Under the terms of preliminary decisions issued last week by the National Marine Fisheries Service and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, PacifiCorp will commit more than $20 million over the next decade to improve salmon and steelhead habitat in the Lewis River watershed in southwest Washington state, the utility announced in a press release.

A fifth round of Columbia River Treaty negotiations was recently concluded by the United States and Canada in Washington, D.C., this time focusing on American priorities for managing water in the basin.

At a 2-hour work session prior to its last meeting, Feb. 12, in Portland, the Northwest Power and Conservation Council’s Fish and Wildlife Committee reviewed staff summaries of recommendations it has received through its process to amend the Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program.

In her 2020-2021 budget Oregon Gov. Kate Brown included $16 million to replace the Wallowa Lake Dam. If the proposal makes its way through the legislature, replacing the dam could pave the way for sockeye salmon reintroduction.