The signing of a joint record of decision for the Columbia River System Operations EIS on Sept. 28 concluded the four-year process to analyze removing the four lower Snake River dams and decide how best to operate 14 hydroelectric projects in the Columbia River system. Read more
On Sept. 16, EPA announced more than $2 million in grants awarded to 14 different agencies, governments, organizations and tribes for projects to help reduce toxins in the Columbia River basin. Read more
A plan to take out four lower Klamath River dams is likely to be delayed by a year and cost an additional $12.25 million, Klamath River Renewal Corporation representatives told the Oregon Public Utility Commission Sept. 8. Read more
After eight years of legal battling with Portland-based Northwest Environmental Advocates, Oregon and EPA will rewrite plans to protect cool water in 16 river basins, including several Columbia and Snake river tributaries. Read more
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said it plans to move forward with a plan to expand the use of zero-flow operations for an additional 45 days at four dams on the lower Snake River beginning Oct. 15, now that the record of decision for the Columbia River System Operations is signed. Read more
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife reported that over 1 million fish were either lost or released prematurely from state hatcheries because of wildfires burning across Oregon. Read more
New allocations for sharing harvestable Chinook salmon between commercial and recreational fishing, and allowing commercial fishing companies to use gillnets are two of the most controversial changes to the new Columbia River Salmon Fishery Management Policy, adopted in a 5-4 vote by the Was… Read more
A recommendation to add $3.7 million to existing projects in the Bonneville Power Administration-funded Fish and Wildlife Program in fiscal year 2021 led to discussions at a Sept. 15 Northwest Power and Conservation Council committee meeting of a possible showdown with BPA over who has power… Read more
For the first time in 40 years, the Grande Ronde River—a tributary of the Snake River—is open to coho fishing. Read more
Washington state's Salmon Recovery Funding Board has awarded $18 million in grants to organizations, agencies, counties, cities and tribes seeking to help recover 17 species of endangered salmon, steelhead and bull trout throughout the state. Read more
The Washington Department of Ecology has been asked to issue a Section 401 water quality certification under the Clean Water Act for the proposed 1,200 MW Goldendale pumped-storage project. Read more
As predicted, La Niña has arrived and is likely to stick around through the winter, according to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center. Read more
The Bonneville Power Administration has extended its northern pikeminnow reward program by 11 days and boosted the per-fish reward amounts for the rest of the 2020 season to encourage more participation. Read more
Chelan County PUD will conduct its second test of juvenile fish survival at Rock Island Dam next spring, as required under its habitat conservation plan approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Read more
The Northwest Power and Conservation Council approved an annual draft report to Congress for fiscal year 2020 and released it for public comment Sept. 16. The report reviews this year's major accomplishments, including the Council's completion of the 2020 Addendum to the Fish and Wildlife Pr… Read more
