Climate change, invasive species, the Columbia River Treaty, salmon reintroduction, and how hydropower fits into a clean energy future. These were some of the main topics explored at the International Columbia Basin Transboundary Conference in Kimberley, B.C., Sept. 12-14. Read more
Should citizens in Canada and the U.S. establish an International River Basin Organization and use it to replace or enhance the Columbia River Treaty process? The idea was presented, debated and then discussed in small groups as the last session of Columbia Basin Transboundary Conference in … Read more
After tracking contaminants flowing into the U.S. from coal mining operations in southeast British Columbia for years, the Environmental Protection Agency has released results of its most recent study showing that selenium levels in some mountain whitefish and their eggs are exceeding its re… Read more
While various attempts to reduce avian predation on young Columbia River salmon and steelhead have been successful, some of the predatory birds have simply moved to new—and potentially more damaging—locations in the estuary, a lead researcher told the Northwest Power and Conservation Council… Read more
California Trout and Trout Unlimited are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review an appeals court ruling which found states waive their authority to issue water quality certifications on federal projects after one year, even if the application is withdrawn and later resubmitted. Read more
The Washington State Department of Ecology says it plans to adopt a final rule in December after reviewing comments on its proposal to permanently increase total dissolved gas (TDG) limits in the Snake and Columbia rivers to 125 percent during spring spill season, from April 3 to June 20. Th… Read more
A new marine heat wave that’s nearly as big and as warm as the infamous "Blob" that lingered off the Pacific Coast five years ago formed off the coast of Washington this summer, and it has scientists more than a little concerned. Read more
Although NOAA Fisheries’ annual memo on the survival rates of juvenile salmon and steelhead migrating through the Snake and Columbia river dams this year is still preliminary, some members of the Columbia River Technical Management Team (TMT) want to know whether the data will be used to exa… Read more
The first complete map of tidal wetlands that once made up vast portions of the Pacific coast’s estuaries shows 85 percent of the areas from California to Washington have been lost to development and farmland, and also confirmed the Columbia River’s tidal wetlands are only a quarter of the s… Read more
Three environmental groups whose lawsuit prompted the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and National Marine Fisheries Service to reinitiate Endangered Species Act consultations for the Willamette Valley Project are now asking a federal judge to grant their original claims for relief in a summary … Read more
The National Marine Fisheries Service is seeking comments until Oct. 29 on a request by three states and four tribes for permission to capture and kill sea lions in a 180-mile stretch of the lower Columbia River and its tributaries. Read more
A new proposal by NOAA Fisheries to expand the southern resident killer whales' critical habitat to include most of the waters off the U.S. West Coast mentions the importance of Columbia River Chinook to these endangered orcas. Read more
Four consulting firms have been hired by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee’s office to gather views on whether removing the lower Snake River dams could recover Chinook populations vital to southern resident killer whales, and to put together a draft report by December. Read more
A special report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that focuses on changes in the ocean and cryosphere—the frozen parts of the planet—includes a closer look at predicted impacts to hydropower around the globe. Read more
Mid-Columbia PUDs have joined upper Columbia River tribes in an ongoing effort to prevent northern pike populations from growing and spreading into Columbia River salmon habitat below Lake Roosevelt. Read more
Washington, Oregon and Idaho fish agencies have announced fishing closures on the Columbia and Clearwater rivers. Read more
The state of Oregon has released a six-year action plan for addressing ocean acidification and hypoxia that outlines five steps for adapting to and mitigating the impacts. Read more
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is proposing to eliminate harvest restrictions for bass, walleye and channel catfish in all the state’s rivers, streams and beaver ponds; and in lakes, ponds and reservoirs where salmon are present. The proposal comes in response to House Bill 1… Read more
