This letter regards Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson’s proposal to remove four of the Snake River dams. His proposal may or may not save the salmon, and would greatly negatively impact the Northwest’s economy.

I have an idea, and am writing with a solution which your readers may wish to learn about.

Discussion and negotiations of dam removal will take a decade. The salmon don’t have that long — their end-time is nearing. If we want to get the salmon past the dams in a hurry, the company WHOOSHH Innovations Inc. has a proven design, a “fish tube” that efficiently and harmlessly transports salmon of all sizes over the dams. I spoke with Steve Dearden, vice president of sales at WHOOSHH. He verified that:

1) WHOOSHH passage products can be both a short- or long-term solution for salmon passage at the 4 Snake River dams.

2) WHOOSHH fish passage systems could be in place and operating by the end of 2022.

3) Their technology not only counts and images each fish, but can be used to sort out non-native fish species so that those fish species do not get past the dam.

This is efficient and economical, and is a win-win solution for the salmon and the dams:

1. Provide the salmon upstream passage to their spawning grounds without the delays and stress of having to climb so many ladders.

2. Save billions of taxpayer dollars in the removal of the dams, loss of jobs, increased transportation costs of farm products and damage to roads.

3. Save consumers billions in electric rates over the course of the next innumerable years.

4. Begin immediately (without a 10 year delay) and track the result.

WHOOSHH fish tubes are being successfully used in North America, Europe and Asia. Once installed they are long-lived and require little maintenance.

To see how the system works, the company has three videos on YouTube, or you cancheck out their website: whoosh.com

The leadership and engineers at WHOOSHH should be consulted about how they can save our salmon, our dams — and us — billions of dollars.

Thank you very much.

Robin Wylie

Wylie Farms LLC

Nampa, Idaho