Impacts of the Grand Coulee Dam and the Bureau of Reclamation on Columbia River Salmon

 I have begun researching salmon populations on the Columbia River because I am interested in how the presence of dams is negatively and sometimes positively impacting the salmon.  Here is a summary of my initial findings:

As the largest producer of hydropower in the United States[1], the Grand Coulee Dam critically impacts the United States’ economy and the Columbia River’s salmon runs. Construction on the dam began in 1933, and since then, salmon runs have largely diminished in size or disappeared altogether.  Amongst the many positive services the dam provides, such as flood control, water storage, irrigation, power generation, and recreation, the dam negatively and seriously impacts the salmon runs.  The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation recognizes the negative impacts of the dam, but insists that the positive impacts on humans outweigh these costs.

Many components of the dam have resulted in diminished salmon runs.  First, the dam is 550 feet tall; simply too large to create a successful system of fish ladders.  Approximately three miles[2] of fish ladders would be required to maintain the natural flow of salmon through the river.  As a result, many salmon runs in the upper Columbia River have disappeared altogether.  The dam also reduces water quality because the still water on one side of the dam is warmer than optimal temperature for salmon[3].  Also, the reservoirs created by the dam trap nutrients, supporting algae growth which leads to deoxygenation of the water.  Reduced oxygen can lead to hypoxia and fish kills.  Finally, the dam changes the ecology of the river by restricting natural flooding and causing silt buildup behind the dam.  All these changes make it near to impossible for salmon to traverse the river to their breeding grounds.  The National Academy of Sciences has warned the Bureau of Reclamation about the negative impacts of its Columbia River dams such as the Grand Coulee and other Columbia River projects, but it the Bureau does not appear interested in protecting salmon over the economy[4].

Fortunately, the United States’ President has requested a $10 million budget to implement “Biological Opinions for the Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS)” in 2011.  This initiative forces the Bureau of Reclamation to address the 15 fish species its projects affect and ensure that they are not negatively impacting endangered or threatened species.  Hopefully this will promote positive progress and salmon protection.[5]

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[1] “Grand Coulee Dam Statistics and Facts.”  U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation.  <http://www.usbr.gov/pn/grandcoulee/pubs/factsheet.pdf>.  Accessed 29 November 2010. 

[2] “A History of the Grand Coulee Dam, 1801-2001.”  American Studies Department at the University of Virginia.  <http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ug02/barnes/grandcoulee/evsc.html>.  Accessed 30 November 2010.

[3] “A History of the Grand Coulee Dam, 1801-2001.”  American Studies Department at the University of Virginia.  <http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ug02/barnes/grandcoulee/evsc.html>.  Accessed 30 November 2010.

[4] “Weber Siphon and the Columbia Basin Project.”  CELP. <http://www.columbia-institute.org/weber-siphon/cbp/expansion.html>.  Accessed 1 December 2010.

[5] Bureau of Reclamation. <http://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/presskit/factsheet/factsheetdetail.cfm?recordid=1000> Accessed 1 December 2010.

-Christina Heinlen