The Skagit River: Salmon and Hydroelectricity
Diablo Lake on the Skagit River. June 2022.
About the Skagit River
Over 370 glaciers feed the Skagit River’s waters. The glacial melt, along with rain and snow, supplies water to George, Diablo, and Ross Lakes. All three of these lakes are dammed as part of the Skagit River Hydroelectric Project, which produces about 20% of the electricity used in Seattle. s
These dams block the downriver movement of sediment and large debris along the river, like tree limbs, which are vital components of the salmon habitat. The dams also block the upstream movement of fish, namely salmon, to their spawning grounds.
The Skagit River
The Skagit River is habitat to all five Pacific Salmon species —- chinook, coho, sockeye, chum, and pink. Salmon runs have declined/stopped due to anthropogenic influence as well as changes in water temperature and volume.
The cultures and economies of communities along the Skagit depend on the life of the salmon. The salmon also play a critical role in the health and balance of the ecosystem.
US Fish & Wildlife said the dams are likely preventing fish from accessing habitat in 37% of the Skagit River watershed upstream of the dams. These fish are essential to a healthy and balanced ecosystem, economy, and play a crucial part in indigenous cultures. It is likely that tributaries above Gorge Dam including Stetattle Creek and Thunder Creek above Diablo Dam could be prime spawning habitat.
There are no fish passage provisions on Ross, Gorge, or Diablo dams. The fish arrive at the base of Gorge Dam, and remain stuck there.
As of spring 2023, in filings with the federal government, Seattle City Light has committed to adding fish passages on its three hydroelectric dams on the Skagit River, under terms of a new federal license.
Gorge Dam on the Skagit River
The move to add infrastructure to transport salmon around all three dams with a fish passage system comes after years of tension-filled re-licensing negotiations between City Light and stakeholders, including three Native American tribes of the Skagit Valley.
Adding fish passages to these damns is a milestone achievement for the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe, which has led the negotiations for indigenous groups, government regulators, and local government.
“It’s a huge relief to our people. There’s a sense of optimism we didn’t have previously,” said Scott Schuyler, tribal elder and natural resources director for the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe. “I have to give City Light credit. The tribe spoke for the river. The tribe spoke for the salmon. Now (the city) listened.”
