The Associated Press reports that federal appeals judges recently heard arguments about whether Washington state should have to spend billions of dollars to replace culverts under roadways which are migrations barriers for salmon attempting to reach their spawning grounds.  In a case which could have major implications for dams and other infrastructure in the pacific northwest, the argument is that Native American tribes ‘don’t just have a right to fish, but for there to be fish to catch – something that doesn’t happen when culverts block the salmon from spawning.’  The lawsuit is the latest in the more than 40 years of litigation between the tribes and the state of Washington. Backed by the U.S. Justice Department, the tribes sued in 2001, trying to force the state to replace the culverts with bridges or other structures that better allow fish to pass. >Read More via http://www.apnewsarchive.com/2015/Judges-hear-Washington-state-s-appeal-of-court-order-requiring-replacement-of-culverts/id-276b7f92423f46e592a9f7e4441de24d