The Washington State Department of Ecology issued final water quality certifications on May 7 that include conditions requiring the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to address water temperature issues at eight federal dams on the lower Snake and Columbia rivers. Read more
Hydroelectric dams have so far caused the largest increases in water temperatures in the lower Snake River and the U.S. portion of the Columbia River, but the water can already exceed temperature standards when it enters Washington state, according to a newly released analysis by the Environ… Read more
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will focus on operational changes—such as flexible spill—in the Federal Columbia River Power System to improve salmon and steelhead survival now that the majority of structural improvements have been made, Corps' fish program manager Tim Dykstra told the Nort… Read more
The size of this year's spring Chinook run in the Columbia Basin was reassessed and is now estimated at 72,000 adults—lower than last year's 73,100-fish return, and the lowest since 1999. Read more
A new marine heat wave has formed in the northern Pacific Ocean that has been waxing and waning in size since shortly after the Northeast Pacific Marine Heat Wave of 2019 officially ended on Jan. 17, 2020. Read more
Laura Heironimus thinks of white sturgeon as the Columbia River's living dinosaur. Fossil records show they existed more than 100 million years ago, and maybe twice as long, or even longer. Today, white sturgeon are the largest and longest-lived freshwater fish in North America. Read more
Wild Fish Conservancy has asked a federal judge to shut down Chinook fishing set to open on July 1 off the southeast coast of Alaska, claiming the fishery significantly reduces the amount of food that would later be available for southern resident killer whales off the coast of Washington. Read more
A rescue dog trained to locate invasive zebra and quagga mussels proved her worth over the Memorial Day weekend by finding some of the tiny creatures hidden behind part of a boat's sonar system. Read more
A newly released NOAA Fisheries strategic plan for the West Coast includes a few issues related to the energy industry, including some arising from offshore energy production and decommissioning hydropower facilities. Read more
A group of independent scientists that reviewed the scientific modeling used to predict salmon and steelhead return rates in the Columbia River System Operations draft environmental impact statement said impacts from climate change and other variables should be considered in the analysis. Read more
After revising Part I of the Fish and Wildlife Program 2020 Addendum over the last four months, the Northwest Power and Conservation Council voted to release the draft document for public comment on May 13, and scheduled a public hearing for June 15. Read more
The Environmental Protection Agency has released a draft Human Health Risk Assessment for the upper Columbia River, and will accept public comments on it through July 24. Read more
Impacts to Bonneville Power Administration-funded projects in the Fish and Wildlife Program from constraints due to COVID-19 policies vary greatly, the Northwest Power and Conservation Council's Fish and Wildlife Committee learned on May 12. Read more
Officials in Canada and the U.S. say work on the Columbia River Treaty is continuing despite restrictions from the coronavirus. Read more
In an effort to protect native kokanee and rainbow trout, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game is stepping up rewards for anglers catching walleye in Lake Pend Oreille in the second year of the walleye lottery program. Read more
The Columbia River is expected to have normal to above normal flows this summer, while much of the Snake River will be below normal, according to a May 7 water supply forecast by NOAA's Northwest River Forecast Center. Read more
What percentage of Washington state's electricity comes from hydropower? A social media campaign by Northwest RiverPartners launched on May 18 aims to answer that question (66 percent) and inform the public generally about hydro advantages. Read more
NOAA has picked the University of Washington to lead the new Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean and Ecosystem Studies, which will conduct foundational research on climate and ocean changes and impacts, help train new NOAA scientists and educate the public about their work. Read more
