Changes at Snake River Dams Helping Idaho Sockeye Salmon

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Federal officials say more endangered sockeye salmon will complete the trip upstream to central Idaho this year because of structural changes at two Snake River dams in Washington state.

Officials say success with the new systems at Lower Granite Dam and Little Goose Dam, which pull cold water from deep in the reservoirs for the fish ladders, could lead to similar changes at other dams on the Snake and Columbia rivers.

The changes to the dams made by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers follow the massive die-off of sockeye salmon in the Columbia Basin in 2015.

A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report earlier this year cited hot water throughout the basin as the cause, but also noted a lack of action by federal managers as playing a role.