Sea lion predation on salmon, steelhead, and white sturgeon in the Columbia Basin has been a growing concern since the late 1990s, especially in the area below Bonneville Dam.
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.
Epic salmon migrations through rivers and oceans take salmon across borders and cultures, so sustaining them requires a large-scale solution.
The Council’s Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Program represents a 40-year effort to mitigate the effects of the hydropower system on fish and wildlife in the basin.
This past spring, Oregon Council member Louie Pitt, Jr. and Council staff toured the Trout Creek Watershed Restoration Project located in Central Oregon.
Council members were briefed on spring Chinook salmon returns to the Columbia and Snake rivers, as well as the more sobering update on recovery efforts for Tucannon River spring Chinook.
Laurie Porter and Jon Hess from CRITFC report on the current run of Pacific lamprey and tribal projects currently implemented through the Council’s Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program.
