Chinook, chum, coho and sockeye salmon throughout Alaska have gotten smaller over the last 60 years, and climate change and competition with wild and hatchery pink salmon appear to be the main reasons, according to a new study. Read more
Much has been tried over the last two decades to help adult Pacific lamprey pass upstream over the Columbia River's major hydroelectric projects. Yet the best way to get these eel-like fish back to the deep interior reaches where they once thrived is almost as mysterious as this ancient spec… Read more
The states of Washington and Oregon told the Environmental Protection Agency the total maximum daily load it issued for water temperature in the lower Snake and Columbia rivers has numerous failures, and have asked for significant changes. Read more
By all indications, the July 31 release of the Columbia River System Operations Final EIS and the Record of Decision that's expected to follow will not determine the ultimate fate of the four lower Snake River dams. Read more
Kurt Miller, executive director of Northwest RiverPartners, proposes conducting statistical testing for dam-caused delayed salmon mortality, and letting the outcome be the basis for a four-state salmon/hydropower solution in this opinion piece. Read more
Adult summer steelhead, which sometimes hole up in the lower Columbia River's cold spots for months before continuing their migration to upper reaches of the Snake and Columbia rivers, will now have some protection from fishing in Oregon waters when their numbers are low. Read more
Efforts in the upper Columbia River to eradicate northern pike and prevent the voracious predator from spreading downstream were set back this year, after fishing crews that set out nets to catch adults before and during spawning season were kept home by the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more
Three states and four tribes are now authorized to kill or move to captivity up to 540 California sea lions and 176 Steller sea lions from the Columbia Basin below McNary Dam over the next five years. Read more
Actual returns have far exceeded springtime estimates for this year's run of sockeye salmon returning to the Columbia River, which was already forecast to be good-sized at about 246,300 fish. Read more
The Independent Scientific Review Panel tackled two tough issues in its latest review for the Northwest Power and Conservation Council—communication problems between the Council, Bonneville Power Administration and the ISRP, and a need to bring perspectives from different cultures to the rev… Read more
The Xerces Society petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Aug. 18 to list the western ridged mussel (Gonidea angulata) as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Read more
U.S. District Judge Marco Hernandez ruled Aug. 17 that after missing numerous deadlines to improve conditions for threatened fish, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is violating the Endangered Species Act by failing to meet conditions of a 2008 biological opinion for operating 13 dams in the … Read more
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert says he's worried potential changes in the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement would disproportionately harm Utah electricity customers, and has asked PacifiCorp in an Aug. 17 letter to pause further negotiations. Read more
Sea surface temperatures have dropped in the Pacific Ocean near the equator, making conditions ripe for weak La Nina conditions to develop this fall and winter, National Weather Service meteorologist Jeremy Wolf reported at an Aug. 24 drought webinar. Read more
John Hairston has been named by the U.S. Department of Energy to serve as acting BPA administrator and CEO after Elliot Mainzer departs Sept. 1, Bonneville announced Aug. 28. Read more
The Northwest Power and Conservation Council's second and longest-serving executive director received ample praise from Council members during his last meeting as director Aug. 12. Crow retired Aug. 14 after 25 years at the helm, and a total of 32 years serving the Council. Read more
Three Native American tribes and two environmental groups are asking a federal judge in California to prevent the U.S. EPA from applying new rules that limit the authority of states and tribes to issue water quality certifications under the Clean Water Act. Read more
A fast-moving wildfire threatening the power supply to Dworshak Dam prompted the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to develop alternative plans to prevent water in the Lower Granite Dam fish trap from getting too warm in the event of a power outage. The alternative plans involved spilling extra c… Read more
A work group established by the Pacific Fishery Management Council to assess the impact of ocean fishing on endangered southern resident killer whales has completed recommendations and a range of management alternatives. Read more
NOAA Fisheries announced plans on July 23 to spend nearly $13 million on habitat restoration projects throughout the country, $3.1 million of which will go to eight projects in Oregon and Washington, from 31 that received awards from the Community-Based Restoration Program. Read more
Northwest RiverPartners filed a motion with the Washington State Pollution Control Hearings Board on Aug. 5 to intervene as an appellant, joining the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in challenging water temperature requirements imposed for operating eight dams on the Snake and Columbia rivers. Read more
After more than two years of developing, refining and finalizing goals and objectives for its Fish and Wildlife Program, the Northwest Power and Conservation Council adopted Part I of its 2020 Addendum on Aug. 12. Read more
Following a request from Bonneville Power Administration to keep its fiscal year 2022 and 2023 budgets flat, the Northwest Power and Conservation Council reduced its 2022 budget by $100,000 and its forecasted 2023 budget by $150,000 at the Aug. 12 meeting. Read more
The Port of Clarkston returned to the Columbia Basin Technical Management Team on Aug. 19 to ask for a raised pool at Lower Granite Dam so barges could continue to ship wheat, and again, TMT denied the request. Read more
The Northwest Power and Conservation Council sent a letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Aug. 19 supporting a proposed rule that would allow permits to remove nests and kill double-crested cormorants that prey on hatchery fish and salmon and steelhead listed under the Endangered S… Read more
Jim Yost and Jeffery Allen, Idaho members of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, urged U.S. congressional staff from the state to find funding for capital improvements to Lower Snake River Compensation Plan hatcheries during a recent congressional staff tour of the Sawtooth Hatcher… Read more
