salmon

Legislators reiterated the importance of the dams on river commerce, agriculture and energy production.

Newhouse said that his bill would continue supporting fish populations, stating that they are finding creative solutions to ensure fish species thrive while keeping the dams.

According to the Washington state Department of Fish and Wildlife, fishery managers have developed options for the state’s ocean salmon fisheries that reflect improved forecasts for some key Columbia River Chinook stocks.  This also marks the 2nd consecutive year of large forecasts for hatchery coho returning to the Columbia River.  The Pacific F...

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife closed all fishing in the Nooksack River, including all forks, this weekend.  The closure will remain in place until further notice.   WDFW said hatchery steelhead returns to the Kendall Creek Hatchery on the North Fork Nooksack are well short of broodstock needs.  Prohibiting ...

Last month, the EPA ordered the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to stop oil and other toxic chemical discharges into the Columbia River.  The announcement put the issue of river spills back to the front burner.  The group Columbia Riverkeeper sued the Corps last year, and says these pollutants harm fish and other wildlife in the Columbia and Snake Rivers.  Miles Johnson, Co...

According to the Bonneville Power Administration, in 2022, anglers caught and removed more than 140,000 northern pikeminnow from the Columbia and Snake rivers, saving the lives of hundreds of thousands of young salmon and steelhead.  BPA said this week nearly 1,200 people registered to be part of the Northern Pikeminnow Sport Reward Program which ran from May 1st through September 30th.  When th..

Late last week, the Administration issued a final report that advocates for the breaching of the four lower Snake River dams.  Many lawmakers across the PNW decried the report as nothing more than a political maneuver by the Biden Administration.  Dan New...

Oregon State University begins a unique partnership this month, joining a local tribe to study the impact of removing four Klamath River dams.  Removing the dams built between 1918 and 1962 will be a massive undertaking. “By a number of measures, it is the largest restoration, the largest dam removal in history, globally.” Water...

Both Republicans and Democrats have initiated studies looking at removing the lower Snake River dams. One of the more high-profile studies is being supported by Washington Governor Jay Inslee and Washington’s senior senator Patty Murray. Dan ...

The 2022 Washington Legislative session wrapped up Thursday, and according to Representative Tom Dent, lawmakers addressed a lot of bad legislation that could have harmed farmers and ranchers statewide. But, he noted, thankfully much of that legislation did not come to fruition ...