“The headwaters of the Snake are our home waters,” said Dawkins. “We care passionately about this river from its high country beginnings all the way to the Pacific Ocean. The loss of salmon and steelhead runs in this iconic American river would be a tragedy for us all.”
We have an unparalleled opportunity here. If the dams were removed, about 46 percent of the historic spawning and rearing habitat for spring and summer Chinook Salmon and summer steelhead is still accessible. Mile-for-mile, the Snake River basin contains the coldest, most undisturbed stream habitats in the Lower 48. If we are going to make major investments in wild fish recovery in the Columbia Basin, the Snake is the place to put our money.
“I think we have a responsibility to wild fish and to wild rivers,” Link said. “In the 1800’s, the Snake River produced runs of two million fish – over half of the spring/summer Chinook salmon and summer steelhead came from this one basin. Even today, if you look at the entire Columbia River Basin, the Snake River has by far the greatest potential for recovering wild salmon and steelhead in the entire watershed.”
What if we could do it? What if we could remove those four dams and bring back real runs of these iconic fish to their natal waters? We know what that would mean to the fish, but what would it mean to the people of central Idaho? What would be the economic input of people coming from all over the world to fish, or even just to see these magnificent creatures? It would be a new lease on life not only for the river and the fish and all the species that depend on the fish, but for the communities. This isn’t just about fish, it’s about all of us.
“I felt this was an important chapter of history to experience and record,” said Daniel Ritz. “When I personally started to learn more about the history and status of the West’s native species, I quickly realized how change in the West since the arrival of Europeans and the health of its trout species were intertwined. I also quickly realized I was not the only angler, let alone citizen, who wasn’t aware of the state of our native trout.”
“At Umpqua, we say we’re tied to the water,” Russ said. “Our love of the water is the constant that binds us all together. From flies to tools, everything we do is made for the water. The Snake is an iconic American river that once supported plentiful runs of salmon and steelhead. For decades now, we’ve tried to work around the issue of the dams with fish ladders, barges and a host of other failed alternatives. The fact is that we can either have dams on the Snake or fish in the Snake. We can’t have both.”
For a young family like theirs, the notion of losing salmon and steelhead runs in this iconic American river is simply unacceptable. These fish are too special, this place is too special for us to sit by and watch as these fish simply disappear. “Wild Rivers Coffee is with Trout Unlimited all the way on this proposal,” Marshall says. “We believe these fish are a legacy for our children and future generations of Americans to enjoy and pass on. That’s what conservation is all about.”
