MONTANA KEEPING CLOSE EYE ON LIBBY DAM FLOW OPERATIONS Posted on Friday, April 20, 2007 (PST)

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and Gov. Brian Schweitzer are keeping a close eye on Libby Dam operations this spring, urging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to avoid a repeat of last year’s spring spill. Read More...

OREGON GOV. SEEKS NETWORK OF COASTAL MARINE RESERVES Posted on Friday, April 20, 2007 (PST)

Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski has instructed the Oregon Ocean Policy Advisory Council to devise over the next year a state proposal for a network of marine reserves along the Oregon coastline, in addition to examining efforts to accommodate wave energy production and aquaculture in Oregon . Read More...

JOHN DAY DRAWDOWN PROPOSAL PART OF NEW BIOP DISCUSSIONS Posted on Friday, April 20, 2007 (PST)

Time, perhaps as little as a month, will tell the fate of a controversial proposal from the state of Oregon to drop the John Day Dam reservoir level to "minimum operating pool" as a strategy to potentially improve survival of yearling spring/summer chinook salmon. Read More...

COUNCIL OKS SCHEDULE FOR AMENDING FISH, WILDLIFE PROGRAM Posted on Friday, April 20, 2007 (PST)

The Northwest Power and Conservation Council on Wednesday approved a schedule for amending its Columbia River basin fish and wildlife program that begins in October and, potentially conclude late in 2008. Read More...

COUNCIL APPROVES MAKEOVER FOR FISH PASSAGE CENTER OVERSIGHT Posted on Thursday, April 19, 2007 (PST)

The Northwest Power and Conservation Council agreed Wednesday to reconstitute the oversight board for the Fish Passage Center, a data collection and analysis entity that has drawn both fire and praise over the years regarding the veracity of its analyses. Read More...

FISH NUMBERS UP, BUT ANOTHER LATE RUN HAS FISHING CURTAILED Posted on Thursday, April 19, 2007 (PST)

The lower Columbia River has been closed to fishing this week as state fishery managers await surer signs of the strength of this year's upriver spring chinook salmon run. For the third year in a row, the spring chinook run toward hatcheries and spawning grounds above Bonneville Dam in Idaho, Oregon and Washington appears to be lagging. Read More...

SALMON-EATING SEA LIONS AGAIN SHOWING THEIR ADAPTIVE NATURE Posted on Thursday, April 19, 2007 (PST)

Sea lions camped out below Bonneville Dam continue to show a persistent and adaptive nature, perhaps shifting more of their salmon eating to the dark hours to avoid daytime human harassment. And a trap-and-haul effort appears to be, at least at the start, ineffective in reducing predation. Read More...