The Government Just Took a Big Step Toward Breaching Salmon-Killing Dams

The Biden administration has announced a plan to restore endangered salmon and steelhead in the Pacific Northwest, committing over $500 million in federal funding and support for clean energy projects to replace the services of four dams on the lower Snake River. This plan aligns with the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative (CBRI), which calls for breaching the dams within two fish generations. Earthjustice and several Native tribes and states have paused litigation against the government to allow for the implementation of these commitments, though final dam breaching will require Congressional action.

• The Biden administration's plan for restoring endangered salmon and steelhead in the Pacific Northwest includes more than $500 million in new federal funding and commitments to help Native tribes develop 1,000-3,000 megawatts of clean, renewable power to replace energy provided by the lower Snake River dams.
• The Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative (CBRI), developed by the states of Washington and Oregon and the Nez Perce, Yakama, Warm Springs, and Umatilla Tribes, explicitly calls for the breaching of the Snake River dams within two fish generations.
• Four dams located in Washington block salmon passage along the lower Snake River, which is a critical migration route connecting spawning habitat in central Idaho to the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean.
• While the Biden administration can provide planning and funding to replace dam services, the actual breaching of the dams will require action from Congress.
• Earthjustice, the states of Oregon and Washington, and the Nez Perce, Yakama, Warm Springs, and Umatilla Tribes have agreed to pause litigation provided the administration's plan is implemented.

APA

Earthjustice (2023). The Government Just Took a Big Step Toward Breaching Salmon-Killing Dams. https://earthjustice.org/brief/2023/the-government-just-took-a-big-step-toward-breaching-salmon-killing-dams

Chicago

Earthjustice. The Government Just Took a Big Step Toward Breaching Salmon-Killing Dams. 2023. https://earthjustice.org/brief/2023/the-government-just-took-a-big-step-toward-breaching-salmon-killing-dams.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Earthjustice |title=The Government Just Took a Big Step Toward Breaching Salmon-Killing Dams |date=14 December 2023 |url=https://earthjustice.org/brief/2023/the-government-just-took-a-big-step-toward-breaching-salmon-killing-dams |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{earthjustice2023government, author = {{Earthjustice}}, title = {{The Government Just Took a Big Step Toward Breaching Salmon-Killing Dams}}, institution = {Earthjustice}, year = {2023}, month = dec, url = {https://earthjustice.org/brief/2023/the-government-just-took-a-big-step-toward-breaching-salmon-killing-dams}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }