The dams are not the problem here. They don't help the situation, but there are way too many other things at work here than just the dams. If the dams were the reason our fish runs are declining, do you really think there would be any fish left at all? Why do the Clearwater(ID) runs continue to decline while the Grande Ronde is still FULL of fish EVERY spring? Could it be that the Clearwater fish (10-20+ lbs.) have a harder time getting through all of the commercial and Indian nets than the Grande Ronde fish (4-8 lbs.)???? The Hanford Reach still has a healthy return of salmon even though they have to cross 4 dams. So fish can handle crossing 4 dams, but not 8(see Grande Ronde)? Come on, people. The Lower Columbia River coho are as near to extinction as any Snake River fish, and they don't cross ANY dams! It's a whole lot easier for our politicans to point fingers at dams as being THE reason fish runs continue declining instead of having to deal with overharvest, huge predation losses(terns, seal lions), habitat, ocean conditions, etc........ "Of course, that's just what I think, I could be wrong!"--Dennis Miller