Blog post by Lauren Goldberg, Riverkeeper’s Staff Attorney—
Crack in Columbia River Dam Prompts Salmon Passage Concerns
April 3, 2014. On February 27th, Grant County PUD discovered a 65-foot long, horizontal fracture at Wanapum Dam. This discovery prompted an unprecedented lowering of the Columbia River behind the Wanapum Dam. Shoreline that had not seen the light of day since the dam was built in 1963 is now exposed.
Public safety is of paramount importance as the Grant PUD and federal regulators evaluate and implement a plan to restore the structural integrity of the Wanapum Dam. Regulators are also dealing with a potential crisis for Columbia River salmon and steelhead, which rely on fish ladders to make their way upstream and spawn.
How does the Wanapum Dam Situation Impact Fish Passage?
The fracture in the Wanapum Dam presents a significant threat to endangered salmon and steelhead. To relieve pressure on the Wanapum Dam, Grant County PUD lowered the water level behind the dam. This is a big deal for adult fish. The dam’s fish ladder, which allows adult fish to pass over the dam, is now high and dry. Fish that rely on the ladder to migrate upstream and spawn include:
- Chinook salmon,
- Coho salmon,
- Sockeye salmon,
- Steelhead, and
- Bull trout.
Wild Upper Columbia River spring Chinook and Upper Columbia steelhead stocks, as well as bull trout, are protected under the Endangered Species Act.
What is the Current Status of the Wanapum Dam Situation?
- According to reports, at the current river level, the gravity-fed fish ladders at Wanapum Dam are not functional.
- Drawdown of the Wanapum pool of the Columbia River could cause problems for adult salmon and steelhead that need access to fish ladders at Rock Island Dam, located upstream from Wanapum Dam.
- The drawdown raises questions about increased juvenile fish mortality at both Wanapum and Rock Island dams.
- According to the Grant County PUD, work is underway to modify fish ladders at Wanapum Dam.
How is Riverkeeper Responding to this Crisis?
Riverkeeper is closely tracking the developing situation at Wanapum Dam and weighing-in with decisionmakers. We are also staying in close communication with the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, which represents the four Columbia River treaty tribes, and working with a coalition conservation groups, including American Rivers and Save Our Wild Salmon.
- Read Riverkeeper’s letter to the National Marine Fisheries Service.
- Learn about the journey of Columbia River salmon.
