The numbers for 2024 are in, and salmon are having an amazing year as they return from the ocean to spawn in the headwaters of the Columbia and Snake rivers.
Not everyone knows that the fish passage programs and facilities on the federally operated locks and dams of the Columbia Snake River System are some of the most effective in the world. Salmon famously travel hundreds of miles upriver to spawn, and that requires them to bypass the dams that power and irrigate our communities, and the locks that efficiently move our goods between local and global markets.
Here’s a little report on what our communities do to steward healthy rivers and healthy economies.
Columbia and Snake River salmon counts have more than doubled since last year, three-times higher than the ten-year average.
The difference in numbers is immediately apparent. According to the
Fish Passage Center, the salmon count at every dam monitored has more than doubled from last year and is generally three times higher than the ten-year average. This points to a massive population recovery, and two dams on the Columbia and Snake Rivers can provide insight into this boom.
The University of Washington’s Aquatic and Fishery Sciences department has been charting the salmon run since 1938 on the Bonneville Dam, located 40 miles east of Portland, Oregon. Their averages over this period show that while the population boom is outsized for 2024, it is part of an upward trend that began in 2001.
This is true of the Lower Granite Dam as well, a dam on the Snake River on the way to Port of Lewiston, Idaho. The majority of salmon that make their way up the Columbia are headed for the Upper Columbia in the Okanogan region and British Columbia. The average number of salmon returning through Lower Granite Dam has also trended upward since 2001, and the population of salmon that travel up to the Sawtooth Basin are recovering and strong.
World-class fish passage helps salmon numbers.
What could be the cause of this population boom for Columbia and Snake River salmon? One factor is traversal of the river’s dams and care by fish and game departments and other stewards of the rivers.
According to
Northwest RiverPartners, improvements in fish ladder technology and turbine bypass systems now allow juvenile salmon traveling down the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean survive dam crossings at a rate between 93 and 99 percent. Some dams have even implemented the use of fish-friendly hydroelectric turbines, which reduce the risk of fish injury.
Other steps, like planting trees to provide shade and removing blockages on the river to help salmon between dams, also work to improve river conditions for salmon on their journey.
This year’s salmon returns are good news for everyone who depends on the Columbia and Snake River System for ecological and economic benefits. With world-class investments in salmon recovery, the care and progress of salmon returns demonstrate that we can have a healthy river and a healthy economy.
Share your river value
We all benefit from the federal system of dams and locks on the Columbia Snake River System. Whether you appreciate clean and reliable electricity, irrigation for farms, or affordable and fuel-efficient shipping, the Columbia Snake River System connects the Pacific Northwest to the world and keeps our region strong and balanced.
We’re looking for personal stories to share from our community about how the River System supports your life. If you’re a resident, worker or business owner who appreciates the public goods created and supported by the Columbia Snake River system, we want to share your story!
