Letter: Snake River dams are serving their purpose and allowing fish through

To the lady from Friday Harbor who questions if the dams on the Snake River are serving their purpose (TCH, March 23).

1. I would respectfully ask you to read your electric bill.

2. Check the availability of beans, spuds, corn, livestock feed and many other agricultural products grown in the Columbia Basin. These crops are possible due to water available from the Snake River and Columbia River. The power generated from the dams on the Snake River and Columbia River power up the pumps required to irrigate well over 1 million acres of farm land. This farm land is what helps you feed your family. The power generated by these dams powers up these pumps, as well as supplies you clean, cheap, nonpolluting power for your household appliances. How many clean, nonpolluting, renewable power dams are located on your side of the state? Do they allow fish to pass over them? Ours do.

3. Passage of salmon through our dams has increased many fold in these past 10 years. Check the official fish count.

This story was originally published March 31, 2017 at 8:38 PM with the headline "Letter: Snake River dams are serving their purpose and allowing fish through."