Lieutenant General Todd T Semonite,

The four dams on the lower Snake River are no longer an essential part of Washington State's energy needs, but up-stream access is critical to support wild Chinook salmon, and the Southern Resident killer whales that depend upon them.

The Columbia River Basin is the largest Pacific watershed in North America, and its longest tributary, the Snake River, was once home to some of the largest salmon runs in the lower 48. Now these waters contain a fraction of the historic population, and hundreds of miles of essential fish habitat are inaccessible; despite fish ladders and other efforts we are failing.

There are other—possibly less expensive— ways to make up for any deficit in power if these dams were removed. There is no way to supplement the loss of habitat or wild genetic stock of salmon. Hatcheries have failed to bridge the gap—at great cost to the taxpayer— and an entire ecosystem is now at risk of collapse.

I urge you to accept the scientific merits of dam removal on the lower Snake River as necessary to recover wild Chinook salmon and save the Southern Resident killer whales from extinction.

Sincerely,

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