Renewed legal battle ramps up over Columbia Basin dams and salmon
A long-running court battle over how to balance protections for endangered fish with hydropower dams in the Columbia River Basin has resumed after a two-year pause.
Conservationists, anglers and clean energy groups, along with the state of Oregon, asked a federal court Tuesday to grant a preliminary injunction that would change how eight dams on the lower Columbia and Snake rivers operate. They argue that these changes would improve the conditions for salmon and steelhead survival.
The state of Washington and the Nez Perce Tribe are supporting the request.
The conservation groups and other plaintiffs want to see reservoir levels lowered and more water poured over spillways at the dams, starting in March 2026. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates the dams.
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/10/16/renewed-legal-battle-ramps-up-over-columbia-basin-dams-and-salmon/