Leaders from five upper Columbia River tribes told the Northwest Power and Conservation Council on June 11 that their region has been without salmon for too long, and they're ready to take the next steps toward reintroducing this culturally important fish above Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee dams. Read moreReport Finds 'Good Potential' For Fish Passage Above Grand Coulee

Officials with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife say the 6.85 million shad that passed through Bonneville's fish ladders as of June 27 already constitute a record for the largest shad run ever counted at the dam, and the season's not even over yet. Read moreShad Post Record Returns; 6.85 Million And Counting

Three states and four Native American tribes are asking the federal government for permission to kill both California and Steller sea lions that are taking up residence in the lower Columbia River, eating their fill of fish and threatening recovery of some stocks listed under the Endangered … Read moreManagers Ask For Expanded Lethal Removal Of Sea Lions On Lower Columbia

As the Northwest Power and Conservation Council prepares to release the next version of its Fish and Wildlife Program, Council members got into a discussion about perceptions of the program during their June meeting. After spending nearly 40 years and $16.8 billion on salmon recovery, an add… Read morePerspectives: View Of Fish And Wildlife Program Ebbs And Flows With The Fishes

Now that spring spill under the multiparty flexible spill agreement has ended, agencies are beginning to analyze whether the objectives for fish, power generation and operational feasibility were met. Read moreFlex Agreement's Spring Spill Ends; Analysis Begins

This year's forecasts for adult spring Chinook returns to the Columbia Basin were already dismal--but by the end of the season, they were downright depressing. Although numbers won't be finalized until later this year, the preseason forecast of a 99,300-fish run over Bonneville Dam was slash… Read moreDim Forecast For Spring Chinook Returns Got Dimmer

Federal agencies say a turbine with a new design has been installed, tested, and is now operating at Ice Harbor Dam. In the works for two decades, it is expected to increase power generation at Unit 2 by 3-5 percent and improve survival of a small percentage of juvenile salmon and steelhead … Read moreAdded Fish Passage, Efficiency Expected With New Turbine Design

A Northwest River Forecast Center analysis shows this year's spring runoff is occurring earlier than usual in many parts of the Columbia River basin. In some places, like the Willamette River at Salem, Ore., and at Lake Coeur d'Alene in Idaho, more than 80 percent of the runoff has already o… Read moreColumbia Basin Runoff Occurring Early This Year

A federal judge has denied a request from three environmental groups to order additional drawdowns and spills at Willamette Valley projects, saying they were unable to show that irreparable harm to Endangered Species Act-listed fish would occur without a preliminary injunction. Read moreJudge Declines To Order Willamette Drawdowns, Spills

A federal judge in Oregon agreed to give the state and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency eight more years to develop new clean-up plans to control temperature in several Oregon rivers. Read moreOregon's Water Temperature Plans Due By 2027

More research--much more--would be needed to estimate the expected costs of suppressing northern pike in Lake Roosevelt, and the cost to natural resources throughout the Columbia Basin if the voracious salmon predator moves downstream into areas where salmon and steelhead spawn. Read moreData Lacking For Economic Analysis Of Northern Pike

From now through the end of September, drought is likely to develop or persist throughout most of Washington and into northwestern Oregon and the Idaho panhandle, according to a new seasonal drought outlook by NOAA's Climate Prediction Center. Read moreNo Reprieve For Washington In Latest Drought Forecast

U.S. District Judge Michael McShane dismissed a lawsuit on June 5 at the request of the two conservation groups that filed it and the federal defendants. In Willamette Riverkeeper et al. v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers et al., plaintiffs claimed that releasing hatchery summer steelhead in th… Read moreBrief Mentions: Updates On Lawsuits, FERC Filings, Agency Actions