Of the fish that had passed Bonneville Dam last spring, California and Steller sea lions consumed 3.6 percent of the spring Chinook salmon and 5.5 percent of the steelhead. Some 98 individual sea lions were responsible for this predation, according to a recently-released annual report by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Endangered Southern Resident killer whales are known for the tight-knit family structure that isolates them from other killer whale populations. In 2005, NOAA Fisheries listed the whales as a Distinct Population Segment under the Endangered Species Act due to their unique genetic legacy and endangered status. The 74 whales remain at risk from insufficient prey, environmental contaminants, disturbance and inbreeding.
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife staff at the Ashland Boat Inspection Station found quagga mussels on a motorboat that was being transported from Lake Havasu, Arizona into Oregon on March 21.
White-nose syndrome in bats has been detected for the first time in Oregon in Columbia and Benton counties. Also this month, the first cases of the disease in Idaho bats were detected.
Alaska’s glaciers respond to climate change by melting for three additional weeks with every 1 degree Celsius increase in the average summer temperature, data from satellite-mounted radars show.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District, will host two virtual public information sessions on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, to discuss proactive safety measures being implemented at Hills Creek Dam in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.
This winter was one of the warmest on record across the West; as a result, many snowy, alpine areas have seen bouts of winter rainfall where there would ordinarily only be snow. These unusual weather patterns have contributed to an abysmal ski season, but they can also set the stage for dangerous avalanches.
A new study from the University of British Columbia has found that artificial turf fields across Metro Vancouver leach 6PPD-quinone, a chemical known to kill coho salmon, into municipal stormwater systems—and the contamination persists long after the fields are installed.
Rising temperatures in a Southcentral Alaska river have led to a hungrier population of invasive northern pike, a trend that could imperil native salmon and other fish species.
A renewable fuels refinery that would be capable of producing 50,000 barrels of renewable diesel per day and 1.4 billion gallons per year has been proposed on more than 100 acres of wetlands in the Columbia River estuary near Clatskanie, OR, and also near a critical corridor for migrating salmon and steelhead, according to a draft Environmental Impact Statement released in late February by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The Center for Biological Diversity has notified the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service it intends to sue the agency for failing to make a timely decision on whether the western ridged mussel should be protected under the Endangered Species Act. The imperiled mussels are disappearing from streams and rivers across the three West Coast states and Idaho and Nevada.
NOAA Fisheries scientists have found telltale changes in cool, highly productive water upwelling along the West Coast — changes that can provide “an early warning system” signaling greater risk of humpback whales getting entangled in fishing gear.
Anglers on north Idaho’s Lake Pend Oreille continue to play an important role in helping Idaho Fish and Game monitor the lake’s trophy rainbow trout fishery. Through the Lake Pend Oreille Angler Science Program, anglers voluntarily record details about their fishing trips and the trout they catch.
The enormous power and water use forecasted at the over 100 data centers at various stages of development in 12 counties along the Columbia River will strain Oregon and Washington state mandates to achieve their aggressive renewable energy goals as well as put a strain on local water resources and threaten fish and wildlife, according to a recent report by Columbia Riverkeeper.
Common ravens are often spotted soaring above wolves in Yellowstone National Park. Researchers assumed that the scavengers were following the wolves to get their scraps, but new research reveals a twist: Ravens don’t follow wolves, they remember common hunting grounds and regularly check back for fresh meat.
A massive marine heatwave warmed the eastern Pacific Ocean through much of 2025, but the wind-driven upwelling of cold, nutrient-rich water that drives the rich marine productivity of the West Coast kept the ecosystem healthy.
California’s Wildlife Conservation Board approved $59,642,096 in grants for 27 projects across 18 counties to protect biodiversity, restore important wildlife habitats and improve public access to nature.
Mainstem Columbia River basin water supply forecasts remained mostly steady or rose just slightly over the last month, with the March forecast at The Dalles Dam at 95 percent of the 30-year average, up 2 percentage points from February.
The Bureau of Reclamation has launched a new three-phase prize challenge to identify innovative solutions that prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species through watercraft ballast compartments.
A massive marine heatwave has dominated waters off the West Coast since last summer. This marks only the third time on record that such a large section of the coastal ocean has remained so warm for so long—particularly into winter months—without it being an El Niño, NOAA scientists report.
Researchers spent five years developing an AI-based model to protect freshwater fish worldwide from extinction, with a particular focus on identifying threats to fish before they become endangered.
A $1 million federal investment will jump-start critical engineering and design work on fish passage and alternative solutions at Oregon’s McKay Creek Reservoir Dam, laying the technical groundwork to eventually reconnect more than 100 miles of historic salmon and steelhead habitat.
As climate change nudges weather in the eastern Cascades in extreme and volatile directions, forest managers in the region have a lot to juggle.
The Pacific Fishery Management Council has adopted three options for 2026 ocean salmon fisheries off Washington, Oregon, and California, which are available for public review.
Beginning this spring, more water will be spilled at eight federal dams on the two rivers during spring, summer and fall/winter to aid the safe passage of juvenile salmon and steelhead, sending more of the fish over the dam rather than through turbines.
An Earthwise Knowledge Initiative Publication
