Forty-two percent of Snake River basin spring-summer Chinook populations have reached quasi-extinction thresholds, according to a study by Nez Perce Tribe scientists, who say if adult returns continue to decline at 19 percent per year, 77 percent of the populations will reach the threshold by 2025. Read moreSnake River Salmon Nearing 'Quasi-Extinction,' Tribe Says
With the first phase of studies and evaluations complete, the Upper Columbia United Tribes (UCUT) says it's time to investigate and test interim fish passage at Grand Coulee, Chief Joseph and three dams on the Spokane River, and to move ahead with large-scale survival studies on the feasibil… Read moreTribes Prepare for Next Step in Upper Columbia Salmon Reintroduction
May was a busy month for Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), and his $33.5 billion proposal to breach four lower Snake River dams and compensate those who rely on them, with announcements from elected officials, and virtual forums to discuss the plan. Read moreSimpson Proposal Gets New Support, Criticism, Discussion
It's been a whirlwind recently for news on the $33.5 billion proposal from Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) that lays out a framework for breaching the four lower Snake River dams and puts a temporary moratorium on the never-ending litigation over the impacts of Columbia Basin hydroelectric projects. Read morePerspectives: What's Next on the Path to Recover Columbia River Salmon?
State fish and wildlife commissions for Washington and Oregon will consider adopting a higher standard for fish recovery in the Columbia Basin, changing from meeting requirements under the Endangered Species Act to adopting a "healthy and harvestable" goal. Read moreWashington, Oregon Look to 'Raise the Bar' on Columbia Salmon Recovery
The maximum level of PCBs found in the tissues of resident fish near the Columbia River's Bradford Island are nine times greater than maximum levels in fish living in New York's Hudson River at a site where the toxic chemical was manufactured, according to a recent comparison made by a scien… Read moreYakamas, States Renew Push to Get Bradford Island on Superfund List
A June 3 forecast for water supply predicts below-normal volume of water throughout most of the Columbia Basin for April through September, and a cumulative loss of 2 percent since May 5 at The Dalles Dam, which dropped to 84 percent of normal. Read moreNorthwest Worries as Dry Spell Stretches to Third Month
After revising its study plan for relicensing the Skagit River Hydroelectric Project and touting the changes at a press conference in April, Seattle City Light has gotten a lukewarm reception in formal comments filed with FERC May 5-6 by tribes, government agencies and nonprofit organizations. Read moreSeattle City Light Gets Tepid Response to Skagit Project's Revised Plan
When I first read about the Green New Deal a few years ago, I couldn't understand why Democrats would want to combine legislation attempting to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with measures to reform social inequities. From a political standpoint, it seemed like they were just doubling their… Read morePerspectives: Learning About Environmental Justice, Climate Justice and Equity
The Yurok Tribe says a decision by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation not to implement a surface flushing flow on the Klamath River due to drought this year led to an outbreak of a deadly pathogen that likely killed large numbers of juvenile Chinook salmon, impacting runs for years to come. Read moreYurok Tribe: Disease Spurred by Low Klamath Flows Leads to Fish Kill
Federal defendants in National Wildlife Federation et al. v. National Marine Fisheries Service et al. are asking a U.S. District Court judge to dismiss a cross-claim by Columbia-Snake River Irrigators Association, for lack of jurisdiction. Read moreFeds Seek to Dismiss Irrigators' Cross-Claim in CRSO EIS Lawsuit
A panel of judges for the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments May 7 over the August 2018 dismissal of Deschutes River Alliance v. Portland General Electric Company et al. in which U.S. District Judge Michael Simon determined there were no water quality certification violations… Read moreTribal Immunity Main Focus of 9th Circuit Appeal of Pelton Round Butte Case
With major funding decisions hanging on the outcome, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers should expedite its study on the impacts of removing power generation from federal obligations at three of the Willamette Valley Project's 13 dams, Bonneville Power Administration and the Public Power Counc… Read moreBPA, Public Power Council Urge Fast-Track Study for Deauthorizing Willamette Projects
Wild Fish Conservancy is asking a federal judge to find that the National Marine Fisheries Service issued an inadequate biological opinion in 2019 for southeast Alaska commercial Chinook fishing, and wants the judge to prevent the agency from increasing hatchery production until it studies t… Read moreConservation Group Asks Judge to Toss Alaska Fishing BiOp
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