This innovative program, which helps balance the water needs of landowners with the needs of salmon, steelhead, and resident fish, requires close collaboration.
In the 1990s, sockeye salmon in the Okanagan Basin were at a very low point. Today, thanks to a variety of restoration actions through multiple entities, sockeye returns hit record numbers at Bonneville and Wells dams in 2022.
The Phase 2 Plan shows the deep importance of reintroducing salmon to the UCUT members and the Upper Columbia River ecosystem, while addressing needs identified in the F&W Program to mitigate for the complete loss of anadromous fish in the blocked area.
Avian predation – hungry birds feeding on endangered salmon – is identified in the Council’s fish and wildlife program as a serious concern, and the program supports managing the impact of predators on juvenile salmon and steelhead.
See the latest on updated modeling, preliminary results of the 2027 Resource Adequacy Assessment, and emerging technologies around the region.
An effort is underway to explore adding fast-acting energy storage into traditional hydroelectric units to improve response and stability, and to increase operational flexibility, particularly when integrating renewable power.
Fuel up on that leftover Halloween candy and join our Power Division at November meetings to learn more about the Council’s critical work on resource adequacy.
In Corvallis, Oregon, Council members toured habitat projects, plus two research facilities at Oregon State University: the O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory and the NuScale Energy Exploration Center.
Epic salmon migrations through rivers and oceans take salmon across borders and cultures, so sustaining them requires a large-scale solution.
Bill Edmonds joined Austin Jenkins on TVW’s Inside Olympia in September to talk about the Council, its unique role in regional energy planning and fish and wildlife protection.
