Environmental Science, 10th Edition (Cunningham)

Chapter 17: Water Use and Management

GE Exercise: Snake River Dams

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Overview: Snake River Dams, p. 389

The Goose Island Dam is the first of four on the Snake River between its confluence with the Columbia and Lewiston, ID. These dams, which were authorized by Congress in 1945 to generate electrical power, provide irrigation water to farmers, and make Lewistown a deepwater seaport. Before these dams were built, the Snake produced half of the chinook salmon in the Columbia watershed. By blocking migration routes, the dams threatened this once prolific resource. In 1991, the Snake River sockeye was the first of 13 salmon and steelhead stocks in this watershed to be declared endangered. The federal government was forced to prepare recovery plans, but, over the past 15 years, the courts have repeatedly rejected proposed plans that tried to protect the salmon while still maintaining the dams. In 2007, U.S. District Judge James Redden threatened to order destruction of the four dams unless the government submits a viable restoration plan. What do you think? How should we weigh the economic, ecological, cultural, and health effects of projects such as this?

1
Besides Goose Island, are there other dams on the Snake between the Columbia and Lewistown? (Hint: Turn on the Geographic Web layer.)
A)No, there are no other dams on that section of the Snake River.
B)Lower Monumental Dam
C)Little Goose Dam
D)Log Cabin Island (Lower Granite) Dam
E)All three dams listed are on the Snake River.
2
What town is at the confluence of the Snake and Columbia Rivers?
A)Kennewick
B)Pasco
C)Umatilla
D)Walla Walla
E)Richland
3
What are the green circles near the Goose Island Dam?
A)Helicopter landing pads
B)Astroturf roofs covering missile silos
C)Storage tanks
D)Sod farms
E)Center-pivot irrigation fields
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