Each passage alternative has associated risks and  contributes to the mortality of juvenile fish. None of these efforts proved to be  enough, however, and in the 1990s, 12 salmon and steelhead populations  were listed as threatened or endangered under the ESA, resulting in the  advent of intensified recovery actions. Agencies Estimate Recovery Expenditures in the Billions

The 11 federal agencies estimate that they expended almost $1.8 billion  (unadjusted for inflation) from fiscal year 1982 through fiscal 1996 and  about $1.5 billion (in 2001 dollars) from fiscal year 1997 through fiscal 2001  on efforts specifically designed to recover Columbia River Basin salmon  and steelhead. BLM habitat  improvement projects include riparian plantings, such as 50 acres in the  Grande Ronde River Basin, and erosion control activity, such as the Hayden  Creek road sediment reduction project. For example, over the past 25 years, annual adult returns for  all ESA listed and unlisted salmon and steelhead counted at Bonneville  Dam, the first dam on the Columbia River, averaged 660,000, but counts for  individual years varied widely. In addition to the $1.5 billion expended by federal agencies or provided by  federal agencies to nonfederal agencies for specific salmon and steelhead  recovery actions, federal agencies also estimated that they expended  $302 million (in 2001 dollars) in the last 5 fiscal years on changes to  mission-related projects that benefited, but were not specifically directed  at, salmon or steelhead, such as road improvements that reduce erosion. The following  examples illustrate actions the agency has taken to meet its obligations  and/or to benefit salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River Basin:    Consulted with NMFS on the operation and maintenance of the Federal  Columbia River Power System and 19 other BOR projects in the  Columbia River Basin. Fish and Wildlife Service. National Marine Fisheries Service

Under the Endangered Species Act, the National Marine Fisheries Service  is responsible for preparing a recovery plan and for consulting with other  agencies on whether their planned actions will jeopardize listed salmon  and steelhead populations. Hence, our point that there is little  evidence to quantify the effects of recovery efforts on the number of  returning salmon and steelhead is valid.
What GAO Found

Before 1850, an estimated 16 million salmon and steelhead returned to the Columbia River Basin annually to spawn. Over the past 25 years, the number of salmon and steelhead returning to the Columbia River Basin has averaged only 660,000 per year although annual population levels have varied widely. Factors such as over-harvesting, construction and operation of dams, degradation of spawning habitat, increased human population, and unfavorable weather and ocean conditions have contributed to the long-term decline. The population decline has resulted in the listing of 12 salmon and steelhead populations in the basin as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Once a species is listed as threatened or endangered, the act requires that efforts be taken to allow its recovery. Eleven federal agencies are involved with salmon and steelhead recovery efforts in the Columbia River Basin. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), as the lead agency, is responsible for preparing a recovery plan and consulting with the other federal agencies on their planned actions. The 11 federal agencies estimate expenditures of $1.8 billion from fiscal year 1982 through fiscal year 1996 and $1.5 billion from fiscal year 1997 through fiscal year 2001 on efforts specifically designed to recover Columbia River Basin salmon and steelhead. In addition to the $1.5 billion, the 11 federal agencies estimated that they expended $302 million in the last five fiscal years on modifications to mission-related projects that benefited, but were not specifically directed at, salmon and steelhead, such as erosion control to improve crop productivity and wildlife habitat, which also improves stream flows and reduces sedimentation in spawning habitat. Although federal agencies have undertaken many types of recovery actions, there is little conclusive evidence to quantify the extent of their efforts on returning fish populations. Recovery actions taken include projects, such as constructing fish passage facilities at dams; research studies, such as determining the presence or absence of toxic substances that cause diseases in fish; monitoring actions, such as surveying spawning grounds; and other activities, such as consultations required by the act.