Columbia Basin Bulletin - January 11, 2025

First Stories of the New Year! Record Number of Anglers, Chum Salmon Record Numbers, Spring Chinook 2025 Forecast... and more

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Columbia Basin Bulletin
January 11, 2025

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.

Chum Salmon Pass Bonneville Dam In Record Numbers, Operations Under Way To Ensure Redds Remain Watered Downstream

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.

Columbia River Spring Chinook 2025 Forecast About Same As Last Year’s Actual Return; Lower For Summer Chinook, Sockeye

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.

Study Details Salmonid Response To Columbia River Basin Habitat Restoration Projects, Shows Large Benefits For Coho, Steelhead

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.

Decision On Delisting Grizzlies In Northern Rockies Coming; Montana Scientists Discuss Implications Of Living With The Bears

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.

The Great Salt Lake has lost more than 15 billion cubic yards of water over the past three decades, is getting shallower at the rate of 4 inches a year, and an analysis of its water budget suggests reducing irrigation is necessary for saving it.