A popular side argument in the Idaho salmon debate centers on the time these ocean-going fish spend at sea.

These are the mysterious "lost years" that comprise much of a salmon's lifespan — and those who argue against dam breaching say scientists need to better understand ocean conditions before the region embarks on dam removal.

This notion is getting a head-on challenge from a panel of scientists and agency veterans — including former Idaho Department of Fish and Game directors Steve Huffaker and Rod Sando, former utilities consultant Don Chapman and Idaho salmon advocates Bert Bowler and Ed Chaney. "Federal and state analyses point to the dams and reservoirs within the mainstem Columbia and Snake rivers as the prime cause of (salmon) decline," the so-called "Council of Elders" say in a report to the Obama administration. "Proper oversight of freshwater conditions is essential to the long-term success of recovery actions."

Here's why their argument makes sense. The authors cite U.S. Census Bureau forecasts, predicting a population of 16.5 million people in the four Northwest states by 2030, a 43 percent increase from 2000. While growth has slowed during the recession, it would be naive to expect this lull to last indefinitely. Population growth will inevitably add to the pressure on water supplies and salmon spawning habitat.

These retired experts deserve credit for writing a candid assessment of the dire situation facing Northwest salmon. They are blunt in their criticism of the political gridlock that makes this situation worse. And they aren't going to let the region cop out and ignore the factors in salmon survival that lie within our borders and rest within our control.

Click here for our editorial, and link to the report.