Endangered Species: Past Actions Taken to Assist Columbia River Salmon.
Abstract
Federal agencies and regional organizations have taken numerous actions and incurred substantial costs for more than 50 years to maintain and improve salmon runs in the Columbia River Basin. The cost of actions taken, as reported by federal and regional entities, is significant since 1981 over $1.3 billion (adjusted to 1991 dollars) has been spent. Substantial costs were also reported as being incurred prior to 1981, but because the cost data were generally not identified by the year incurred, we could not calculate total costs in 1991 dollars. (Apps. I and II provide a detailed breakdown of reported costs by organization for the post-1981 and pre-1981 time periods, respectively). Actions taken have included the construction and operation of fish hatcheries; the construction of fish ladders and other facilities at Columbia and Snake River dams to assist salmon in their migration to and from the sea; improvements to salmon habitat; and research related to learning more about salmon or to assess and improve salmon runs. Regional efforts intensified following enactment of the Pacific Northwest Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act in 1980, which required that assistance be provided for fish and wildlife resources affected by power-generating facilities at Columbia River Basin dams. The effectiveness of actions taken to maintain and improve salmon runs, according to evaluations performed by a number of federal, state, and regional organizations, indicate that some actions taken have been effective in helping certain types of salmon at specific locations.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADA298947
Entities
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office