Idaho’s Snake River flows 1,080 miles, forming the mighty Columbia River’s largest tributary. But after the toll of hydroelectric dams and decades of political inaction, this incredible river system is dying. Trout Unlimited is not giving up on its effort to save Snake, to remove the four lower Snake River Dams, to restore the millions of wild salmon and steelhead that once swam hundreds of miles from the ocean, or the people who need a healthy river.
Authorized in 1945 and built between 1962 and 1975, the four lower Snake River dams—Ice Harbor, Lower Monumental, Little Goose, and Lower Granite—transformed a free-flowing river into a series of reservoirs to support hydropower, navigation, and regional development. For salmon and steelhead, the dams have slowed (or in some cases, prevented) migration, increased exposure to warm water and predators, and caused mortality as juvenile fish travel downstream. Efforts to remedy declining runs of salmon and steelhead with half-measures of improved fish passages and hatcheries haven’t worked, leading to these fish becoming listed under the Endangered Species Act. The resulting declines in wild Snake River runs—including iconic, long-distance steelhead and Chinook populations—have made the dams a central flashpoint in the fights to restore healthy, fishable rivers and protect the future of Northwest fly fishing.
For nearly three decades, Trout Unlimited has worked in the Columbia River Basin and advocated for breaching the four lower Snake River Dams. The science is clear: these dams are holding wild salmon and steelhead, but removing them will give these fish a better chance at recovery. Peer-reviewed research stated, “Breaching the four lower Snake River Basin dams is an action likely to prevent extirpation and extinction of these fishes.” So why are these four dams still standing?
The industries and services that stem from these dams, coupled with the lack of political will to address the issue, explain why these dams remain in place, harming salmon and steelhead. The four lower dams produce roughly 3,000mw of hydroelectric power, facilitate commercial barge transport for agricultural commodities, and provide semi-reliable reservoirs for agriculture and municipal water supplies.
At what cost, though? While these dams do provide benefits and services to the region, those benefits and services are entirely replaceable or adaptable. Wild Snake River salmon and steelhead are not, and they are running out of time. Trout Unlimited recently released a film series that highlights the communities and people who also stand to lose. The series is called When Fish Return.
TU tagged along with local business owners and advocates who both depend on healthy wild fisheries on the Snake and believe that recovery is possible.
Terry Meyer
“Between 40-50 years, we’ve had a relationship with salmon and steelhead. And I would say the last 20 years we’ve really noticed a painful lack of fish,” Terry added. “I have hope, because I’m naturally optimistic and I’m invested after so many years. How could you give up now?”
Grant Richie, Owner and Operator of Minam Store Outfitters
“As far as steelhead recovery, the biggest thing is the four Lower Snake River dams…I think there are enough positive things happening that we can have steelhead in the future.”
Greg Webster, Owner of The Bent Rod Outfitters
“Basically, we got to the point now that when we budget for the next year, we don’t really count a whole lot on having a good steelhead or salmon season…it’s called the salmon river for a reason…We need to have steelhead back.”
Roy Akins, Rapid River Outfitters
“And this salmon and steelhead recovery effort, I truly believe could reunite this nation…these fish are resilient. They can come back. To allow a species to go extinct, is the ultimate failure…”
“The 2026 summer steelhead return to the Columbia and Snake Rivers is shaping up to be one of the poorest in modern history,” said Eric Crawford of Trout Unlimited. Crawford adds, “[These films] remind us that recovery is not simply about keeping salmon and steelhead from disappearing. It is about getting back to something we have nearly forgotten; healthy and harvestable wild fish returning in numbers that support anglers, tribal cultures, rural communities and generations of families who have built their lives around salmon and steelhead.
Support Snake River recovery and Trout Unlimited today!
