IV 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 184 
Expressing the sense of the Congress opposing removal of dams on the 
Columbia and Snake Rivers for fishery restoration purposes, supporting 
the renewable energy that the dams produce, and agreeing that their 
removal does not make sound environmental nor fiscal sense. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 12, 2007 
Mr. SALI submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee 
on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently de-
termined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of the Congress opposing removal of 
dams on the Columbia and Snake Rivers for fishery 
restoration purposes, supporting the renewable energy 
that the dams produce, and agreeing that their removal 
does not make sound environmental nor fiscal sense. 
Whereas the dams on the Columbia and Snake River system 
provide tremendous economic and environmental benefits 
to the Pacific Northwest and California that should be 
retained; 
Whereas the dams on the Columbia and Snake River system 
provide renewable power to the Pacific Northwest and 
California and do not contribute ‘‘greenhouse’’ gases to 
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the environment as their replacement power sources 
would; 
Whereas plans for the recovery of federally protected fish spe-
cies in the Columbia and Snake River System should only 
rely on relevant and scientifically verifiable causes such 
as predation of fish stocks, conditions of the ocean, 
hatchery and mitigation technology, passage around and 
through hydroelectric projects and ocean harvest levels 
and only after these options have been exhausted should 
removal of the dams as a means of ‘‘recovery’’ even be 
considered an option; 
Whereas the environmental impact of removing the dams on 
the Columbia and Snake river system would be dev-
astating to salmon and steelhead stocks and would also 
negatively impact the surrounding communities which are 
strong supporters and advocates of improving fish stocks 
on the Columbia and Snake River System; and 
Whereas any comprehensive fish recovery plan for the Colum-
bia and Snake River system must be based on sound 
science and proven data, taking into consideration the 
economic and social costs associated with changes to the 
management and use of the river infrastructure, focusing 
on new options and not wasting funding on politically 
sensitive options, such as dam breaching, that has his-
torically been proven infeasible with an extensive amount 
of Federal taxpayers money and studies: Now, therefore, 
be it 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), 
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•HCON 184 IH 
SEC. 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This resolution may be cited as the ‘‘Preserve our 
Salmon and Renewable Energy Resolution’’. 
SEC. 2. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS WITH RESPECT TO COM-
MERCE IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. 
It is the sense of Congress that the dams on the Co-
lumbia and Snake Rivers are essential to commerce in the 
Pacific Northwest for the following reasons: 
(1) The Columbia and Snake River system, located 
in the States of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, is an 
essential transportation link for the United States, used 
to export all types of products, including annual transport 
of over $2 billion of agricultural goods for export overseas. 
(2) This inland system for barges supports $15 bil-
lion annually in international trade. 
(3) Breaching these dams would eliminate the ability 
to barge goods and would seriously affect the region’s 
economy. 
(4) Replacing the power currently generated by the 
dams on the Columbia and Snake Rivers would result in 
significant increases in costs to consumers in the Pacific 
Northwest and California and would cause significant 
harm to the economy of those areas. 
(5) Producers who ship their products on the Colum-
bia and Snake River system save approximately 
$38,000,000 per year by avoiding more expensive land 
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based transportation, a savings which keeps United States 
exports competitive on world markets. 
(6) The Columbia and Snake River system allows 
large volumes of freight to be moved with negligible impact 
on air quality, and replaces transportation capacity that 
would require use of 120,000 rail cars or 700,000 trucks. 
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS WITH RESPECT TO SURVIV-
ABILITY RATE OF SALMON AND STEELHEAD. 
It is the sense of Congress that the survivability rate 
of salmon and steelhead has increased since the dams have 
been in place for the following reasons: 
(1) Recent studies by the National Marine Fisheries 
Service indicate that the survival rates of salmon and 
steelhead migrating down the Columbia and Snake River 
system (with 8 dams) are similar or greater than survival 
rates measured in 1961 when there were only 4 dams on 
the system. 
(2) Improved fish hatchery processes, including fish 
acclimation processes, have resulted in the first successful 
run of coho salmon on the Yakima River in 3 decades. 
(3) Based on current Corps of Engineers research, 
survival of adult salmon and steelhead at and between hy-
droelectric dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers is 
averaging 98 percent per dam and reservoir. 
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