July 18, 2024 Recent News

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Columbia Basin Bulletin
July 18, 2024

Though U.S., Canada Reach ‘Agreement-In-Principle’ For Modernized Columbia River Treaty; Assures Pre-Planned Flood Control, Rebalances Power Benefits

The governments of Canada and the United States announced Thursday they have reached an agreement-in-principle to modernize the Columbia River Treaty.

Status Review: ESA-Listed In 1999, Upper Willamette Spring Chinook, Winter Steelhead Nowhere Near Recovery, Need Better Passage At Dams

In a recently completed review of their status, NOAA Fisheries has determined that Upper Willamette River spring Chinook and Upper Willamette River winter steelhead should remain listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act.

Public Power Council Urges Biden Administration To Include Its Members In New Columbia Basin Task Force

In a forceful letter earlier this month, the Public Power Council urged the Biden Administration to include its members as a “meaningful part” of the Columbia Basin Task Force, which the Administration’s Council on Environmental Quality formed in June.

Status Review: Northern California Steelhead, ESA-Listed 24 Years Ago, Still In Trouble, Climate Change Main Threat

Northern California steelhead require continued protection as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act, according to a recent 5-year review by NOAA Fisheries.

Washington Predator-Prey Project’s Research Shows Wolves In NE Washington Not Having Much Impact on Deer

Humans drove wolves to extinction in Washington state around the 1930s. Thanks to conservation efforts, by about 80 years later, wolves had returned

Montana Restarts Efforts To Raise, Stock In Kootenai River Drainage State’s Only Native Rainbow Trout, Redbands

Montana’s only native rainbow trout is making a comeback in the northwest corner of the state.

Cable Installation To Begin Off Oregon Coast For Nation’s First Grid-Connected, Utility-Scale Wave Energy Testing Facility

Crews later this month will begin installing the power and data cables that are essential to completing construction of a new wave energy testing facility off the Oregon Coast.

Study Documents How Rising Temperatures May Impact Groundwater; Water Too Warm For Drinking, Spawning Salmon

As the world’s largest unfrozen freshwater resource, groundwater is crucial for life on Earth. Researchers at Germany’s Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have investigated how global warming is affecting groundwater temperatures and what that means for humanity and the environment.

White-Nose Bat Syndrome Killing Entire Colonies; Montana Researchers Get $3 Million Award To Study Disease, Climate Change Impacts

Since 2006, a fast-moving disease known as white-nose syndrome has killed an estimated 6.7 million bats, wiping out entire colonies and decimating creatures that provide an integral means of pest control.