Bonneville Dam

Bonneville Dam, on the Columbia River, provides nearly 40% of the hydroelectric power coming from the Columbia River Basin. It's a huge impediment to migrating salmon (along with the tens of other dams on the Columbia and it's tributaries), but we have to have cheap, non-polluting power. There are ways for the salmon to bypass the dam, and they are effective. And, the Corps of Engineers are working to reduce fish mortality. Here, workers are replacing original turbines from the 1930s with improved fins that will increase electrical productivity and reduce fish mortality as they pass through the turbines (some fish do, but the turbines spin at a relatively slow 72RPM and about 95% of the fish pass through unharmed. The new turbines will increase survival to nearly 100%).

The sad thing about the dams is the loss of the incredible landscapes the river created, beautiful waterfalls, cascades and rock formations that are now underwater. It just takes a browse through a book of historic photographs to see what was lost.