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Who Drives the Salmon Truck?

Submitted by amy on July 13, 2005 - 10:15am.

Get this: the P-I just reported today that President Bush is asking Washington and Oregon States' damn operators to stop spilling water over the top to let spawning salmon through.

A US District Court judge in Portland ruled a while back that the damns should spill the water, despite the $67 million revenue loss, because it's essential to protect both the health of salmon and the health of the salmon fishing industry.

Bush is asking a higher court to overturn that ruling, because he says that this is a useless waste of potential hydroelectric power, when he's got a salmon scheme that's so crazy it just might work:

A program to divert fish captured in holding tanks at the damns, where they are then trucked or barged to the Columbia River in Oregon.

We are going to spend our taxpayers' money on putting SALMON in TANKS so that they can be DRIVEN in TRUCKS down the RIVER.

Hey Mr. President! Over here! I've got a crazy scheme too:
Let the salmon fucking swim on their own.

Posted in Environment | George W. Bush | amy's blog
Not to say whether it is good or bad...

... but this is not exactly a new idea. There are a number of dams in the northwest where fish are already trucked over the dam. Why? Probably because whoever did the feasibility study at that dam, back when we as a society first started worrying about fish (or when the first laws were passed protecting them), decided that for whatever reason, it was a better overall option than building a fish ladder, or whatever other options they were considering. Now, I have always thought it was kind of strange, driving fish in trucks, but in any case, just wanted to point out that it is not a new idea and is currently done at some dams.

Submitted by annemariem on July 13, 2005 - 11:55am.
and the truth is...

i've always wanted to be a fish truck driver. seriously. that job would rule!

Submitted by grant on July 13, 2005 - 12:29pm.
watch your back!

it's almost hard to believe, but there is a strong barge lobby on the Columbia, including those that barge salmon. They were a staunch opponent to the four Upper Columbia/Snake dam removals proposal [in the name of Salmon] that was defeated this past year. Apparently, one company in particular holds a monopoly for this highly inefficient 100+ mile stretch. From what I understand, they have a lot of friends. To what extent that is true and how far that goes, I have no idea. It's interesting where you find power plays, yes?

p.s. hail to the pun

Submitted by frank swanson on July 14, 2005 - 5:54am.

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