Wild Salmon & Steelhead News is published regularly by the Save Our wild Salmon Coalition. Read on to learn about the Columbia-Snake River Basin’s endangered wild salmon and steelhead, the many benefits they deliver to people and ecosystems, and the extinction crisis they face today - unless we act! Find out how SOS is helping lead efforts to restore health, connectivity, and resilience to the rivers and streams these fish depend upon in the Columbia-Snake Basin and how you can get involved to help restore healthy, abundant, and harvestable populations and sustain more just and prosperous communities. To learn more and/or get involved, contact Martha Campos.
1. A big thank you to all Get-Out-the-Vote Volunteers!
2. Salmon and steelhead need cold, clean, free-flowing rivers
3. Energy and conservation groups urge the Northwest Power and Conservation Council to prioritize clean energy resources, affordability, and reliability
4. Calling all student leaders! Apply now to be part of SOS’ NextGen Salmon Collective!
5. Join SOS at these summer and fall advocacy events!
6. Salmon Media Round-up
1. A big thank you to all Get-Out-the-Vote Volunteers!
Right now, more than 100 volunteers across the Northwest are sharing a message of action and unity to Get Out the Vote this fall!
Equipped with posters, voter resources, stickers, and a T-shirt, all featuring artwork by Northwest Artists Against Extinction, volunteers across the Northwest are raising the visibility of the upcoming midterm elections – and reminding their families, friends, and communities to vote with salmon, orcas, rivers, and each other in mind! By displaying these posters in visible locations in communities across the region (storefronts, cafes, community centers, places of worship, etc.), we are showing region-wide unity for our families, future, home, lands, waters, and salmon, and sharing a reminder about the importance of civic engagement and a message of hope this election season!
We are so grateful to these many volunteers, from Bellingham to Portland to Spokane to Moscow, and many places in between, who are bringing this campaign to life – and helping this summer-fall to get out the vote!
Save Our wild Salmon is also partnering with more than 35 allied organizations regionally to reach, remind, and mobilize people in advance of Election Day on Tuesday, November 3! In addition to our work on the ground and in the real world, our GOTV campaign will also be increasingly visible digitally in the weeks ahead - on websites, through email communications, and on social media channels.
If you’re interested in volunteering, sign up here and receive a beautiful, on-brand T-shirt featuring artwork by Sue Coccia. Visit our Get Out the Vote page for information on registering to vote and to take the pledge to vote!
2. Salmon and steelhead need cold, clean, free-flowing rivers
Salmon Columbia River © Dave McCoy
Not so long ago, the pristine, clear, cold waters of the Snake River Basin were home to millions of adult salmon and steelhead. Every year, salmon and steelhead return from the Pacific Ocean to the Columbia and Snake rivers in search of their natal spawning gravels and bring, in the form of their bodies, rich, ocean-sourced nutrients to the landscape and wildlife of the Northwest. Juvenile salmon and steelhead make their journey to the ocean, growing, changing, and shifting in their lifecycles, with the hope of returning a few years in the future to their spawning grounds.
Once-abundant Snake River salmon and steelhead, however, must now pass through eight dams and eight hot, stagnant reservoirs twice – first as juveniles and again as adults. By transforming a cold, free-flowing river into a series of warm, slack water reservoirs and fostering conditions favorable for salmon predators, these dams harm and kill salmon during their migration to and from the ocean.
Especially in the summer months, the lower Columbia and Snake rivers create and retain hot water, also known as heat pollution, that violate standards set under one of our most important environmental laws — the Clean Water Act. Scientists have identified 68°F as the biological and legal water temperature necessary to protect salmon and steelhead.
But water temperatures in the lower Columbia and Snake rivers now routinely reach harmful and illegal levels for months at a time. Every summer, salmon and steelhead are literally in hot water.
Save Our wild Salmon and coalition partners are tracking water temperatures this summer in our Hot Water Report: Warming Waters in the Lower Snake and Columbia Rivers.
At Save Our wild Salmon, we continue to fight for the survival and recovery of wild salmon and steelhead in the Columbia Basin, including the restoration of a clean, cold, free-flowing lower Snake River.
Learn more from our partners:
- Idaho Conservation League: The Norm: Hot water and low fish returns
- Sierra Club Washington State Chapter: Salmon are in hot water
- Columbia Riverkeeper: Washington Dept. of Ecology tells Army Corps to work harder to find solutions to heat pollution from dams
3. Energy and conservation groups urge the Northwest Power and Conservation Council to prioritize clean energy resources, affordability, and reliability
The Northwest Power and Conservation Council (composed of eight Councilmembers representing the states of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington) is required to update the Northwest Regional Power Plan every five years to ensure an adequate, efficient, economical, and reliable power supply for the region while mitigating adverse impacts on fish and wildlife.
Many endangered wild salmon and steelhead populations in the Columbia Basin today are less than 1-2 percent of historic levels, and 2026 adult fish returns are shaping up to be some of the lowest on record. For endangered salmon and steelhead, the main threat to their survival during their freshwater life stage is caused by the federal system of dams and reservoirs.
Now more than ever, Northwest people need to mobilize – we have an important opportunity to press the Council to update our regional energy plan to advance reliable, affordable clean energy while also upholding our nation’s promises to Tribes and other communities reliant on healthy fisheries by protecting and restoring abundant salmon and steelhead populations throughout the Columbia Basin.
“With dramatic changes on the horizon for our Northwest energy system, it’s time for a powerful roadmap to ensure sustainability and reliability,” said Amanda Goodin, Earthjustice Attorney “We need a bold vision. An energy future that is cleaner, more efficient, and less harmful to our iconic salmon is possible—and it starts with clear accountability for Bonneville Power Administration to help instead of hinder this transition. This is our chance to plan for the future we need; it’s no time for half-measures.”
“With multiple pressures on our region, from the urgent need for affordability to drought and wildfires, the stakes could not be higher for the Ninth Power Plan, and we need to get it right,” said Tamara Kennedy, executive director of the NW Energy Coalition “We are grateful for the Council’s leadership and look to their authority on power planning to steer us in the right direction as a region. We are facing a lot of challenges at once, but we also know we have the diverse resources we need to protect people, fish and wildlife, and we just need to accelerate.”
We need your help this summer! The Council recently released its draft plan and has launched a 65-day public comment period, including in-person hearings with Council members in all four states. Stay tuned for more information on how to submit your comments and about the hearing dates to ensure your voice is heard. We look forward to working with you to deliver support and pressure to the Council to develop the strongest possible plan. Our energy system must be reliable, affordable, and clean in order to protect people, fish and wildlife, and the planet. Thank you for your continued and committed advocacy!
For more information on the 9th Power Plan, watch the NW Energy Coalition’s webinar.
4. Calling all student leaders! Apply now to be part of SOS’ NextGen Salmon Collective!
Applications to join the NextGen Salmon Collective are now open! NextGen Salmon Collective is a space for young advocates to develop strategic community organizing and advocacy skills with the goal of rebuilding abundant wild salmon and steelhead populations in the Columbia-Snake River Basin by protecting and restoring the healthy, resilient rivers and streams they depend upon.
Join the NextGen Salmon Collective to:
Develop your skills: Grow your grassroots organizing skills by advocating for a free-flowing Snake River, salmon and orca recovery, and tribal justice.
Connect and organize: In collaboration with youth organizers across the region, you will plan and execute strategic community outreach projects and advocacy initiatives.
Take action: Speak up for salmon and all the communities that depend on them.
Learn more about the internship opportunity here.
Submit your application by Sunday, September 6 at 8pm.
Not a student? Please share this opportunity with a student who is passionate about environmental justice.
5. Join SOS at these summer and fall advocacy events!
Join SOS and partners’ events near you! See the full list of events at wildsalmon.org/events
August 27-30: Sawtooth Salmon Festival
Celebrate salmon and all the gifts they bring to the Northwest on August 27 - 30! Idaho Rivers United and The Sawtooth Interpretive & Historical Association are hosting the Sawtooth Salmon Festival, a FREE community celebration of the 900-mile journey of Idaho’s salmon from the ocean to Redfish Lake in Stanley, Idaho.
Join the fun with Salmon Tours & Viewing - Live Music & Bands - Tribal Dancers - Speakers - Crafts & Activities - Artists & Vendors!
LEARN MORE
August 29: Southwest Washington Environmental Advocacy Brunch
Join us for a late morning Southwest Washington Environmental Advocacy Brunch designed to bring together community members who care about conservation, climate, wildlife, and public policy across Southwest Washington.
This gathering is intentionally informal, creating a space for connection, conversation, and collaboration among volunteers, members, and leaders from organizations.
RSVP TODAY
September 11 - 12: Free The Snake Flotilla
Are you ready to rally on the river!? Join Nimíipuu Protecting the Environment's annual Free The Snake Flotilla on September 11-12 at Hells Gate State Park in Lewiston, ID.
Gather in community to experience the Snake River, watch an outdoor film festival, and learn from Tribal leaders and other experts on the recovery of salmon, Tribal justice, ecosystem health, community resilience, and more! Let's come together and take action to heal the Snake River and its imperiled salmon and steelhead populations!
RSVP TODAY
October 13–15: Rise Up Northwest (R.U.N.) in Unity Convening
You're invited to the Rise Up Northwest (R.U.N.) in Unity convening, hosted by the Nez Perce Tribe and the Columbia Snake River Campaign, on October 13–15, 2026, in Spokane, WA. Under this year’s powerful theme, "Inspiring Action at the Speed of Trust," we will come together to unite around the restoration and protection of our lands, waters, and precious life sources.
Immerse yourself in collective power, environmental justice, and Tribal sovereignty. Let’s ignite change together.
RSVP TODAYHere are a few recent stories about the urgency and opportunity today for salmon and orca recovery and river restoration:
News:
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Moscow-Pullman Daily News: Friendly discussion follows breaching presentation
- OPB: Federal council recommends big push for more Northwest electricity generation
Opinions:
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Lewiston Tribune Opinion: Action needed: A fishing season cannot survive on promises
- Oregon Live: Utilities’ disingenuous call for ‘collaboration’
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Forbes: What Five Salmon Taught Me
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Idaho Statesman Opinion: If we let Idaho salmon vanish, places like Riggins will pay the price
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Washington State Standard Commentary: Bonneville Power Administration must balance energy needs with affordability and salmon protections
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Seattle Times Opinion: Energy reliability is what we need to talk about when it comes to power
- Seattle Times Opinion: New BPA leader must find balance between modernization, conservation
