Improving the survival rate of four species of salmon and steelhead along the lower Columbia River will cost $2.1 billion during the next 25 years, under a plan offered by the federal government.
The NOAA Fisheries Service proposed a series of steps that include improving the habitat for the fish, changing management of hatchery and hydropower programs, and controlling predators, such as sea lions and birds.
Fish and wildlife programs account for about 30% of the wholesale power costs of the Bonneville Power Administration, which markets hydroelectricity from federal dams to co-ops and other utilities.
