If it funds a quarter-million-dollar study, the Washington state legislature could kick-start a long-awaited dam removal project that would free up some 348 miles of habitat for steelhead and salmon in northeastern Washington and British Columbia.
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Groups Petition NOAA Fisheries To List Washington’s Olympic Peninsula Steelhead Under ESA; Dramatic Declines Since 1980s
September 29th, 2022
NOAA Fisheries is nearing a deadline in determining whether it should consider listing as threatened or endangered Olympic Peninsula summer and winter steelhead. All populations of steelhead on the peninsula have continued to decline since 2017 and run sizes have been so small that Washington closed fisheries on coastal rivers early this year, according to a recent petition to list the steelhead.
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Study: 2021 PNW Heat Wave A Once-In-10,000 Years Event, Climate Models Struggle To Capture Such Extreme Events
September 29th, 2022
When the 2021 Pacific Northwest heat wave peaked at 121 degrees Fahrenheit, it buckled roads, melted power lines, killed hundreds and led to a devastating wildfire. Climate scientists were shocked to see heat so severe.
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Report Details How Climate Change Will Impact Federal Hydropower; For BPA, More Replacement Power In Summer Months
September 29th, 2022
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory has provided hydropower operators with new data to better prepare for extreme weather events in the Pacific Northwest and shifts in seasonal energy demands caused by climate change.
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Corps Revokes Permit Over Lake Pend Oreille Marina, Housing Development Due To Impacts On Listed Bull Trout
September 29th, 2022
In response to litigation from the Center for Biological Diversity and Idaho Conservation League, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to revoke its permit for a marina and lakeside housing development at the mouth of Trestle Creek on Lake Pend Oreille due to impacts on bull trout listed under the Endangered Species Act. The creek accounts for more than half of the annual bull trout spawning sites in the Pend Oreille Basin.
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Washington State Salmon Recovery Funding Board Awards Nearly $76 Million For Salmon Recovery; Over $8 Million To Increase Chinook For Orcas
September 29th, 2022
The Washington State Salmon Recovery Funding Board this week announced the award of nearly $76 million in grants across the state to help ensure the survival of salmon in Washington.
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Oregon Approves Permit For 290-Mile New Transmission Line From Columbia River To Southwest Idaho; Existing Connections Too Full During Peak Power
September 29th, 2022
Oregon’s Energy Facility Siting Council on Tuesday approved a permit to build the Boardman to Hemingway transmission line across five eastern Oregon counties. The line will move power between the Pacific Northwest and Intermountain West, helping meet customer needs during peak seasons. Construction is expected to start in 2023.