"Fish slides add new wrinkle to salmon debate"

By ROCKY BARKER THE IDAHO STATESMAN via SeattlePI

"Federal officials changed the debate by creating the fish slides they hope will allow salmon to survive their downstream journey in the river and require less water to be 'spilled' over the dams and lost to power generation. These officials contend the fish slides give them enough improvement in migration that they don't have to breach dams. But state and tribal scientists and salmon advocates remain skeptical that the fish slides can improve river conditions enough to restore viable populations of salmon to Idaho's largely intact spawning habitat in the Salmon River and its tributaries. Even though 12 stocks of salmon are listed as endangered or threatened, Idaho's salmon are the stocks affected primarily by the Snake dams."