We waded across creeks as kids. We meandered along streams. We kayaked and rafted rivers as teenagers. We sat along overlooks and drove across bridges as seniors.
We grew to see these ribbons of water not as a commodity but as a spiritual gift.
Wherever they are, whatever they do, rivers affect us in a way that few other bodies of water can.
Wild rivers nourish the soil and clean the air.
And in the Pacific Northwest, they are spawning grounds for wild salmon and spiritual grounds for native peoples. A river can clear our minds, nourish our souls, restore our faith.
A river can also mimmic our moods. In the springtime, it can rage. In a drought, it can struggle. On a summer day, it can gently roll along.
Take a deep breath. Clear your mind.
Be grateful and protect our rivers.
THERE IS GREAT VALUE IN RESTORING THE SNAKE RIVER.
Don't miss this beautiful short ...
DamTRUTH and the Southern Resident Killer Whale Chinook Salmon Initiative promote chinook salmon abundance for endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales’ survival and recovery.
NOURISH
FOLLOW US
Billions of public dollars have been spent over four decades trying to overcome the salmon-killing design of the four lower Snake River dams. Nothing has worked. Salmon cannot wait any longer. To prevent extinction, the dams must be breached now.
EXPOSE THE DAM TRUTH, MOBILIZE THE PUBLIC,
URGE LEADERS TO ACT
Artwork by Taylor Spaccarotelli @_tdubs_creative_
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DamTruth is focused on escalating the critical urgency of lower Snake River dam breaching, disseminating key information and updates, while encouraging the public to ACT. Actions include pushing our petition over the 1 MILLION mark as well as contacting Biden administration officials, governors and members of the Northwest delegation and demanding the lower Snake River dams to be breached now.
Now is the best opportunity in decades to save wild salmon, steelhead, Southern Resident Killer Whales and other salmon-dependent species.
In addition, the climate, social and economic benefits are far-reaching, increasing marine nutrients to the Snake River Basin through restored salmon runs, recovering 280 miles of riparian habitat to sequester carbon and filter toxins, renewing BPA, honoring Native American treaty rights, reinvigorating river communities, and providing certainty to make stakeholders whole.
A Win Win for the Pacific Northwest and the nation.
NORTHWEST RESOURCE
ACCOUNTABILITY PROJECT
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Legal Rights for the Salish Sea has been educating communities and decision makers about the plight of the Southern Resident Orcas who are facing extinction, and how we can help through a campaign rooted in the Rights of Nature since 2016.
In late 2022 and 2023, 5 cities and 3 counties in Washington signed proclamations recognizing the inherent rights of the Southern Resident Orcas. Also in 2023, we began our partnership with the Northwest Animal Rights Network (NARN). Their legal expertise and collaborative nature have been vital to our progress, as well as the crafting of a statewide bill that will be introduced into the 2025 WA state legislative session.
In the summer of 2024, the Environment and Climate Caucus (ECC) of the Washington State Democrats adopted our resolution recognizing the inherent rights of the Southern Residents, as well as our resolution to establish rights for the Snake River.
There has been a great deal of momentum within the rights of Nature movement. In fact, in 2023, Panama recognized the rights of Sea Turtles! Our statewide bill will be the first of its kind in the US for recognizing the inherent rights of an animal species.
Since 2013, Dam Sense, founded by Jim Waddell, PE, US Army Corps civil engineer and policy expert (retired), has, with a team of experts, been providing comprehensive reports and white papers based on a technical review of government generated documents about the lower Snake River dams. These include explanations on the failed economics and fish passage facilities, the inadequacy of interim spill measures to prevent salmon and steelhead extinction, and the feasibility of immediate breaching by the executive branch.
Dam Sense believes it is vital to understand the truth about the lower Snake River dams in order to achieve a brighter future, filled with vibrant local economies, abundant fishable wild salmon and steelhead, recovering Southern Resident Orcas, a financially viable Bonneville Power Administration, less tax and ratepayer waste, and responsible stewardship of ecosystems.
In February of 2024, the dam breaching world lost a hero when Jim Waddell lost his battle with cancer.
WHY IS BPA A PROBLEM?
BPA (Bonneville Power Administration) is $15 Billion in debt and in the last 10 years has burned through over $900 Million of financial reserves.
BPA faces major recurring costs for fish mitigation as Snake River threatened and endangered salmon and steelhead species slide toward extinction.
BPA’s aging hydropower assets will require ever greater amounts of costly repairs and thus major capital investments.
On May 1, 2019 Moody’s Investment Service downgraded BPA’s investment rating from stable to negative.
In 2028, BPA’s long-term contracts with most or all of 135 Public Utility Districts come to an end. If BPA is unable to offer competitive pricing —by 2023, according to the agency’s top administrator—BPA’s captive customers will find other sources for part or all of their energy needs.
Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson recently told a reporter with Boise’s KIVITV “The Bonneville Power Administration is going broke. I don’t know what other word to use.”
Read more in Lin Laughy's report: New Perspectives
The story of Tahlequah, heard round the world when she held her dead calf for 17 days and 1000 miles, took a turn in early 2020. We hope you will watch this video and be inspired to act on behalf of her family, before it's too late for NW salmon and Southern Resident Orcas.
Your role? Simply contact President Biden and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and ask them to breach the lower Snake River dams NOW.
Encouragement from the public can give them a reason to act.
Comment Links & Phone #'s...
President Biden please use this link to comment online
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland please use this link to comment online
202-208-3100 #3
OUR COMMITMENT TO THE SOUTHERN RESIDENT ORCAS
REMAINS STEADFAST
Even after the birth of two new calves in 2020 and one calf in early 2021, roughly 74 Southern Resident orcas remain. The amazing whale we call J35 Tahlequah, whose grief was felt around the world in 2018 when she carried her dead calf on her rostrum for 17 days and 1000 miles, gave birth to a robust male calf in September 2020. Several weeks later, J41 Eclipse gave birth to another bouncy calf. Then in January 2021 a newborn male calf was seen swimming alongside L86, Surprise!. These new births give the critically endangered Southern Residents a glimmer of hope that their clan may yet survive.
But plentiful chinook salmon is the key to the Southern Resident orcas’ continued existence, and right now, salmon are anything but abundant. Breaching the four lower Snake River dams is the single best opportunity to increase chinook availability, since historically, the undammed Snake River produced huge salmon runs.
After nearly 900,000 people from around the world have signed the petition to breach the four lower Snake River dams to save salmon and Southern Resident Orcas, the politicians still say they need to see more public support for dam breaching. Somehow, they’re not getting the message!
Let’s tell them directly that the people want lower Snake River dam breaching by also flooding their offices with messages and phone calls! Please use these message links and phone numbers to reach out to those in power who can make a difference if they choose. So far, they’re not convinced.
We must continue to educate these decision makers that people around the world support immediate Snake River dam breaching to save the Southern Resident orcas.
CARE ABOUT ORCAS? HERE ARE A FEW “MUST READS”:
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Letter from fifty-five scientists to Northwest policymakers October 2019: Introduction, Key Findings and Details substantiating how federal dams and climate impacts are increasing water temperatures in the lower Snake River and harming salmon survival and recovery.
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ECONorthwest Lower Snake River Dams Economic Tradeoffs of Removal, Prepared for Vulcan Inc. July 2019: Executive Summary, Full Report.