As a retired fish biologist who still spends a lot of time with rivers, I’ve observed the impacts of warming rivers on fish and other wildlife here in Northeastern Oregon for many years. This summer has been grim.

Water temperatures are through the roof. In July, the entire run of endangered Snake River sockeye had to be trucked from Lower Granite Dam to their spawning streams. Water in the Snake was hot enough to kill them.

Climate change means that every year, we must be ready to implement drastic solutions like this on a moment’s notice or risk losing runs of salmon and other freshwater species. Our “rubber meets the road” solutions need to be flexible and immediate — not 10 years from now, but today.

Securing a future for our region’s iconic wildlife and fighting climate change should go hand in hand. Oregon is a leader in both these arenas, and Gov. Kate Brown was correct in her recent op-ed: A federal infrastructure appropriation is the right way to tackle these issues simultaneously. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, we need your leadership to secure federal investments for the Columbia Basin now.

Climate-smart energy infrastructure, and regional programs such as compensation to farmers who share their irrigation water with fish, are working solutions that make a difference right now. Expand these solutions.

Urgent action is required, or we risk a future filled with litigation, climate chaos and most certainly the extinction of many salmon species here in the Pacific Northwest.

Mary Edwards

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