Tough one here Dave! I wish we where having the conversation 70 or so years ago when the Columbia and Snake rivers where still free flowing.

The article states, "A key part of this latest proposal is the decision to allow NOAA Fisheries to ignore the impact of the dams’ existence and instead only evaluate the impacts of dam operations," and ends with this, "Even worse," Heberger said, "it fails entirely to account for the root problem - the dams and reservoirs themselves. Instead the administration inexplicably treats the concrete as though it were part of the natural environment."

I believe that those dams will never be removed and thus their existance should not be a part of the recovery plan. As someone in his 30's I've never seen or experianced a free flowing Columbia and so it is, essentially, "part of the natural environment." As sucky as that fact is! If dams themselves (read as dam removal) are included than that will be the only solution. That will only create lawsuits for dam removal. In the meantime the dam operators will be trying to make as much money (to defend themselves and their business) no matter how distructive their operating policies are to fish runs. After all the problem is the dams themselves and not how they are operated so why bother discussing how they are operated. Not real sure if that is in the fish's best interest?

I'll admit I usually have all the answers but not on this one. This is an extremely complicated issue. I think we need to admit the reality of the dams existance and do the best we can to mitigate their existance.