Two Pacific Northwest tribes on Oct. 14 called for removal of three hydroelectric dams on the lower Columbia River to boost salmon populations and help feed struggling orcas. Read more
It was always going to come to this at some point, wasn't it? Read more
Concerned parties have weighed in on a request by two environmental groups for the U.S. Supreme Court to review an appeals court decision that struck down the routine practice of withdrawing and resubmitting state water quality certifications for projects seeking a federal license. Read more
Some groups are taking a close look at new details the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released Oct. 4 about the four alternatives being developed for the Columbia River System Operations environmental impact statement, while others are questioning the process itself. Read more
Federal funds apportioned since 2015 to the four Northwest states to help keep quagga and zebra mussels out of the Columbia Basin are now at risk of being diluted, after Congress added four more basins spanning another 11 states, without increasing the total appropriation. Read more
A cooler and wetter fall season throughout much of the Pacific Northwest has erased all drought from the region and provided the Cascade and Rocky mountains with a "good start" to a healthy winter snowpack. Read more
A group of scientists is pushing to breach the four lower Snake River dams, based on increasing water temperatures and concerns climate change will compound the problem. Read more
Senators fired off dueling letters on Oct. 21 to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler on EPA's proposal to narrow states' water-quality certification authority over energy and other infrastructure projects. Read more
In a final order in Northwest Environmental Advocates v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency et al., a federal judge set final dates for Oregon to replace inadequate plans for dealing with warm water temperatures in several Oregon basins and subbasins, and for the EPA to approve them. Read more
Oregon local governments Marion County and the City of Salem say drawdowns at Detroit Dam sought by three environmental groups could shut down the city's water treatment facility, reduce water supply and quality for nearly 200,000 people, impact the county's funding for basic health and safe… Read more
NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service announced the start of its five-year status reviews for 28 Pacific salmon and steelhead runs, including all 13 listed stocks from the Snake and Columbia rivers, to determine whether they should be delisted, reclassified from endangered to threatened, … Read more
