Federal judge orders changes to Columbia Basin dam operations
US District Judge Michael Simon ordered federal agencies to boost spill and water flows over eight lower Columbia and Snake river dams to aid juvenile salmon
A U.S. District Court judge has ordered federal agencies to increase salmon protections on the Columbia and Snake rivers, according to Underscore Native News and ICT. Judge Michael Simon directed the National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to increase spill and water flow over eight dams on the lower Columbia and Snake rivers to help juvenile fish migrate.
The ruling requires spill increases but denies requests to lower reservoir levels and to make repairs at the McNary and Bonneville dams, according to the published report. The court ordered reservoir levels to remain at 2025 operating levels. “The Court finds that the threats to the listed species are dire and immediate,” Simon wrote in the opinion. Plaintiffs include conservation groups, Native nations and the states of Oregon and Washington.
- 1.Nika Bartoo-Smith. Underscore Native News and ICT. https://www.underscore.news, .
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