For the continued operation of three hydroelectric dams on the Skagit River, a settlement agreement between the public power company Seattle City Light, treaty tribes of the impacted river system, and other interested parties promises to invest in salmon recovery and acknowledge Indigenous history in the watershed.
The Upper Skagit Indian Tribe, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community and Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe are each eager to see components of the agreement fulfilled.
“We believe this agreement creates the strongest opportunity to safeguard the river, uphold our treaty rights, and support salmon recovery for generations to come,” said Steve Edwards, chairman of the Swinomish Tribe.
The agreement, announced March 5, includes plans to implement a trap-and-haul fish passage system at the dams, finance habitat restoration throughout the watershed, restore flow to a dewatered segment of the river, infuse Native language into interpretive elements around the hydroelectric project, and more.
“This is a monumental commitment by the city of Seattle to invest in tribal culture and salmon habitat,” said Scott Schuyler, natural resources policy representative for the Upper Skagit Tribe.
For the treaty tribes within the river’s 1.7-million-acre drainage from the North Cascades mountains to Skagit Bay, the city’s new commitments to supporting salmon and tribal culture are past due.
“Such an agreement is long overdue and will open miles of salmon habitat in which salmon threatened with extinction may spawn and rear,” said Nino Maltos II, Chairman of the Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe. “Salmon are the Pacific Northwest’s signature species. They contribute greatly to the region’s economy, from the headwaters of the Skagit River basin to Southeast Alaska where they migrate.”
The presence of the dams—Gorge, Diablo and Ross—and their respective powerhouses and infrastructure has impacted the Skagit watershed, its salmon runs and other cultural resources for more than 100 years. Yet the new horizon is hopeful.
“Fish passage, in combination with habitat restoration funds Seattle City Light has committed, will help recover salmon to the benefit of the tribes, nontribal people of Washington, and the environment,” Schuyler said. “It should ensure our children’s children will have fish to harvest. I would like to see it happen in my lifetime.”
The agreement balances strong guidance for enhancing salmon populations across the Skagit watershed with the continued production of clean power for the residents and businesses of Seattle.
“This is a hard-won, fair, and forward-looking agreement that honors our treaty rights, strengthens the ecology of the river, and provides a responsible path forward for hydropower generation and salmon recovery,” Edwards said.
The agreement includes about $1.5 billion in line items to support salmon recovery, including flow protections, adaptive management, habitat restoration and fish passage. Fish passage is expected to be conducted through a trap-and-haul system similar to that used to restore a growing sockeye population on the nearby Baker River.
Developing the settlement agreement took more than seven years of intensive negotiations. Seattle City Light is seeking a new 50-year operating license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in order to continue obtaining renewable energy from the dam system. The dams provide about one-fifth of the electricity consumed in the city.
The new license is anticipated to cover 2030-2080. Construction of the fish passage system is expected to begin within the first five years of the license.
“Our most important partners in this have been the treaty tribes in the basin,” said Chris Townsend, director of natural resources and hydro licensing for Seattle City Light. “This is an effort to address some of the real and significant impacts to the tribes.”
See each tribe’s full statement:
Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe statment / Swinomish Indian Tribal Community Statement / Upper Skagit Indian Tribe statementThe Gorge Dam restrains the Skagit River upstream of Newhalem. It was built in the 1920s and modified in subsequent decades for the purpose of generating electricity for Seattle’s growing metropolitan area. Photos and story by Kimberly Cauvel.
