Oregonian editorial says Northwest should find encouragement iin strong Columbia fish returns
Washington Ag Today July 9, 2010 Is there reason for hope and optimism about endangered Columbia River salmon? The Editorial Board of the Oregonian newspaper thinks there is and laid out its arguments and what it says is good news in a recent editorial. The editorial writers point out that the past decade of Columbia Basin salmon returns was among the best since Bonneville Dam was completed in 1938. This year’s run of adult spring Chinook over Bonneville was well above the ten-year average and nearly five times the annual average of the 1990s. The strong run of sockeye salmon was also noted. Since the editorial was published officials have reported the sockeye count over Bonneville is a record 353-thousand plus fish, exceeding a record set in 1947. That’s three times the number of fish state and tribal biologists predicted. Coho salmon returning to one small creek were so numerous hatchery workers took excess fish to process for the Oregon Food Bank. The Oregonian argues that it is not just ocean conditions that have led to this rebound in fish. The Sacramento River in California is cited as an example where salmon runs have not done as well as those on the Columbia. The writers conclude that means the billions of dollars that have been spent on salmon recovery is making a difference and that is reason for hope and optimism. That’s Washington At Today. Brought to you in part by the Washington State Potato Commission. Nutrition today. Good health tomorrow. I’m Bob Hoff on Northwest Aginfo Net. ?
