). "

Now you are cookin! See Buzz that statement is the bare root beginning of what eventually will become a problem statement that will give this thing a chance at resolution!! Now you are becoming "problem focused" rather than solution or symptom misled!!

 

[Nemont]

Buzz,
I agree with you. I think I read that they could have breach the dams and saved a ton of money. I have not become involved in the issue because I don't know all the particulars.

I just finished Cadillac Desert again, I read in college but didn't remember much of it(could have been the amount of Bud Light I consumed), anyway I agree that breaching the dams is the solution. Not barging, not turbin screens or fishing for Pike Minnows.

Nemont