When hot water threatens people and fish, learn how Columbia Riverkeeper fights to protect the river!
By: Miles Johnson
It’s no secret that the Columbia and Lower Snake rivers are too hot. The dams and reservoirs slow down the current and soak up the sun’s heat, pushing water temperatures into the danger zone for salmon and other native fish. Climate change makes a bad situation worse, and worse.
Slow, warm water is a breeding ground for algae and aquatic vegetation. In recent years, we’ve begun to see toxic algae blooms in new places, sometimes causing the closure of sections of the river for months. Sadly, this summer is no different—toxic algae blooms have been detected in the Lower Snake River for the third consecutive year. So far this year, the toxic algae has been detected in the 50-mile stretch of the Lower Snake river between Nisqually John Landing and Little Goose Dam. Toxic algae has also been found in the 12.5-mile stretch below Lower Granite Dam. These waters tested positive for elevated levels of microcystins, a type of liver toxin that is harmful to people and the river ecosystem, and can be lethal to pets.
Toxic algae in rivers may spread due to wind and water currents; please avoid nearby areas of water with visible green scum on the surface. Garfield County Public Health warned: “Fishermen and water recreationists are advised to use caution when fishing or boating on the [Lower] Snake River, the bloom may pose health risks if toxins are ingested or touched.”
Columbia Riverkeeper is working to keep the rivers cool, so that people, pets, and salmon can survive and thrive! Through a decade of legal battles by Columbia Riverkeeper and our allies, we are leveraging the Clean Water Act to reduce the temperature of the Columbia and Lower Snake rivers. For the next several months, the Washington Dept. of Ecology is leading an advisory committee to implement the temperature reduction plan for the Columbia and Lower Snake developed by the EPA.
This process should result in strategies to keep the river and its tributaries cool enough to meet Washington and Oregon’s water quality standards—which would help fish migrate safely and reduce algae growth. Columbia Riverkeeper is a member of the Technical Advisory Committee for the temperature reduction planning process, and we are working with other stakeholders to ensure we get the best outcome for clean water. Unfortunately, industry groups and the Army Corps of Engineers are participating in the process too; they are lobbying against any meaningful changes to the status quo that could help water quality, like reducing reservoir levels in the summer to increase flow and cool the river. Click here to tell the Washington Dept. of Ecology that clean, cold water matters to you!
