A Salmon Glossary

Here are key words in the salmon debate:

Drawdowns: Dropping the water level in downstream reservoirs, which speeds up the current by narrowing the channel. This will hasten the oceanbound journey of young salmon and, many scientists argue, make it more likely the fish will return as adults.

Salmon flush or augmentation: An alternative to drawdowns. It involves releasing great quantities of water from upstream reservoirs to speed up the journey of migrating fish.

Lower Snake River: The river below Hells Canyon. It has four dams: Lower Granite, Little Goose, Lower Monumental and Ice Harbor.

National Marine Fisheries Service: The agency charged with protecting oceangoing fish under the Endangered Species Act. Late this month, it will release two key documents affecting endangered Snake River sockeye and chinook salmon. One will govern how the river system is operated during 1995. The other is a long-term recovery plan, which will be released for comment.

Northwest Power Planning Council: The fourstate, eight-member panel created by the 1980 Northwest Power Act. It is charged with protecting fish and wildlife affected by federal hydropower dams. It’s also supposed to ensure the region has a reliable supply of reasonably priced energy.

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