Tribal observations and science track changing Pacific lamprey migration
Traditional ecological knowledge and scientific research are informing restoration efforts as warming waters affect Pacific lamprey
Environmental changes, including low snowfall and warming water temperatures, are affecting Pacific lamprey migration patterns, according to reporting by Underscore Native News and the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission's 2025 Tribal Pacific Lamprey Restoration Plan for the Columbia River Basin. Mary Olney, a Yakama Nation harvester, said lamprey and other traditional foods arrived earlier this year at Willamette Falls, the only remaining lamprey harvest site. The restoration plan says fluctuating water levels, lower snowpack and changing water temperatures have altered migration patterns and reduced available habitat for lamprey and other native aquatic species.
Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission officials said traditional ecological knowledge is helping inform scientific research because Pacific lamprey have historically been understudied, according to the Underscore Native News Reporting. Since 2003, the Nez Perce Tribe, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon and the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation have petitioned to list lamprey under the Endangered Species Act. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service previously determined a listing was not warranted because of limited biological and population data.
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