Scientists who study the Columbia River estuary say salmon are hogging too much of the restoration spotlight. Continue reading →

Filed under: Fish & Wildlife, Columbia River Basin, Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership, Salmon

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Filed under: Fish & Wildlife, Columbia River Basin, Pollution, Toxics in fish

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Filed under: Water, Columbia River Basin, Derelict vessels, Pollution

I try to pay attention to what’s happening on the Columbia River. And I thought I had a handle on things generally. But I didn’t know that the river has been exceeding the temperature limit under the Clean Water Act for more than a decade. Did you know that? Continue reading →

Filed under: Water, Columbia River Basin, Dams, Salmon

Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey--lots of scientists--have been studying how contaminants work their way through the food web of the Columbia River. We're talking PCBs, flame retardants, pesticides, toulene--nasty chemicals known as endocrine disrupting compounds. Using a foodweb model, the researchers tested insects, fish that eat the insects, osprey that eat the fish and invertebrates that live in the ... Continue reading →

Filed under: Fish & Wildlife, Water, Columbia River Basin, Pollution, Toxics in fish, US Geological Survey

In an opinion issued today, Judge James Redden made a point to burn federal agencies on the weak aspects of their plans to offset the environmental impacts of the Columbia River hydropower system. I wanted to list a few of his most barbed remarks. But as Michael Milstein of Bonneville Power Administration pointed out, the judge left the most essential ... Continue reading →

Filed under: Energy, Fish & Wildlife, Water, Columbia River Basin, Dams, Salmon

The federal agencies that built the rejected dam mitigation plan (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation) released a joint statement suggesting Judge Redden's ruling isn't the end of the world. They say they're grateful to have until 2014 to work on a better plan, thought they will be considering an appeal: Continue reading →

Filed under: Energy, Fish & Wildlife, Columbia River Basin, Dams, Salmon

In a 24-page opinion released today, Judge James Redden rejected the federal plan for managing Columbia River dams to protect salmon. In the opinion, he called the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's conclusion that the hydropower system will not jeopardize the survival of protected salmon and steelhead "arbitrary and capricious." And he threw in some zingers, too (stay tuned). Continue reading →

Filed under: Energy, Fish & Wildlife, Columbia River Basin, Dams, Salmon

I spent some time at the Future of Our Salmon conference in Portland this week. The conference was the first ever hosted by tribal leaders with the Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission, and there were fish biologists and salmon managers from all walks at the event. Continue reading →

Filed under: Fish & Wildlife, Water, Columbia River Basin, Salmon

Bonneville Power Administration just announced it will reserve the right to dial down wind turbines this spring to manage the renewable power gridlock that comes when the region has too much wind and water at the same time. Continue reading →

Filed under: Renewable energy, Bonneville Power Administration, Columbia River Basin, Dams, Salmon, Wind energy, Wind vs. Water