“In May 2016, a federal district court invalidated for the 5th time in 20 years the federal government’s plan for operating the Columbia and Snake River Dams because it violates the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. The court gave the federal agencies until 2021 to develop a new and legally adequate plan. Noting the expense and failure of current and past efforts to restore wild salmon populations, the court also directed the federal agencies responsible for the Lower Snake River Dams to fully consider viable alternatives for fish restoration, specifically including removal of the four Lower Snake River Dams.” Official estimates of the cost is less than $50 per year per household, or an increase to their power bill of about $4.17 per month.
