Hydroelectric dams harming salmon

September 15, 2025
By Mathias Lehman-Winters

On Thursday, Oregon, Washington, and four Lower Columbia River tribes announced they would resume litigation against the federal government over its hydroelectric dam operations in the region that have harmed salmon runs.

The move comes after the Trump administration pulled out of an agreement with Northwest states, environmental groups and the Lower Columbia River tribes; The Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation; the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation; the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon; and the Nez Perce Tribe.

The renewed litigation aims to require the federal government to operate hydropower systems in a way that assists salmon migration downstream.

In a statement, Governor Tina Kotek said the state must move to protect salmon.

“Extinction of iconic Columbia River salmon runs is not an option; we can have both healthy and abundant fish runs and power to meet our growing energy needs,” Kotek said. “Working with the sovereign tribes and state of Washington, I have directed staff and agencies to protect existing salmon runs and advocate for sustainable salmon population restoration.”

In 2023, Oregon, Washington, and the four Lower Columbia Treaty Tribes created the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative, putting decades of litigation on hold and aiming to restore salmon runs and design a hydropower plan that honors treaty obligations.

Later that year, the federal government committed to short-term protections for salmon. The agreement put a pause on litigation — a pause which is now over. Tanya Riordan, policy and advocacy director with Save Our Wild Salmon Coalition, said she was appreciative of the leadership being shown by Oregon, Washington, tribal partners and non-governmental organization plaintiffs. “The resilient Columbia Basin agreement, it was an important and historic first step towards implementing the necessary measures to protect and restore endangered salmon in the Columbia and Snake rivers,” Riordan said. “In the absence of that federal agreement, because the Trump administration rescinded it, it’s important to ensure urgent actions are taken to protect salmon that are on the brink of extinction.”

Riordan said the plaintiffs are left with no option but to return to court and request injunctive relief to “stop and slow the … extinction.”

Daily Astorian: Oregon, tribes return to court to save Columbia River salmon from extinction