Federal Judge Mandates Revamp of Columbia and Snake River Dams to Protect Endangered Salmon Populations

PORTLAND, Ore. — In a significant ruling late Wednesday, a federal judge in Oregon mandated specific changes to the operation of hydropower dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers. This decision, aimed at aiding the declining salmon populations, counteracts the Trump administration’s plans, which were deemed detrimental to these crucial salmon runs that are vanishing from the region.

The ruling is the latest development in a protracted legal battle involving Oregon and Washington states, Native American tribes, as well as various conservation and fishing organizations. These groups have long been advocating for enhanced measures to protect migrating salmon, many of which fall victim to the operations of the massive dam structures.

In 2023, a pivotal agreement was reached to halt ongoing litigation, focusing on devising sustainable solutions. The Biden administration committed to investing $1 billion over ten years to restore salmon habitats and support tribal clean energy initiatives. However, this agreement faced setbacks when the Trump administration dismissed it, labeling it as “radical environmentalism” due to concerns it could lead to breaching four contentious dams on the Snake River. This led the plaintiffs to revive their court battle.

U.S. District Judge Michael Simon expressed his disappointment in his ruling on Wednesday, criticizing the government’s history of avoidance and manipulation rather than genuine problem-solving efforts. He emphasized the declining presence of salmon, a vital cultural and economic symbol for Western states and a resource protected by treaties with several Native American tribes.

“The litigation has persisted in a similar manner for three decades, yet the crucial issue remains unresolved,” Judge Simon noted, underscoring the ongoing challenges faced by those endeavoring to protect this essential species. The ruling marks a crucial step in the ongoing efforts to balance ecological preservation with the region’s energy needs.

“One of the foundational symbols of the West, a critical recreational, cultural, and economic driver for Western states, and the beating heart and guaranteed resource protected by treaties with several Native American tribes is disappearing from the landscape,” Simon wrote. “And yet the litigation continues in much the same way as it has for 30 years.”

A dispute over water and spill levels

Oregon and the other plaintiffs had asked Simon to lower the levels of reservoirs behind the dams, which they argued can help fish travel through them faster, and increase the amount of water spilled past them, which can help fish pass over the dams instead of through turbines. The federal government sought higher reservoir levels.

Simon ordered that reservoirs remain at the same level as last year and wrote the changes in his order were “narrowly tailored” and essentially maintained the status quo.

“The Federal Defendants have, for years, maintained a safe and reliable power system and dam operations with the nearly the same spill levels as ordered here, and with the same reservoir levels from 2025,” he wrote.

Amanda Goodin, an attorney with the environmental law firm Earthjustice, said she was “incredibly relieved and happy that he ordered the levels of spill that he did.”

“If the government had been allowed to implement their proposal it would have had really, really devastating consequences for salmon,” Goodin said.

The Justice Department and National Marine Fisheries Service did not immediately respond to requests for comment after business hours Wednesday. The Bonneville Power Administration, which markets the electricity from the dams, referred an inquiry to the Justice Department.

In court filings, the federal government called the request a “sweeping scheme to wrest control” of the dams that would compromise the ability to operate them safely and efficiently for power generation, navigation and irrigation. Any such court order could also raise rates for utility customers, the government said.

Dams altered life in massive area

The Columbia River Basin, spanning an area roughly the size of Texas, was once the world’s greatest salmon-producing river system, with at least 16 stocks of salmon and steelhead. Today, four are extinct and seven are endangered or threatened. Another iconic but endangered Northwestern species, a population of killer whales, also depend on the salmon.

The construction of the first dams on the Columbia River, including the Grand Coulee and Bonneville in the 1930s, provided jobs during the Great Depression as well as hydropower and navigation. They made Lewiston, Idaho, the most inland seaport on the West Coast, and many farmers continue to rely on barges to ship their crops.

But the dams hurt salmon in a number of ways, including by forcing them through turbines, warming the slow-moving water in reservoirs to inhospitable temperatures, and greatly slowing the migration of juvenile fish to the sea. Juvenile salmon once reached the ocean from the upper Snake River in two or three days as swift currents pushed them along. Now, the journey past eight dams can take weeks, during which time they are exposed to more predators.

The plaintiffs, which include the state of Oregon and a coalition of conservation and fishing groups such as the National Wildlife Federation, filed the motion for a preliminary injunction, with Washington state, the Nez Perce Tribe and Yakama Nation supporting it as “friends of the court.”

Opponents of the injunction include the Inland Ports and Navigation Group, which says increasing spill to benefit fish can hinder navigation, disrupting the flow of commerce and hurt the economy.

“The order increases the risk of harm to infrastructure, listed species, and public safety while failing to demonstrate that there will be benefits to listed salmon and steelhead,” the organization said in a written statement.

However, the dams are also a main culprit behind the decline of salmon, which regional tribes consider part of their cultural and spiritual identity.

The dams for which changes are being sought are the Ice Harbor, Lower Monumental, Little Goose and Lower Granite on the Snake River, and the Bonneville, The Dalles, John Day and McNary on the Columbia.

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Johnson reported from Seattle.