The vast majority of salmon are getting up, over, around and through the four lower Snake River dams even as legal challenges and political battles swirl around them, according to the federal agency in charge of monitoring fish health.

For every 100 young chinook and steelhead that head downstream and past the four dams every spring, about 75 survive.

Ritchie Graves

Ritchie Graves

Snake River dam removal
Lower Granite Dam

The Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River near Pomeroy, Wash.

Lower Granite dam fish ladder (copy)

This shows a fish ladder designed to help migrating adult fish swim upstream past the Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River near Almota, Wash.

Ice Harbor Dam

Ice Harbor Dam, one of four dams on the lower Snake River.

Lower Monumental Dam (copy)

Lower Monumental Dam. It is one of four dams on the lower Snake River.

Little Goose Dam (copy)

Little Goose Dam near Starbuck, Wash., one of four dams on the Lower Snake River.

0225_CP_MW Heather Stebbings courtesy

Heather Stebbings

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