Federal defendants in a long-running case in U.S. District Court challenging NOAA Fisheries’ biological opinion governing operations to prevent harm to salmon and steelhead at Columbia River federal hydroelectric system of dams raised the case to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in late March.
A month after a U.S. District Court in Portland issued a partially favorable ruling to plaintiffs on a preliminary injunction directing Columbia and Snake river dam operations designed to aid salmon and steelhead, federal agency defendants challenged the decision at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The defendants notified the District Court of the challenge Friday, March 27.
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.
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.
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.
Federal water managers at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers say they will adjust water levels behind John Day Dam (Lake Umatilla), in north-central Oregon, this week to prepare for another round of heavy precipitation in the Columbia River Basin. This will be the third atmospheric river storm event within the last two weeks.
The use of artificial beaver dams to replicate the ecological benefits created by the industrious rodents shows promise for offsetting damage to fish habitat, water quality, and biodiversity arising from climate change.
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