Judge Orders Dam Changes on Columbia, Snake Rivers

The recent court order mandates increased water spill over eight dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers, a measure intended to help young salmon pass over the structures instead of through deadly turbines. The ruling also requires reservoirs to be kept at lower levels to speed the migration of fish to the ocean. This decision affects major dams including Bonneville, The Dalles, John Day, and McNary on the Columbia, along with four dams on the Lower Snake River. This ruling by U.S. District Judge Michael Simon is the latest development in a legal battle spanning over two decades, involving states, tribes, and conservation groups against the federal government's dam operations. Federal plans for salmon recovery have been rejected by courts at least five times previously. Judge Simon noted a "disappointing history of government avoidance and manipulation" in addressing the issue. The context for this decision is a dramatic decline in the region's salmon. The Columbia River Basin, once the world's most prolific salmon-producing river system, has seen four of its sixteen salmon and steelhead stocks go extinct, with seven others now listed as endangered or threatened. Today, only 1-2% of the historic number of wild salmon and steelhead return to the Snake River to spawn. The court's decision essentially restores protective measures that were part of a 2023 agreement with the Biden administration. That deal, which included $1 billion for salmon recovery and clean energy projects, was canceled by the Trump administration in 2025, sending the issue back to the courts. Opponents of the changes, including agricultural and power groups, argue the measures will harm the economy. They contend the new operations could jeopardize the region's power supply, irrigation for 48,000 acres, and the barging of nearly 40% of all U.S. wheat exports. Federal agencies had previously argued that such changes could raise electricity rates for consumers.