Study Challenges Common Practices In Identifying Refugia For Salmonids, Says Warm Habitats Can Fuel Coldwater Fisheries
December 2nd, 2021
New Oregon State University research shows that warm-water habitats can be critically important for the survival of cold-water fish such as trout and salmon.
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Columbia River Basin Wildfires Study: Snow Cover Critical For Post-Fire Revegetation In Forest Mountain Regions
December 2nd, 2021
How much and how long a severely burned Pacific Northwest mountain landscape stays blanketed in winter snow is a key factor in the return of vegetation, research by Oregon State University and the University of Nevada, Reno shows.
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Global Warming Driving Western Pine Beetles To Kill Far More Ponderosa Pines In Western U.S.: Catastrophic Die-Offs Coming?
December 2nd, 2021
In California’s Sierra Nevada, western pine beetle infestations amped up by global warming were found to kill 30% more ponderosa pine trees than the beetles do under drought alone. A new supercomputer modeling study hints at the grim prospect of future catastrophic tree die-offs and offers insights for mitigating the combined risk of wildfires and insect outbreaks.
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Over 2 Million Juvenile Salmon Saved During Drought Now Being Released Into Cooler Klamath River; Bureau Announces Coho Grant Program
December 2nd, 2021
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife last month began releasing juvenile fall-run Chinook salmon into the Klamath River now that river conditions have improved with cooler temperatures and increased flows that give the young salmon their best chance at survival and reaching the Pacific Ocean.
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New Infrastructure Bill Is Loaded With Funds Impacting NW Salmon Recovery, Water, Irrigation, Grid Upgrades
November 18th, 2021
The Infrastructure and Investment and Jobs Act signed by President Biden this week includes millions of dollars related to Northwest salmon recovery, including culvert removal, fish barrier removal, upgrading water, irrigation and grid infrastructure, and projects potentially impacting Columbia River Treaty negotiations with Canada.
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NOAA Details Breakdown Of $3 Billion To Be Received From Infrastructure Bill
November 18th, 2021
NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad this week announced the breakdown of the nearly $3 billion his agency will receive under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed Monday by President Biden.
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‘Vapor Pressure Deficit’ Study Shows Increase Of Extreme Western Fires Due To Human-Caused Climate Change, Will Continue For Decades
November 11th, 2021
The western United States has experienced a rapid increase of fire weather as the vapor pressure deficit (VPD) increases in the area during the warm season.
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Study: Earth’s Warming Rate Over Last 150 Years Surpasses Change Over Past 24,000 Years
November 11th, 2021
A University of Arizona-led effort to reconstruct Earth's climate since the last ice age, about 24,000 years ago, highlights the main drivers of climate change and how far out of bounds human activity has pushed the climate system.
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Northwest Mountains’ Snowpack Steadily Declining; Study Looks At Impacts On Water Resources With ‘Low-To-No-Snow’ Future
November 4th, 2021
Mountain snowpacks around the world are on the decline, and if the planet continues to warm, climate models forecast that snowpacks could shrink dramatically and possibly even disappear altogether on certain mountains, including in the western United States, at some point in the next century.