Freespool,

Dan S. listed the key rivers for you. These were major steelhead and salmon rivers in the not too distant past. The habitat is as good today as it was then. Please do show us the scientific peer-reviewed literature indicating that habitat degradation is the proximate cause for the crash of these populations.

I don't think you're stupid, but when you show up time and again with the same explanation (habitat degradation) when the discussion regards examples to which your explanation is not applicable, it undermines your credibility and frankly, makes you appear stupid.

For just about every other PS steelhead population, yes, the proximate cause is habitat degradation. And while dams certainly account for a part of that, a keen analysis would show them to be over-represented on the list. Dams account for the loss or degradation of a relatively small percent of the total PS steelhead habitat degradation. The major culprits are land use conversions from forests to urban, agriculture, roads, rural development and forestry, which have adversely affected 90% or more of PS steelhead habitat.

Sg