Oregon wants to be a green state. The decisions to get there aren’t always black and white.
Sometimes two environmental goals can clash with each other.
Hydroelectric dams are by far the state’s most successful and important source of renewable energy. But a recent ruling from U.S. District Court Judge Michael Simon ordered that dams along the Columbia and Snake Rivers generate less power in order to improve conditions for Oregon’s waning salmon populations.
Is Simon’s ruling the right move to help one of the state’s most important – and endangered – species?
YES
By Carter McAleer, Emi Dano, and the LBCC Civil Discourse Program
A keystone species is an organism that has exceptional and disproportionate influence on its ecosystem. Salmon aren’t just a keystone species in Oregon’s rivers and streams, but also to the state’s industry and culture. So when it comes down to saving this foundational animal in its time of need, let the rivers flow.
Whether you’re a commercial fisherman, a new resident to Oregon, or one of the 137 wildlife species that depend on salmon, you’re probably familiar with these fish that beat at the heart of our state and the Pacific Northwest as a whole.
Because of their unique migration patterns, salmon are an important source of marine nutrients deep into freshwater streams, supporting bears, birds, vegetation, and just about everything under the sun. Unfortunately, as salmon numbers decline, whole food webs are threatened at multiple trophic levels.
But hope for our ecosystem isn’t lost: By allowing more water to pass through dams and maintaining smaller reservoirs, migratory paths for salmon can be restored, allowing them to once again enrich our rivers and homes.
Culturally, salmon are part of Oregon’s identity. They play an essential role among Oregon tribes now, just as they have historically. They dictate calendars for fishermen in and out of state alike, and they even have their own license plate exclusive to Oregon. Their survival isn’t just a matter of environmental concern but of cultural dependence.
In 2024, former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland warned of the “devastating impact of federal hydropower dams on Tribal communities,” which sums it up perfectly. In the Treaty of 1855, the right to fish at all “usual and accustomed places” was guaranteed to the Nez Perce, Yakama, Umatilla, and Warm Springs tribes. However, as dams have shrunk our vital rivers and the salmon population with them, we continue to disrespect and disregard this promise without outright breaking it.
With all that said, we recognize the economic importance of hydropower in Oregon’s infrastructure. Historically, energy produced from dams has made up a large portion of our state’s energy output, and it continues to do so to this day.
However, hydropower’s dependence on natural resources has left the industry just as volatile as salmon’s survival, costing Oregon $1.5 billion in revenue over the last 18 years, whereas Oregon’s commercial fishing industry has never been better. In 2025, economic activity was at an all-time high, reaching $1.1 billion and supporting over 10,000 jobs statewide despite our low salmon stock abundance. And all of this economic success is despite the barriers Oregon’s beloved salmon have faced; if anything, this is an industry that should be fueled, not stunted. Fortunately, U.S. District Court Judge Michael Simon agrees.
For years, dams have blocked salmon’s passage across the Pacific Northwest, permanently cutting out as much as 40% of available spawning grounds within the Columbia River Basin alone. The large reservoirs that dams create slow down water, causing temperature rises that can be outright lethal to salmon.
Now, under Judge Simon’s new mandates, salmon may have a fighting chance to recover their prominence as a cornerstone of Oregon’s cultural and economic identity.
NO
By Orion Glover and the LBCC Civil Discourse Program
Many Oregonians don’t realize that nearly 40% of the electricity we generate in the state comes from burning fossil fuels. As energy demand rises and hydropower falls, Oregon must look to other sources of power. Under our current energy system, fossil fuels are the only near term alternative, meaning Judge Simon’s decision threatens to raise this number even higher.
The power that replaces hydro should come from renewables, and yet, it is exceedingly difficult to connect green projects to the grid at this time. A 2025 ProPublica and Oregon Public Broadcasting investigation found that the state’s uniquely flawed management system of our transmission lines has led to hundreds of denied wind and solar projects. Billions of dollars and years of bureaucracy in the way of a timely resolution. But the judge’s decision means we need that energy now.
Limiting hydropower also creates another urgent need. Unlike the more inconsistent energy of wind and solar, hydropower reservoirs can control how much water is released, adjusting the power flowing into the grid. During heat waves, when millions of air conditioners run, dams provide electricity that stabilizes the grid and prevents blackouts. Right now, the only stand-in for this reliability are gas burning power plants.
Burning fossil fuels undermines the very reason advocates are pushing for hydropower restrictions. Oceans warmed by climate change are causing serious damage to salmon populations. A crucial contributor to Oregon’s reputation as a green state, hydropower makes up around 41% of our electricity generation. Any loss of hydropower not only moves Oregon away from climate targets, but it further worsens the conditions that are affecting worldwide salmon populations.
Higher emissions come with higher costs. Oregonians are already feeling the pressure of high energy prices with recent statewide energy hikes continuing a punishing climb of around 50% in the last five years. Hydropower has long helped to combat rising prices at a lower cost than other power sources. In fact, estimates from The Bonneville Power Administration show the court ruling could increase the cost of power by as much as 17%.
Our electricity costs are not an optional expense. Some families already struggle through hotter summers and are forced to cut back on cooling to keep power bills manageable. A recent U.S. Energy Information Administration survey showed that around one in every three U.S. households struggles to pay electricity bills.
Dam removal may also fail to turn around the salmon decline. Alaskan rivers, untouched by manmade barriers, are experiencing nearly identical drops in salmon as dammed rivers. At the same time, modern fish recovery systems on the lower Snake River dams have survival rates similar to undammed rivers.
We already have access to technologies that allow safe fish passage, and require a fraction of the cost Oregonians will pay for higher energy prices. Modern turbine designs, surface collectors, and advanced spillways have seen survival rates between 97% and 99% at different dams across Oregon.
Paring down hydropower means swapping a working climate solution for unknown benefits to salmon. Instead of paying the high price of fossil fuel use, Oregon should invest in modern fish passage technologies that protect both salmon and the communities that depend on affordable energy.
