ACT NOW: Urge the U.S. government to proceed with a thorough and comprehensive SEIS for the Columbia and Snake River dams

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ACT NOW: Tell the federal government to proceed with a thorough and comprehensive Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the Columbia and Snake River dams

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation are collecting public comments to supplement the 2020 Columbia River System Operation (CRSO) Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), as agreed to in the Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement (RCBA), signed in December 2023 by federal agencies, the states of Oregon and Washington, four lower Columbia River Tribes, BPA, and plaintiffs.

The public comment period seeks to gather new information and circumstances since the previous CRSO EIS completed in 2020 was ruled illegal by a federal court for failing to address the catastrophic impacts of dam operations on salmon.

Personalizing your message is crucially important for this action!

We recommend starting your message with an introduction about who you are and why this issue matters to you! Then, share relevant new reports, studies, or other information published since the 2020 CRSO EIS was completed. Please see below for examples of topics to include in your comment.

Headwaters, by Rachel Teannalach, Northwest Artists Against Extinction.

The U.S. Government is Obligated and Must be Accountable to Upholding Tribal Treaty Rights: The U.S. Department of the Interior's 2024 Tribal Circumstances Analysis outlines the historic, ongoing, and cumulative damage and injustices that the federal dams on the Columbia-Snake River have caused and continues to cause to Tribal Nations, and provides critical recommendations for upholding the federal government’s Treaty and trust responsibilities.
The Fish Passage Center data shows that wild salmon populations, particularly in the Snake River Basin, remain far below recovery goals. This is a stark reminder that “total returns” do not equate to a healthy, sustainable ecosystem.
- Nez Perce Tribe and the Nez Perce Fisheries Department: Snake Basin Chinook and Steelhead Quasi-Extinction Threshold Alarm and Call to Action
NOAA Fisheries’ Columbia Basin Partnership Task Force has established recovery goals for smolt-to-adult returns (SARs) of 2–6%, but SARs in the Snake River are consistently below 1% (NOAA Fisheries, 2022).

“Salmon recovery depends on large-scale actions,” according to NOAA's 2022 report titled "Rebuilding Interior Columbia Basin Salmon and Steelhead". “Inaction will result in the catastrophic loss of the majority of Columbia River basin salmon and steelhead stocks.” NOAA states that restoring Snake River salmon and steelhead to healthy and abundant levels would require restoration of the lower Snake River and its migration corridor by breaching the four lower Snake River dams as part of a comprehensive suite of actions.
Lower Snake River dams (LSRD) are costly, antiquated, and unnecessary for our region’s clean energy future-- nearly 40% of their power components were rated as “Poor” or “Marginal” in condition, as of July 2023.
- A 2022 Northwest Energy Coalition report found that replacing the power generated by the lower Snake River dams with clean energy sources is feasible and cost-effective (NW Energy Coalition, 2022).

The same study found that portfolios of new renewable resources would actually provide greater regional value than the LSRD, as new resources could provide more energy when the region needs it most—winter and summer.

The lower Snake River dams are far from "cheap power"—they’re nearly twice as expensive ($36.69 per megawatt hour) as the other major dams on the Columbia River ($21.25 per megawatt hour). (BPA, 2024)

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Lower Monumental, 48 x 48. Completed in 2020. Rachel Teannalach, Northwest Artists Against Extinction.

Artwork by Northwest Artist Against Extinction collaborating artist, Rachel Teannalach.

Save Our wild Salmon Coalition

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The U.S. Government is Obligated and Must be Accountable to Upholding Tribal Treaty Rights: The U.S. Department of the Interior's 2024 Tribal Circumstances Analysis outlines the historic, ongoing, and cumulative damage and injustices that the federal dams on the Columbia-Snake River have caused and continues to cause to Tribal Nations, and provides critical recommendations for upholding the federal government’s Treaty and trust responsibilities.
The Fish Passage Center data shows that wild salmon populations, particularly in the Snake River Basin, remain far below recovery goals. This is a stark reminder that “total returns” do not equate to a healthy, sustainable ecosystem.
- Nez Perce Tribe and the Nez Perce Fisheries Department: Snake Basin Chinook and Steelhead Quasi-Extinction Threshold Alarm and Call to Action
NOAA Fisheries’ Columbia Basin Partnership Task Force has established recovery goals for smolt-to-adult returns (SARs) of 2–6%, but SARs in the Snake River are consistently below 1% (NOAA Fisheries, 2022).

“Salmon recovery depends on large-scale actions,” according to NOAA's 2022 report titled "Rebuilding Interior Columbia Basin Salmon and Steelhead". “Inaction will result in the catastrophic loss of the majority of Columbia River basin salmon and steelhead stocks.” NOAA states that restoring Snake River salmon and steelhead to healthy and abundant levels would require restoration of the lower Snake River and its migration corridor by breaching the four lower Snake River dams as part of a comprehensive suite of actions.
Lower Snake River dams (LSRD) are costly, antiquated, and unnecessary for our region’s clean energy future-- nearly 40% of their power components were rated as “Poor” or “Marginal” in condition, as of July 2023.
- A 2022 Northwest Energy Coalition report found that replacing the power generated by the lower Snake River dams with clean energy sources is feasible and cost-effective (NW Energy Coalition, 2022).

The same study found that portfolios of new renewable resources would actually provide greater regional value than the LSRD, as new resources could provide more energy when the region needs it most—winter and summer.

The lower Snake River dams are far from "cheap power"—they’re nearly twice as expensive ($36.69 per megawatt hour) as the other major dams on the Columbia River ($21.25 per megawatt hour). (BPA, 2024)

Northwest Delegation

Subject: Please ensure the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation move forward with a thorough and comprehensive SEIS for the Columbia and Snake River dams

Message:

I’m writing to ask you to ensure the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation proceed with a thorough and comprehensive supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) for the Columbia and Snake River dams as agreed to in the Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement (RCBA). There is substantial new information and circumstances that need to be considered as part of a SEIS, including DOI’s recent Tribal Circumstances Analysis, NOAA’s 2022 Rebuilding Report, and the operational changes and studies ongoing under the Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement (RCBA) and the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative (CBRI)-- developed by the Six Sovereigns to restore wild salmon populations in the Snake and Columbia rivers. Failing to thoroughly update the EIS in light of this information would mean leaving in place the significantly flawed and illegal 2020 EIS, creating instability, uncertainty and continued harm to salmon, tribes, and communities across the Pacific Northwest. Please strongly request the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation to proceed with the SEIS and ensure the process fully considers all of the new information available and relevant circumstances to prevent salmon extinction. Sincerely,

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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation

Subject: Please proceed with a thorough and comprehensive SEIS for the Columbia and Snake River dams

Message:

I’m writing to ask you to proceed with a thorough and comprehensive supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) for the Columbia and Snake River dams as agreed to in the Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement (RCBA). There is substantial new information and circumstances that need to be considered as part of a supplemental EIS, including DOI’s recent Tribal Circumstances Analysis, NOAA’s 2022 Rebuilding Report, and the operational changes and studies ongoing under the CBRI/RCBA. Failing to update the EIS in light of this information would mean leaving in place the significantly flawed and illegal 2020 EIS, creating instability, uncertainty and continued harm to salmon, tribes, and communities across the Pacific Northwest. These fish are the lifeblood of the Pacific Northwest, and if we lose them to extinction, we are failing to uphold Treaty obligations to Northwest Tribes and losing an irreplaceable part of our identity, well-being, community health and economy. In addition to working toward lower Snake River dam removal, the CBRI calls for other critical measures to restore native fisheries. The federal government’s SEIS and dam operations plan should include lower Snake River dam removal and all other actions necessary to rebuild imperiled salmon runs. The SEIS should also include centerpiece actions identified by NOAA in its 2022 “Rebuilding” report as key to recovering salmon to healthy and abundant levels across the Basin. Please proceed with the SEIS and ensure the process fully considers all of the new information available and relevant circumstances to prevent salmon extinction. Sincerely,

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ACT NOW: Tell the federal government to proceed with a thorough and comprehensive Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the Columbia and Snake River dams

Personalizing your message is crucially important for this action!

Take action below. We just need a few pieces of information to connect you with your representatives.

Personalizing your message is crucially important for this action!

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The comment period for this document is now closed. But, you can still help!

THANK YOU!

ACT NOW: Tell the federal government to proceed with a thorough and comprehensive Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the Columbia and Snake River dams

Personalizing your message is crucially important for this action!

Take action below. We just need a few pieces of information to connect you with your representatives.

Personalizing your message is crucially important for this action!

Sorry, we're not targeting any representatives in your district. But, you can still help!

The comment period for this document is now closed. But, you can still help!

THANK YOU!

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