Columbia River hydropower system

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Photo by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

There are nine federally owned and operated hydropower dams on the mainstem Columbia and lower Snake rivers in Washington, and several other dams on the Yakima River, upper Snake River, and other Columbia River tributaries. The first mainstem Columbia River dam, Bonneville Dam, was finished in 1938. The last project, Lower Granite Dam on the lower Snake River, was completed in 1975.

Impacts on ESA-listed species

These dams hinder the migration of juvenile and adult fish. They increase fish mortality even where fish passage exists and have damaged habitat for fish and wildlife in the Basin. The projects created reservoirs that allowed some non-native fish, like smallmouth bass and walleye, to thrive. They have also created unnaturally favorable conditions for certain native salmon predators such as northern pikeminnow, various bird species, and sea lions.

The effects of the hydropower system on species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) have been evaluated repeatedly since salmon and steelhead were first listed in the Basin in the 1990s. Dam operations/mitigation plans have been in litigation ever since. In 2022, The federal government entered into mediation with all parties involved in litigation.

Agreements and litigation

The mediation resulted in two major agreements in late 2023. First, the upper Columbia River tribes – including the Colville, Spokane, and Coeur D’Alene tribes, secured an agreement from the federal government to fund important steps toward the permanent reintroduction of salmon on the Columbia River above Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee dams. Grand Coulee Dam has blocked fish passage into the upper reaches and tributaries of the Columbia River for over 80 years. 

Second, a coalition of environmental and fishing organization plaintiffs led by the National Wildlife Federation, their co-plaintiffs the State of Oregon, and plaintiff-intervenors the Nez Perce Tribe were joined by the State of Washington, the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs in reaching an agreement with the federal government to stay the litigation for up to 10 years. This agreement was announced in mid-December 2023 and was accepted by the court on Feb. 8, 2024. 

Recent happenings

• FACT SHEET: President Biden Takes Action to Restore Healthy and Abundant Wild Salmon and Steelhead in the Columbia River Basin | The White House
• FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Announces 10-Year Partnership with Tribes and States to Restore Wild Salmon, Expand Clean Energy Production, Increase Resilience, and Provide Energy Stability in the Columbia River Basin | The White House
• Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative: a roadmap created by the six sovereigns for restoring the Columbia River Basin
• United States Government Commitments: In response to the six sovereigns Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative