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Bonneville Dam's Impact on Salmon

article about a specific species of fish

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Kim Cathleen Reyes
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8 views3 pages

Bonneville Dam's Impact on Salmon

article about a specific species of fish

Uploaded by

Kim Cathleen Reyes
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Fish Tale

The Columbia River used to be a wild waterway full of frothing white


water and robust salmon populations.

Now, the 1,954-kilometer (1,214-mile) river has been domesticated: Bridges


seem to clamp down on the Columbia like yokes and, more importantly, a series
of dams and locks has chopped the once mighty Columbia into a series
of placid reservoirs.

The first major anthropogenic change to the Columbia River occurred in 1938,
with the completion of the Bonneville Dam. The Bonneville Dam is actually a
series of several dams and links the states of Oregon and Washington. Located
in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Bonneville Dam was built for
two reasons: to provide residents of the Pacific Northwest with electricity and to
make the waterway more navigable for boat traffic.

Other dams were built along the course of the Columbia, including the
massive Grand Coulee Dam in Washington, which became the
largest concrete structure in the United States. As of 2022, there were 14 major
dams on the main stem of the Columbia River.

The dams on the Columbia and its tributaries account for about 50 to 65 percent
of the area’s electricity generation, and they produce the power using
less coal and natural gas than other power generators. The artificial structures
also make it possible for barges and boats to travel 750 kilometers (465 miles) up
the Columbia River, from the Pacific Ocean all the way to Lewiston, Idaho.

Salmon Runs

Despite the benefits to human residents in the area,


the dams have wreaked havoc on the river’s ecosystem, especially the
Columbia’s salmon. Jeff Hickman, hunter and former organizer for the Oregon
chapter of the Sierra Club, says that it’s hard to determine exactly how
many salmon were in the river before the construction of the dams, because
records were not taken until after the structures were already in place.

“The Columbia River historically was the most healthy watershed,” Hickman
says. “It had the largest population of fish on the planet.”

The dams transformed the Columbia from a fast-moving waterway to what is


basically a handful of reservoirs with slower currents and warmer water.

“That water temperature not only puts more stress on migrating fish, traveling
fish, but also makes a more suitable environment for predatory, invasive fish
such as smallmouth bass and walleye and native fish such as the northern pike
minnow, which is commonly called the squaw fish,” Hickman says.

Bob Heinith is the hydro program coordinator for the Columbia River Inter-Tribal
Fish Commission, an organization that represents the region’s Native
American population. According to Heinith, the dams have destroyed
fish habitats.

“We’ve lost about two-thirds of the overall habitat for fish by large
storage dams that have cut off passage to upstream areas,” Heinith says.

Fish Ladders

At all of the government-owned dams (excluding Chief Joseph and Grand


Coulee) fish ladders were constructed so that the adult salmon could bypass the
structures and continue upstream to spawn. The fish ladders are like stair steps
that water flows down, creating a series of shallow waterfalls. While dams often
prove impassable for the fish, the salmon are able to get upstream using
these fish ladders.

Though the adult fishes’ journeys upriver to spawn were taken into account when
the dams were built, little thought was initially given to the juvenile fish that
head downstream toward the ocean.

The Bonneville Power Administration, which distributes electricity,


has implemented several methods to assist the juvenile fishes’
journey downstream. The dams’ turbines have been redesigned so that they are
less of a hazard to juvenile fish passing through. Another improvement
at Bonneville Dam is a sluiceway that takes the fish away from
the turbines entirely and delivers them to the river two miles downstream.

Heinith believes there is one effort by the Bonneville Power Administration that
appears to work better than the organization’s other projects. It’s a process
known as spilling. During salmon migrations, water is spilled over
the dams to imitate the river’s former flow.

“What we’ve seen that is the most effective is spilling, spilling over the dams,” he
says. “Of course, that’s in direct conflict with power generation.”

Sea Lions
Over the last six years, a new problem has emerged for the Bonneville Power
Administration and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which owns
and operates Bonneville Dam.

Sea lions have learned that they can travel from the Pacific Ocean all the way up
the Columbia River to the base of Bonneville Dam, where they can dine on all the
salmon that congregate there before attempting to bypass the structure. To
combat the problem, the National Marine Fisheries Service gave permission to
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the states of Washington and Oregon to
scare away the marine mammals with firecrackers or rubber bullets. The states
have even begun the controversial process of euthanizing, or humanely killing,
repeat offenders.

Michael Milstein, a former Bonneville Power Administration public affairs officer


and current NOAA Fisheries public affairs officer, says that over the years the
dams have been changed significantly in an attempt to lessen their impact on the
river’s ecosystem.

“They are really different dams than they were when they were first built in terms
of the way they affect fish,” Milstein says.

The Sierra Club notes that the Bonneville Power Administration’s efforts have
yielded some results, but they have to wonder if the dams are worth all the extra
time and money.

“There’s no doubt it’s helping, but you have to weigh out the costs,” Hickman
says. “If it costs this much to operate the dam at a legal level
to comply with maintaining or enhancing fish runs, then how much are you
gaining by having the dams in place? How much is it benefiting us
by hydroelectric-powered barge navigation? Sometimes, those cause and effects
don’t weigh out.”
SOURCE: [Link]

Common questions

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The development of dams along the Columbia River has significantly impacted the local salmon population by transforming their natural habitat. The transition from a wild river to a series of reservoirs created slower currents and warmer water temperatures, which put stress on migrating salmon and made the environment more suitable for predatory fish such as smallmouth bass and walleye. Consequently, this has led to reduced habitat and spawning areas for salmon, diminishing their populations .

Sea lions have compounded the challenges for salmon populations at the Bonneville Dam by preying on salmon congregating at the base of the dam before attempting to bypass the structure. This has added an additional layer of predation stress on salmon populations already struggling due to environmental changes induced by the dams. Measures such as using firecrackers, rubber bullets, and the controversial euthanization of repeat offender sea lions have been implemented to mitigate this problem .

The 'spilling' method, where water is released over dams to simulate natural river flow during salmon migrations, has environmental implications by enhancing the chances of successful fish migration past the dams. This practice mimics historical river conditions and is considered one of the more effective measures to facilitate fish migration. However, it has ecological trade-offs as it directly conflicts with the dams' power generation capabilities, highlighting the challenge of balancing energy needs with ecological preservation .

The Columbia River has been extensively domesticated, characterized by its conversion from a dynamic natural waterway into a series of controlled reservoirs through the construction of 14 major dams. This transformation has significant implications: while it facilitates electricity production and navigation, it compromises the river's ecological functions, notably salmon habitats, and contributes to the proliferation of invasive species. For surrounding communities, this means a constant need to balance economic benefits with the ecological health and sustainability of the river system .

Fish ladders have been an effective tool in mitigating the impact of Columbia River dams on adult salmon migration by providing a pathway to bypass the structures. However, their effectiveness is limited as they are primarily designed for adult fish and initially did not account for the challenges faced by juvenile salmon traveling downstream. Improvements such as modified turbine designs and sluiceways aid in juvenile fish migration, but the overall balance of ecological needs and dam operations remains challenging .

Management of the Columbia River's dams involves balancing competing interests, such as electricity generation and salmon conservation. Dams play a crucial role in providing hydroelectric power and enabling barge navigation, which are economically beneficial. However, these functions conflict with environmental goals as dam operations, like the spilling of water for salmon migration, can reduce power generation. Consequently, decisions regarding dam operations involve weighing economic benefits against the ecological costs and efforts to support fish populations .

The redesign of dam turbines at the Bonneville Power Administration addresses ecological concerns by mitigating the dangers presented to juvenile fish migrating downstream. By altering turbine blades, the risk of fish injury or mortality is reduced, allowing safer passage of fish through dam structures. This technical improvement is part of a broader strategy to reconcile electricity generation with the need to maintain and enhance fish populations in the river ecosystem .

Multiple strategies have been implemented to assist juvenile salmon in their downstream migration past the Columbia River dams. These include redesigning turbine blades to reduce hazards for fish, constructing sluiceways that steer juveniles away from turbines, and employing the process of spilling, where water is allowed to flow over the dams to imitate natural river conditions, although spilling conflicts with power generation .

Legal and financial considerations play a substantial role in the ongoing operation and modification of the Columbia River dams. Compliance with environmental regulations necessitates costly investments in infrastructure modifications, such as turbine redesigns and fish ladder enhancements, to support fish migration. These changes are key to legally operating the dams but also drive up operational costs. As stakeholders evaluate the costs versus benefits of maintaining dams for hydroelectric power and navigation, financial sustainability and legal obligations are crucial in decision-making .

The Bonneville Dam holds historical significance as the first major anthropogenic change that marked the transformation of the Columbia River into a domesticated waterway. Completed in 1938, it introduced electricity generation and improved navigability while setting a precedent for further dam construction. Although it provided substantial economic benefits, these developments also led to significant ecological impacts, notably affecting salmon populations and river dynamics, illustrating the complex trade-offs inherent in river management .

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