A White House blog signed by top officials of five federal agencies indicates a shift in perspective on future management of Columbia River salmon and steelhead, and on the long-standing issue over the four lower Snake River dams. Read more
As the Northwest Power and Conservation Council ponders undertaking an extensive study of breaching the lower Snake River dams, the fate of the hydropower projects is drawing renewed attention from the White House and several Congressional Republicans from the Northwest. Read more
A White House blog entry that detailed recent consultations with tribes and discussions with stakeholders led by the Council on Environmental Quality garnered varied reactions from those involved in a long-standing lawsuit over operations at Columbia Basin dams and their impacts to salmon. Read more
A draft white paper presented to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission concludes that impacts of nontribal recreational fishing in the Columbia River's cold water refuges are so small that closing those areas to fishing would do little to help threatened steelhead populations. Read more
The Public Power Council says eight new studies costing between $1.77 million and $3.47 million are necessary if the region wants to understand environmental impacts of the largest-ever spill program set to begin at eight Snake and Columbia river dams. Read more
Although it's just a preliminary forecast, the news this year looks good for adult salmon and steelhead predicted to return to the mouth of the Columbia River. Read more
On March 17, U.S. District Judge Michael Simon in Oregon granted an unopposed motion by American Rivers to dismiss it as a plaintiff in the most recent complaint in National Wildlife Federation et al. v. National Marine Fisheries Service et al., a long-running suit contesting the operations … Read more
As fishery managers go through the annual process of allocating salmon harvests, both in the ocean and throughout the Columbia Basin, they're predicting that much improved Pacific Ocean conditions will offer up somewhat better returns for many salmon and steelhead runs this year compared to … Read more
The Environmental Protection Agency added a hazardous waste site on the Columbia River's Bradford Island to its National Priorities List, the agency announced March 17. Read more
Millions of data points that could provide a clearer picture of how juvenile Chinook behave at Columbia River dams—and how well they survive through the different downstream passage routes—are being offered by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for use in other studies. Read more
PacifiCorp and Cowlitz County PUD laid out plans to complete upstream and downstream fish passage on the Lewis River by 2028 in a March 15 update to FERC. Read more
The Upper Columbia United Tribes (UCUT) is releasing more than 4,500 juvenile Chinook this spring as part of a research study on out-migration from areas both above and below Columbia River hydroelectric projects with no juvenile fish passage structures. Read more
A highly effective passage route at Bonneville Dam for juvenile salmon remained open until March 20 to aid 10.8 million juvenile fall Chinook released a few weeks early under emergency conditions at the Spring Creek National Fish Hatchery. Read more
The Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe filed its opening brief on March 2 appealing the dismissal of a lawsuit against Seattle and Seattle City Light that sought a court order for fish passage at SCL's Gorge Dam. Read more
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is preparing for a sixth consecutive year of poor summer steelhead returns to the Columbia Basin by asking for public input about this year's management of steelhead fishing. Read more
With successful results from one new turbine installed at Ice Harbor Dam in 2018, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began replacing a second turbine with a new design that reduces juvenile salmon mortality and increases power generation efficiency. Read more
After working for more than a decade to improve habitat and increase flows in Sweetwater Creek, the Nez Perce Tribe released juvenile spring Chinook salmon smolts into the creek upstream of Idaho's Lewiston Dam for the first time ever on March 9. Read more
The Northwest Power and Conservation Council released a draft of its annual report to Northwest governors on costs of the Fish and Wildlife Program incurred by the Bonneville Power Administration in fiscal year 2021. The Council voted to release the draft on March 15, which is open to public… Read more
Significant strides have been made to recover Idaho's endangered white sturgeon and at-risk burbot populations, the Northwest Power and Conservation Council heard during presentations at its March 14 meeting. Read more
Seattle City Light filed a draft Initial Study Report (ISR) with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission March 8 outlining initial results from 33 studies that will help determine what actions will be taken to manage cultural, environmental and recreational resources as part of the Skagit R… Read more
As the Northwest Power and Conservation Council prepares to adopt its most recent set of Fish and Wildlife Program reviews, Council staff, the Independent Scientific Review Panel and those commenting on the reviews are already considering how to improve the process for future program reviews. Read more
Barbara Baker, an at-large member of the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission since 2017, was elected to serve as commission chair by fellow commissioners at a March 19 meeting. Baker is an attorney who served the Washington Legislature, most recently as chief clerk for the state House of… Read more
