The 2010 Columbia River upriver spring chinook run has come in just shy of harvest managers' inseason re-estimation of 340,000 (to river mouth). By June 15, about 280,000 had been counted at Bonneville Dam. With about 40,000 upriver fish estimated to have been caught in lower river gillnet and sport fisheries, the 320,000-fish total comes up a little short of the in-season adjustment, but about one-third shy of the managers' preseason estimate on 470,000. ...more

With nearly 89,0000 summer chinook predicted to return to the Upper Columbia this year, the highest expected return since 2002, recreational fishing has already reopened on the lower Columbia to go after them. ...more

Heavy spring rains forced BPA to run the hydro system at full capacity last week, while wind generators, the Columbia Generation Station and the region's thermal plants dialed back to make room for the excess power. ...more

U.S. District Judge James Redden set the stage last week for the next act in litigation over the 2008 salmon plan. ...more

The spillway weir at Little Goose Dam on the Lower Snake River has proven to be a bit of a headache for dam operators this year. ...more

Greg Delwiche was named vice president for power services at BPA last week, replacing Paul Norman, who retired last year. ...more

Some fishing and conservation groups have filed a suit in Thurston County Superior Court against the Washington State Department of Ecology, aimed at making the state ease water quality standards and allow more spill at federal dams to improve salmon survival. ...more

Funding has been approved for a new study of predation on salmon smolts by smallmouth bass at several federal dams on the Columbia River. ...more