More Salmon Expected on Endangered List

The federal government is expected to mandate endangered species protection for more types of Pacific salmon amid warnings by Western utilities that it could push up the cost of electricity.

The National Marine Fisheries Service is scheduled to disclose today whether it will protect four additional Columbia River salmon species under the Endangered Species Act.

The salmon stock has been severely depleted, mostly because of eight enormous hydroelectric dams built on the Columbia and Snake rivers.

The dams’ huge turbines grind up young salmon, or smolts, heading downstream. Federal officials want more water released down the river system in certain periods to protect the smolts although this cuts electricity production.