Alan Simpson: “House Resolution 3986 authorizes the study of the feasibility of exchanging water diverted from the Yakima River for use…”

“House Resolution 3986 authorizes the study of the feasibility of exchanging water diverted from the Yakima River for use by two irrigation districts for water from the Columbia River. The study would be conducted as part of the Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project. The legislation will promote salmon recovery in the Yakima River without reducing the amount of water available to irrigators. Mr. Speaker, one of the most contentious and divisive issues in the Pacific Northwest is that of salmon recovery. The desire to restore salmon runs is one that is universally shared in the Pacific Northwest. It is vital to the historical culture of the region. The difficulty that arises is one of how best to go about salmon recovery, taking into consideration the species, the environment, local and regional economics and so forth. There are some that have been pushing for the immediate extreme measure of removing the four lower Snake River dams on the Snake River while others, myself included, believe we should take some common sense steps toward salmon recovery before we consider the extreme measure of removing dams. H.R. 3986 is one of those steps. In itself, it will not recover salmon. But the study that it authorizes may be one of the pieces of the salmon-recovery puzzle.”