Library Search

A federal court in Oregon ordered federal agencies to change operations of the Columbia Basin hydropower system in critical ways to help improve salmon survival.

State of Oregon proposed order seeking emergency measures to protect endangered salmon and steelhead from harms caused by lower Snake and Columbia River dam operations.

Conservation, fishing, and clean energy groups represented by Earthjustice filed a preliminary injunction request with a federal court in Oregon seeking emergency measures to protect endangered salmon and steelhead from harms caused by lower Snake and Columbia River dam operations. The State of Oregon filed a similar request at the same time.

This full-page ad ran in the Seattle Times on Oct. 8, 2025 to help counter misinformation about the state of the Columbia Basin’s salmon and steelhead runs being spread by industry special interests. The truth is that Columbia Basin salmon and steelhead are in serious trouble, with key stocks teetering on the brink of extinction. For more information: https://earthjustice.org/feature/columbia-basin-salmon-peril

Conservation, fishing, and clean energy groups today filed this motion to set a court schedule along with a motion requesting the U.S. District Court in Oregon end a multi-year pause on the groups’ long-running litigation to protect endangered Columbia Basin wild salmon and steelhead from federal dams that kill and harm them.

Conservation, fishing, and clean energy groups represented by Earthjustice today filed a motion requesting the U.S. District Court in Oregon end a multi-year pause on the groups’ long-running litigation to protect endangered Columbia Basin wild salmon and steelhead from federal dams that kill and harm them.

This letter from 65 businesses and organizations on behalf of millions of members and supporters voices strong opposition to H.R. 2073, the “Defending our Dams Act.” This destructive legislation would block a decades-long, region-wide effort to restore struggling wild salmon and orca populations, address energy issues in the region and modernize outdated Northwest infrastructure.

Wild fish populations in the Columbia Basin are in serious trouble, with key stocks teetering on the brink of extinction.

A federal judge in Oregon approved a long-term pause in Snake River litigation allowing a tribal-state plan and U.S. government commitments to restore the Columbia River Basin to continue.

The United States Government Commitments, developed as part of a lengthy mediation process, pledge the federal government to continued support for the recovery of healthy and abundant salmon populations in the Columbia River Basin, provide significant federal funding to the Northwest, assist region-wide efforts and planning to address climate change, and set the region on a path to breach the four lower Snake River dams.

he Six Sovereigns’ Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative (CBRI) is a visionary and comprehensive roadmap to rebuild imperiled fish populations, honor Tribal treaty rights, and restore healthy ecosystems while supporting a robust Pacific Northwest economy.

The Biden administration is supporting the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative with federal commitments and a Memorandum of Understanding pledging to continue working together on next steps.

The federal commitments will help accelerate the Pacific Northwest’s transition to truly clean energy by supporting new Tribal energy to replace the dams’ hydropower, providing regional economic opportunities and increasing resilience to climate change. Investments will be made to further habitat restoration, hatchery improvements, clean energy projects and planning, infrastructure improvements such as removing culverts and improving fish passage facilities, transportation, and more.

Based on a Tribal-state initiative backed by federal commitments, a coalition of fishing, conservation, and renewable energy groups, represented by Earthjustice in a lawsuit, have agreed, with the Biden administration, the states of Oregon and Washington and Nez Perce, Yakama, Warm Springs, and Umatilla Tribes, to seek a multi-year pause in Snake River litigation. The long-term litigation pause would allow for implementation of federal commitments supporting a groundbreaking new initiative advancing the recovery of salmon, steelhead and other Native fish populations throughout the Columbia River Basin.

Learn about upholding commitments to Northwest Tribes, salmon and orcas, climate resilience, and more.

A coalition of fishing, conservation, and renewable energy groups, represented by Earthjustice, have jointly agreed, with the Biden administration, the states of Oregon and Washington, and the Nez Perce, Yakama, Warm Springs, and Umatilla Tribes to notify the court of an additional pause in litigation over dam operations on the Snake River for another 45 days.

Letter from Representatives Blumenauer, Salinas, and Hoyle to President Biden in support of his Presidential Memorandum on Columbia River Basin salmon recovery.

Lower Snake River Dam Coalition letter urging Congress and the Administration work with Tribal Nations, stakeholders, and the Northwest to implement a comprehensive solution to restore salmon in the Columbia and Snake Rivers, provide justice for Tribes, and ensure a successful transition to a strong and robust future.