John,
The negative impacts of dams, worsened by climate change, are raising water temperatures and pushing our wild salmon closer to the brink of extinction. Congress must take steps to restore the Columbia River basin to protect this ecologically, economically, and culturally important fish.
Decades of delay and costly projects have left our wild salmon and Columbia River ecosystem in crisis. But just last week, Congressman Mike Simpson unveiled a plan to restore the Northwest’s abundant salmon runs and help transition the region to affordable clean energy—both of which would create tens of thousands of good jobs. Now is the time for Congress to properly restore the region’s rivers and habitat.
Tell Congress to take action to restore the Snake River and Columbia River basin ecosystem before wild salmon go extinct.
As climate change impacts gain momentum, warming river temperatures threaten our wild salmon as they migrate from the Pacific coast to central Idaho. The shallow, slow-moving reservoirs behind the lower Snake River dams push water temperatures well above 68 degrees, which is dangerously—and fatally—hot for salmon migrating from the Columbia River. Climate change and these dams are creating a deadly combination that could doom these incredible fish to extinction.
To reverse the trend that is pushing the Northwest’s salmon runs toward extinction, we must restore the Snake River. Restoration of the rivers of the Columbia River basin would also be a huge boon to the snow geese, river otters, and other wildlife that depend on the healthy habitats.
What could happen if our wild salmon disappear forever? The region’s fragile food webs could be irreparably torn; our fisheries and outdoor recreation economy that supports our rural communities could collapse; and our Indigenous neighbors could lose a culturally vital connection to the natural world.
Without your voice, John, our leaders might not fully understand the urgency of this moment. Will you call on your members of Congress to support the Columbia Basin Fund and save wild salmon today?
