The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission is disputing the federal government's estimated cost of salmon recovery.

The commission, which represents four tribes with treaty rights on the Columbia River, says the Bonneville Power Administration, a federal agency that manages four dams on the river, is misusing a computer model. BPA claims that a water spill, which helps the fish, cost $77 million but only helped 20 endangered adult salmon, or $3.85 million per fish.

The tribes have battled BPA to change how it manages the dams. But BPA faces pressure from the public utility industry.

Overall, the federal government has spent $1 billion salmon recovery efforts but cannot document the successes, according to a recent General Accounting Office audit.

Get the Story:
Salmon's Return Spurs Debate on Spill at Dams (The Washington Post 3/7)

Relevant Links:
Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission - http://www.critfc.org
Bonneville Power Administration - http://www.bpa.gov

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