Manager's Message
“Returns” on Fish
Columbia River salmon and steelhead are an integral part of the Northwest region. The cultural and economic significance of these fish have merited substantial investment to protect and restore their runs along the Columbia River. The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) has invested $10 billion in fish and wildlife restoration programs since 1980. The investment is beginning to pay off with increased fish returns.
Improvements have been made to land-use practices to support better spawning and rearing habitats. Modifications to the configuration of hydroelectric dams along the Columbia River have increased survival of fish passing through the federal hydro system. Hatcheries programs are being adapted to reduce impacts on wild fish.
Still, there is plenty of room for efficiency and improvement to these programs, but the efforts are realizing some success. Numbers of returning wild and hatchery adult salmon and steelhead are trending up. Coho and Sockeye salmon returns at the Bonneville Dam doubled in 2009 compared to the previous 10-year average (1999-2008). The numbers of wild steelhead nearly doubled as well last year.
| 2009 Passage Counts of Fish Species at Bonneville Dam* | ||
| Sockeye (Approx. May–Sep.) | 177,823 | (226% of 10 yr avg) |
| Coho (Approx. Aug–Dec) | 224,890 | (199% of 10 yr avg) |
| Wild Steelhead (Approx. Jan–Dec) | 172,370 | (172% of 10 yr avg) |
| All Steelhead (Approx. Jan–Dec) | 604,899 | (167% of 10 yr avg) |
| Summer Chinook (Jun. 1–Jul. 31) | 81,936 | (106% of 10 yr avg) |
| Fall Chinook (Aug 1–Nov 15) | 283,691 | (76% of 10 yr avg) |
| Spring Chinook (Mar 15 – May 31) | 114,525 | (71% of 10 yr avg) |
“We are seeing increases in fish returns, but the ratepayer investment is enormous.” said Scott Corwin, executive director of the Public Power Council. “The hydropower system is doing beyond its fair share, so we need to continue to make sure that all other parts of the salmon lifecycle are improved as well.”
As a member-owned electric cooperative that purchases power from BPA, 30 percent of Wasco Electric’s wholesale electric bill goes toward fish and wildlife mitigation. Members pay for this investment through their electric rates. It’s nice to see a “return” on our investment!
*Data courtesy of University of Washington – DART collected by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, NWD and Chelan, Douglas, and Grant County PUDs, Yakima Klickitat Fisheries Project, Colville Tribes Fish & Wildlife (OBMEP), Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife.
