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Save Our Wild Salmon

Explore this page to find news articles, links to radio and television, blog posts, and more—all things related to Columbia-Snake River Basin wild salmon and steelhead.

September 13, 2025

Moscow-Pullman: Tribes, states push to revive Snake and Columbia River salmon lawsuit after Trump order

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Columbia River tribes, Oregon, Washington and conservationists ask judge to lift litigation stay following Trump admin decision to kill agreement Credit: Ecoflight By Eric Barker | Outdoor and Environmental EditorSeptember 12, 2025 Columbia River tribes along… Read More
September 12, 2025

The Seattle-Times: Legal battle reignites over Lower Snake River Dams, salmon

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Credit: EcoFlight Sep. 11, 2025By Isabella Breda A decades-long court battle over the ongoing operations of the federal hydropower system in the Columbia River Basin has reignited after the Trump administration withdrew from a key agreement. The Nez Perce,… Read More
September 11, 2025

WA State Standard: Lawsuits against federal government over Columbia Basin dams to resume

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Environmental groups backed by Northwest states and four Lower Columbia River tribes are moving to lift a pause on litigation after the Trump administration withdrew from a “historic” deal. Credit: Ecoflight By: Alex Baumhardt and Emily FitzgeraldSeptember… Read More
September 11, 2025

Courthouse News Service: States, tribes revive long-running lawsuit after Trump nixes fish deal

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The Biden-era Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement's pledge to restore native fish populations and invest in tribal clean energy projects had paused courtroom battles. By Monique Merrill September 11, 2025 PORTLAND, Ore. (CN) — The Trump administration’s abrupt… Read More
August 21, 2025

The Seattle Times: Joel Kawahara, 70, lifelong fisher, dies at sea after leaving Neah Bay

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Joel Kawahara, fishing for coho salmon while trolling on his boat the F/V Karolee, out of Sitka, Alaska, in September 1994. Kawahara testified before elected leaders about the impacts of hydroelectric dams on salmon, volunteered at streamside tree plantings… Read More
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August 04, 2025

WA national monument, made in 2000, is still protected by this family

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Kathy Criddle photographs birds from the Columbia River within the Hanford Reach National Monument on July 9. The national monument, established in 2000, is a haven for birders, anglers and others who enjoy the natural wonders around this free-flowing stretch… Read More
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August 04, 2025

Baker River sockeye storm back in record run — overcoming 2 dams

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Aug. 3, 2025 at 6:00 am By Isabella Breda BAKER RIVER, Skagit County — Scott Schuyler cut the motor on his skiff as the driftnet traced the current. White corks keeping the net afloat began to vigorously tremble through the emerald waters. “See those?” Doreen… Read More
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July 22, 2025

Environmental groups sue BPA over power market choice

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July 11, 2025 at 6:00 am By Amanda Zhou, Seattle Times staff reporter A group of five Northwest energy and environmental groups filed a lawsuit in federal court over Bonneville Power Administration’s recent decision to join Southwest Power Pool’s Markets+, a… Read More
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July 21, 2025

Columbia Basin’s salmon are in hot water, literally, says report from Save Our Wild Salmon

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Fish face a ‘triple threat’ in the Columbia River: Rising temperatures, stagnant water and toxic algae By Henry Brannan, Columbian Murrow News Fellow Published: July 11, 2025, 6:10am Environmental group Save Our Wild Salmon released its first Columbia River… Read More
July 09, 2025

News Data: Salmon Managers Begin Safety-Net Strategy for Tucannon Spring Chinook

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by K.C. Mehaffey Mar 18, 2025 This month, salmon managers are releasing roughly 48,000 spring Chinook smolts from the Tucannon River—a tributary of the Snake River—in the far-flung Kalama River, more than 300 road-miles away. The release marks the first year… Read More

Jul 8, 2025 - The Oregonian: Salmon, tribal sovereignty, and energy collide

Jun 16, 2025 - Seattle Times: Trump cancels landmark Columbia River agreement with tribes, WA, OR

Jun 16, 2025 - Lewiston Morning Tribune: Trump spikes Northwest salmon agreement

Jun 9, 2025 - Moscow-Pullman Daily News: Report says Snake River chinook and steelhead still in peril

May 29, 2025 - Spokesman-Review: Columbia River salmon restoration hit hard by $1.5B cut to Army Corps of Engineers

May 15, 2025 - Fast Company: These stunning photos show how nature came back after the world’s largest dam removal project

May 14, 2025 - NewsData: Lower Returns for Sockeye, Coho, Steelhead Predicted in 2025

May 2, 2025 - Lewiston Tribune: Salmon and dams comment period extended

Apr 29, 2025 - PNS: Bonneville Power energy market choice impacts NW environment

Apr 7, 2025 - The Columbian: Pause in Columbia River Treaty talks stokes worry for flood control in Vancouver

Mar 27, 2025 - ICT: New studies may lead to removal of Snake River dams

Mar 7, 2025 - Portland Business Journal: Bonneville Power Administration advances controversial energy market decision

Mar 5, 2025 - The Seattle Times: Climate, energy upheavals roil NW power market

Feb 24, 2025 - The Seattle Times: This baby orca is healthy and it’s a girl

Feb 18, 2025 - King 5: Welcome J62: A new female orca joins the Southern Resident family

Feb 10, 2025 - E&E News: Trump admin extends environmental review of Columbia River dams

Jan 27, 2025 - The Seattle Times: How Tahlequah, her dead calf tell the story of climate change

Jan 21, 2025 - Seattle Times: Where is Tahlequah? What we know about the mother orca and her calf

Jan 10, 2025 - Seattle Times: Mother orca Tahlequah still carries dead calf after 11 days

Jan 2, 2025 - Orca Tahlequah’s new baby dies

Dec 20, 2024 - The Columbian: ‘Unlawful’ or ‘a critical next step’? Feds to update Columbia River dams’ environmental guidelines

Dec 2, 2024 - Seattle Times: What will a switch from Biden to Trump mean for the Columbia River?

Nov 21, 2024 - E&E News: Proponents of breaching dams see opportunities in Trump era

Nov 11, 2024 - Puget Sound Institute: Some orcas extend their stay in Puget Sound; others visit capture site for first time in years

Oct 14, 2024 - E&E: Lower Snake River flows sufficient even without dams, research finds

Oct 8, 2024 - Columbia Basin Bulletin: All Four Lower Klamath River Dams Removed, Several Years Work Ahead To Restore Formerly Submerged Lands

Sep 30, 2024 - KOIN: Oregon Gov. Kotek signs executive order to restore Columbia Basin

Sep 23, 2024 - E&E News: Lower Snake River ‘temperature diet’ looks to shed degrees

Sep 13, 2024 - Wallowa County Chieftain: First food: What the fish mean for tribes

Aug 19, 2024 - NWPB: Toxic algal bloom found on the Snake River for second year in a row

Aug 6, 2024 - Portland Business Journal: OR, WA senators question Bonneville Power Administration on 'monumental' decision

Jul 31, 2024 - NWPB: Biologists truck Snake River sockeye to cooler Idaho waters

Jul 29, 2024 - HCN: When the dams come down, what happens to barge traffic?

Jul 17, 2024 - E&E News: Record salmon migration runs into hot water

Jul 12, 2024 - HCN: Nez Perce energy transition to save salmon

Jul 12, 2024 - Seattle Times: U.S. and Canada reach deal on Columbia River Treaty

Jul 11, 2024 - E&E News: Columbia River Treaty deal would boost US energy capacity

Jul 11, 2024 - Seattle Times: Record sockeye salmon run on Columbia now threatened by hot water

Jul 11, 2024 - Idaho Statesman: Northwest U.S., Canada reach vital Columbia River pact. Some worry it’s not enough to protect salmon

Jul 11, 2024 - OPB: US would keep more hydropower under agreement with Canada on treaty governing Columbia River

Jun 26, 2024 - InvestigateWest: The Federal Government Just Acknowledged the Harm Its Dams Have Caused Tribes. Here’s What It Left Out.

Jun 26, 2024 - E&E News: Reclamation weighs how to keep taps open on Lower Snake River

Jun 19, 2024 - The Lewiston Tribune: Report: Dams hurt salmon and tribes

Jun 19, 2024 - The New York Times: Federal Dams Harm Native American Communities, U.S. Acknowledges

Jun 18, 2024 - AP News: US acknowledges Northwest dams have devastated the region’s Native tribes

Jun 18, 2024 - Seattle Times: Biden administration acknowledges harms of Columbia River dams on Indigenous people

Apr 22, 2024 - Seattle Times Guest Opinion: ‘Every part of this soil is sacred’: Restore respect for our shared home

Apr 3, 2024 - Seattle Times: Extinction risk to southern residents orcas accelerating as researchers raise alarm

Feb 23, 2024 - NWNews: Tribes, governments sign historic agreement that's a 'path forward' for salmon, dams

Feb 23, 2024 - AP News: White House, tribal leaders hail ‘historic’ deal to restore salmon runs in Pacific Northwest

Feb 23, 2024 - E&E News: White House celebrates $1B deal to save Columbia River Basin salmon

Feb 23, 2024 - Seattle Times: PNW tribal nations, states sign historic Columbia Basin agreement with U.S.

Jan 31, 2024 - Lewiston Morning Tribune: Dam deal’s in eye of beholder

Jan 16, 2024 - KUOW: 'They're our relatives.' Samish Indian Nation prepares to welcome new orca calf to Puget Sound

Jan 2, 2024 - The Oregonian: Efforts of tribes pay off in historic agreement on Snake River dam removals

Dec 18, 2023 - High Country News: Lower Snake River dams closer to coming down with new agreement

Dec 18, 2023 - NPB: Historic agreement seen as a harbinger to Snake River dam removal

Dec 15, 2023 - Lewiston Tribune: It’s official: Dam agreement announced

Dec 15, 2023 - Lewiston Tribune: Salmon and dam agreement formally announced, features $1 billion in federal funds and pause on lawsuits

Dec 15, 2023 - Seattle Times: Biden administration promises $1 billion more for salmon, clean energy — but punts on Lower Snake River dam removal in major agreement

Dec 15, 2023 - NPR: Tribes celebrate historic deal with White House that could save Pacific Northwest salmon

Dec 15, 2023 - AP News: Conservationists, tribes say deal with Biden administration is a road map to breach Snake River dams

Dec 15, 2023 - E&E News: White House pledges $1B to restore Pacific Northwest salmon, steelhead

Dec 15, 2023 - Tri-City Herald: ‘Historic’ Columbia River agreement called ‘roadmap’ to breaching Snake River dams

Dec 13, 2023 - The Spokesman-Review: Cantwell, Risch urge Biden, Trudeau to prioritize negotiations on critical Columbia River Treaty provisions

Nov 30, 2023 - AP: Leaked document says US is willing to build energy projects in case Snake River dams are breached

Nov 9, 2023 - CBC News: Sinixt want a say in Columbia River Treaty renegotiations

Nov 5, 2023 - Global News: First Nations in B.C. seek salmon return to Columbia Basin in new treaty with U.S

Nov 3, 2023 - NWNews: Tribal members gather to demand the federal government uphold treaty obligations, protect salmon

Nov 3, 2023 - Seattle Times: Northwest Tribes build momentum in large gathering for dam removal, salmon restoration

Oct 25, 2023 - Vancouver Sun: Drought reveals cracks in Canada-U.S. Columbia River Treaty as B.C. lake dries up

Oct 19, 2023 - Spokesman-Review: ‘Unusually large’ toxic algal bloom covers 30-mile stretch of the Lower Snake River

Oct 13, 2023 - KUOW: Large Snake River toxic algal bloom hasn’t happened before

Oct 12, 2023 - Seattle Times: Tribe catches coho salmon on free-flowing Elwha River, a first since dam removals

Oct 2, 2023 - Lewiston-Tribune: Demonstrators gather for a free-flowing Snake River

Sep 28, 2023 - Spokesman Review: ‘This is historic’: Biden orders whole-of-government effort to restore salmon in Columbia, Snake rivers

Sep 27, 2023 - Seattle Times: President Biden calls for abundant salmon in Columbia, Snake rivers

Sep 26, 2023 - Lewiston Tribune: Feds back tribal-led salmon campaign

Sep 1, 2023 - Spokesman-Review: Federal government, salmon advocates agree to continue talks that could lead to breaching Snake River dams

Sep 1, 2023 - Lewiston Tribune: Parties seek extension in dams debate

Sep 1, 2023 - Seattle Times: Dam removal still on table as settlement talks over Lower Snake River operations continue

Aug 28, 2023 - Seattle Times: Celebrating the life of Tokitae the orca on San Juan Island

Aug 4, 2023 - Lewiston Tribune: Snake River sockeye run sputters

Jul 24, 2023 - Lewiston Tribune: Sockeye begin epic Northwest journey

Jul 19, 2023 - Lewiston Tribune: Dam Study: More research required

Jun 27, 2023 - Spokesman-Review: Environmentalists, politicians clash over Republican hearing to defend Snake River dams

Jun 21, 2023 - Seattle Times: The massive dam removal on the Klamath may save salmon but can’t solve the West’s water crisis

Jun 14, 2023 - Seattle Times: As the West’s dam removal movement presses on, could the Lower Snake be next?

May 22, 2023 - Northwest Public Broadcasting: PNW artists’ work evokes salmon to educate, inspire change

May 18, 2023 - Public News Service: Historic Step Forward for Snake River Dam Replacement in WA Budget

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