Columbia Basin Bulletin - November 26, 2024

Survival Rate of Migrating Salmon, Lethal Tire Chemicals, Yakama Nation Storage Project Approval, Low Salmon Harvest... and more

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Columbia Basin Bulletin
November 26, 2024

Increased spill levels at Snake and Columbia river dams, along with lower water flow in the rivers, hampered the ability of scientists to tag and detect juvenile salmon and steelhead as they migrated downstream in 2024.

EPA Gives Notice Of Developing New Rule To Protect Salmon, Steelhead From Lethal Tire Chemical; ‘Unreasonable Threat To Water, Fish Resources’

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is acting on its commitment to three Northwest tribes by issuing an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) to collect information on the risks of 6PPD quinone in tires, known to be toxic in stormwater runoff to coho salmon and steelhead in Puget Sound.

Yakama Nation Tells FERC If Pumped Storage Project Approved Near John Day Dam, Mitigation Cost No Less Than $40 Million Required

In a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation suggest that if a pumped storage project near the Columbia River’s John Day Dam moves forward, the Yakama Nation should receive no less than $40 million in mitigation for damage to tribal resources. The money would be used for the preservation and management of sacred and sensitive properties to the Yakama Nation.

Alaska 2024 Salmon Harvest Summary Shows Third Lowest On Record For Total Fish Harvested, Sockeye 42 Percent of Harvest

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has published preliminary harvest and value figures for the 2024 Alaska Commercial Salmon Fishery that show a dramatic decline compared to last year.

The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission has approved additional protections –less fishing pressure-- for bull trout in Hungry Horse Reservoir and the South Fork of the Flathead River in northwest Montana.

Sustainable rates of groundwater withdrawal in southeast Oregon’s Harney Basin were surpassed 20 years prior to the time declining groundwater levels were generally recognized, a new analysis found.

The U.S. Forest Service is proposing an amendment to the land management plans guiding parts or all of 17 national forests within the Northwest Forest Plan areas of Oregon, Washington and Northern California.

Emissions of carbon caused by fossil fuel pollution continued to grow slightly in 2023 to 36.8 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide, setting yet another new record despite increasingly urgent warnings from scientists about the need for steep and immediate decreases.

Reservoirs, a major component of California’s water storage system, are a significant source of climate-warming emissions, releasing more greenhouse gases across the state than 300,000 gas-powered cars in a year, says a report by the Center for Biological Diversity.