User:Sandpiper798/Little Goose Dam

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There have been calls to remove the Little Goose Lock and Dam along with the other Lower Snake River (LSR) dams due to their impact on the salmon population and the fishing rights of local Native American tribes in the region. Those in favor of keeping the dam argue that removing it would cause more reliance on fossil fuel based energy. Some species of salmon native to the Columbia River Basin are protected under the Endangered Species Act, which requires the federal government to come up with a plan to restore their populations. Breaching the Little Goose Dam and the other LSR dams is considered by many environmentalists to be the best option in restoring salmon populations quickly before they completely die out.

In 1855 and 1856, the federal government negotiated treaties with local Columbia River Basin tribes that guaranteed them the right to fish for salmon in areas where people had started to colonize in exchange for several million acres of land. Tribes are arguing now that they can’t fish for salmon on ancestral lands anymore because the populations have declined so dramatically as a result of the dams. The Nez Perce Tribe, located in the area nearest to the Little Goose Lock and Dam, is one of the many Pacific Northwest (PNW) Tribes fighting for the LSR dams to be breached. Salmon and the acts of hunting and fishing are culturally significant to the tribes living in the Columbia River Basin. Salmon fishing is not only a major source of subsistence, but a spiritual tether to the land.

The dams have altered the landscape where tribes have historically carried out their ways of life. It’s estimated that nearly 34,000 acres of land and 150 miles of riverside would be restored if the dams were breached, allowing tribal hunting and fishing to be revitalized in areas that have been flooded and/or engineered for decades. Breaching the dams would also provide PNW tribes along the Columbia River Basin the chance to care for and reconnect with places that are considered sacred or used for ceremonial purposes. Tribes argue the dams have significantly reduced tribal wealth and well-being; tearing them down would not only help restore the salmon population but also provide justice to PNW tribes.

The Little Goose Dam alone generates 810 megawatts (MW) of electricity. The combined generated electricity of the 4 LSR dams is about 3000 MWs, or enough electricity to light 50 million light bulbs. Some argue breaching the dams would lead to fossil fuel reliance in the region. The Washington State Government has a goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and are highly considering solar and wind power to be the replacement energy sources for the dam.