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Columbia Basin Bulletin - September 26, 2025

Columbia Basin Bulletin - September 26, 2025

NOAA Extends Sea Lion Lethal Removal Authorization, Judge Sets Schedule For Continuing Litigation Over Salmon Recovery, Chinook Return Downgraded... and more

Columbia Basin Bulletin
September 26, 2025

NOAA Fisheries Extends Sea Lion Lethal Removal Authorization To Reduce Predation On Columbia River Salmon, Steelhead

Authorization that allows states and tribes to lethally remove hundreds of sea lions from the Columbia and Willamette rivers as a way to reduce predation on salmon and steelhead has been extended for five more years by NOAA Fisheries.

Judge Sets Schedule For Continuing Litigation Over Columbia River Basin Salmon Recovery; Motions, Briefs Oct. 8 To Jan. 22, 2026

After lifting the stay Sept. 11 on long-running litigation that challenges federal environmental impact statements and biological opinions regarding the impact of operations of Columbia and Snake river federal dams on imperiled salmon and steelhead, a federal judge last week set a court schedule that continues the legal battles.

Columbia River Fall Chinook Return Downgraded A Bit, Warm Water Slowing Passage To Lower Snake River

Pilot Trap-And-Haul Project Carries Okanagan River Sockeye Past Thermal Barriers, Ensures Broodstock For Hatchery Operations

Adult sockeye salmon migrating to Canada’s Okanagan River Basin will have a better chance to survive and spawn during drought years following a successful, “trap-and-haul” pilot project carried out July 16, 2025 by Grant PUD, Chelan PUD and Canada’s Okanagan Nation Alliance with ample support from agencies on both sides of the border.

First Detections West Of Continental Divide Of Fungus Causing White-Nose Syndrome In Bats; At Montana’s Libby Dam, Oregon’s North Coast

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has confirmed the presence of the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome on two bats captured at Libby Dam in Lincoln County.

Two Decades Of Partnerships (Non-Profits, Utilities, Agencies) Help Restore Oregon’s McKenzie River With Connected Flood Plains, Natural Flows

Projects in Oregon’s McKenzie River, a tributary of the Willamette River, are restoring the river from its recent channelized state to a healthy river with connected flood plains and natural flows, a river that is much more conducive to salmon and steelhead rearing, according to a recent presentation at a Northwest Power and Conservation Council meeting.

Border-Crossing Basin: States, Umatilla Tribes Collaborating In Funding, Work To Restore, Manage Rivers, Streams In Walla Walla Basin

The Walla Walla basin is a complex watershed that crosses the border between Oregon and Washington. Its rivers and streams connect the two states, but the watershed is chronically short on water and struggles to meet the needs of local communities. Watershed restoration and water management projects are increasingly important to the basin and those efforts will soon receive new support from both Washington and Oregon.

Saving Native Yellowstone Cutthroat By Killing Non-Native Rainbows: Idaho To Use Rotenone In Teton River Canyon

Idaho Fish and Game is launching a conservation project this fall to protect native Yellowstone cutthroat trout in the Teton River Canyon. On Oct. 8, biologists will conduct a rotenone treatment on the lower 5.5 miles of Badger Creek to reduce non-native rainbow trout that pose a threat to the genetic integrity of native cutthroat.