Cowlitz River Project Case Study

According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) the chinook salmon feed off of amphipods, insects, barnacles, or any other type of crustacean in the young adult age group. Terrestrial organisms can also be absorbed into the digestive system. Adult chinook often times consume smaller fish to fulfill their diet. These chinook fish have a blue-green color located on the dorsal, and a large black spot on the node of the tail that appears at an older age. The average size for the chinook ranges anywhere from forty pounds to one hundred and twenty pounds. In order for the salmon’s population to grow they locate back to their birth place to reproduce. Once the spawning life cycle has occurred the fish will then die off. Recently there has been an epidemic about the Tacoma hydroelectric dam and how it has been putting the chinooks life in jeopardy. By terminating the hydroelectric dam, it will increase the number of fish ranging through the mouth of Washington Pacific Ocean upstream (NOAA, 2015).
The current status for chinook being released through the Tacoma hydroelectric turbines is
Tacoma’s power is top in the area for renewable hydroelectric energy that serves to more then 135,000 northwest homes. Cowlitz River Project fulfills being the top hydroelectric power houses by the water stored being Mayfield and Mossy Rock dams. Mossy Rock was built in 1968 that formed Riffe lake, which is 23.5 miles long. Mayfield dam was built in 1963 that runs 13 miles long in length. Nearly 14,000 acres of land surrounding the hydroelectric dam takes place for recreational activities like day parks, boating and fishing. Tacoma power funds the Cowlitz wildlife area, and Washington Department of fish and wildlife manages it. Depending on the electricity demand the gates can either be opened or closed, and power can be produced at any time (Tacoma Public Utilities,