A record number of anglers fishing for white sturgeon in the Bonneville Dam pool shot through the harvest guideline of 675 fish in record time on New Year’s Day, resulting in the immediate closure of the pool to sturgeon retention. Catch and release angling for sturgeon will still be allowed.
A record number of threatened chum salmon passed Bonneville Dam late in 2024, with over 1,100 of the salmon passing the dam on their way upstream, the largest passage by chum at the dam since 1954. These are in addition to the chum that spawn annually downstream near the dam’s tailrace and are the subjects of an effort to restore the Columbia River run that at one time was near 1 million fish.
Fisheries managers this year are forecasting a spring Chinook salmon run into the upper Columbia River that is slightly higher than last year’s run, while predicting a slightly lower number of the Chinook than last year returning to the Snake River.
Oregon is becoming warmer and more prone to drought and will see less snow due to climate change, but people and businesses are also adapting to the challenges of a warming planet, the latest Oregon Climate Assessment indicates.
Floodplain restoration projects designed to improve instream habitat conditions for anadromous fish resulted in an increase in the numbers of juvenile salmon and steelhead, according to a recent study that examined segments of 17 habitat restoration projects in the Columbia River basin.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service has announced a $10,000 cash reward for information regarding a wolf poaching incident on private property in eastern Oregon’s Morrow County. The Oregon Wildlife Coalition has a standing reward of $10,000 for wolf poaching in that area, raising the reward total to $20,000.
In early 2025, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will decide whether to delist some populations of grizzly bears in the U.S. Northern Rockies. As Montanans consider their future with grizzly bears, University of Montana scientists are helping inform the social, ecological and policy aspects of the dialogue.
