Breaching dams won’t help

Over the past few decades, coastal sea lion and harbor seal populations have increased tenfold. These populations compete with our Washington salmon for food.

Current water pollution in the Puget Sound prevents herring eggs from developing and hatching properly. Herring and smelt populations have plummeted. Other foraging fish populations have also plummeted. Consequently, even if we breached the lower four Snake River dams in question, the feed is not there to support increasing salmon populations. The current ecosystem cannot support feeding additional salmon.

Sadly, merely breaching these four Snake River dams will not bring back the salmon runs of old that sportsmen and I would like to see.

Dan Robisch

Otis Orchards