A Review of Fish Passage Provisions in the License Application for the Hells Canyon Complex

Felt Dam Draft License Application Comment

IRU, Partners, File Injunction to Increase Spill and Lower Reservoir Levels to Aid Endangered Snake River Salmon

Earthjustice, representing Idaho Rivers United and several of our partner conservation organizations, filed an injunction today to increase spill over dams in the Lower Snake River and Columbia River, and to lower reservoir levels to aid juvenile migrating salmon. Salmon rely on cold, fast-moving currents for a successful migration, disrupted by slackwater reservoirs and the […]

Low Water Years Spell Trouble for Salmon: 2021 is no exception

Low Water Years Like 2021 Spell Trouble for Salmon Drought conditions across much of the West mean it is an extremely low-water year, which spells trouble for salmon migrating back to Idaho. Big snow years and mild spring temperatures with a stable snowpack deep into summer have become rare due to the warming climate, meaning […]

Columbia Basin Collaborative: The process & what it means

The Columbia Basin Collaborative (CBC) held a second workshop this month to inform stakeholders of the trajectory for the newly formed regional salmon recovery process. Once members representing State and Tribal governments and various stakeholder groups are selected, the CBC will kick off in earnest this fall, focusing on first identifying priority salmon recovery actions. […]

Losing through Winning

Shortly after Congressman Blumenauer (D-OR) made public his support for the Columbia Basin Initiative, Senators Cantwell (D-WA) and Murray (D-WA), under the pretense of calls for regional collaboration on long-term solutions, both signaled their opposition to Congressman Simpson’s (R-ID) proposal to recover salmon and steelhead to the Snake River Basin of Idaho while investing in […]

Congressional Representatives and Key Stakeholders Discuss Congressman Simpson’s Columbia Basin Initiative at Andrus Center for Public Policy Environmental Conference

Press Release: Congressional Representatives and Key Stakeholders Discuss Congressman Simpson’s Columbia Basin Initiative at Andrus Center for Public Policy Environmental Conference Boise, ID – Echoing their 2019 environmental conference, the Andrus Center for Public Policy hosted the Energy, Salmon, Agriculture, and Communities: Revisited conference on Thursday, May 13, 2021. The conference revolved around Congressman Simpson’s […]

Op-Ed:  Drive for profit has taken S. Fork, salmon to edge of extinction

*Midas Gold Corp. has recently changed its name to Perpetua Resources  Drive for profit has taken S. Fork, salmon to edge of extinction BY KEVIN LEWIS, former IRU Executive Director, originally published in The Star News Idaho’s South Fork Salmon River is one of Idaho’s gems. Winding through the rugged mountains east of McCall, this […]

PRESS RELEASE: Idaho Rivers United applauds Congressman Simpson on Columbia Basin Fund plan to restore Lower Snake River and salmon

PRESS RELEASE: Idaho Rivers United applauds Congressman Simpson on Columbia Basin Fund plan to restore Lower Snake River and salmon Boise ID – In response to Congressman Simpson’s introduction of the Columbia Basin Fund, Idaho Rivers United (IRU) Executive Director, Nic Nelson, issued the following statement: “Congressman Mike Simpson has just taken the most meaningful step […]

Governor Little’s Salmon Workgroup Final Recommendations Released

Governor Little’s Salmon Workgroup Final Recommendations Released In early January, the Governor’s Office released the Salmon Workgroup’s final policy recommendations report. It prominently acknowledged the desire Idahoans have for “abundant, sustainable, and well-distributed” populations of wild salmon and steelhead, beyond achieving simple Endangered Species Act (ESA) delisting criteria. The Workgroup established that the State of […]

PRESS RELEASE: Fishing, Conservation Groups Return to Court to Challenge Latest Failed Plan for Columbia-Snake Salmon

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 19, 2021  Media Contacts Maggie Caldwell, mcaldwell@earthjustice.org, (347) 527-6397 (contact about the litigation) Brett VandenHeuvel, bv@columbiariverkeeper.org, (503) 348-2436 (contact about hot water) Nic Nelson, nic@idahorivers.org, (208) 343-7481 Glen Spain (PCFFA), fish1ifr@aol.com  (541) 689-2000 Fishing, Conservation Groups Return to Court to Challenge Latest Failed Plan for Columbia-Snake Salmon The legal battle continues after […]

Governor’s Salmon Workgroup Wraps Up: Recap & What’s Next

Governor Brad Little’s Salmon Workgroup wrapped up a year and a half of discussion at their December 15th meeting. The Governor sat in on the first portion of the meeting, commending the months of hard work and collaboration that had taken place. Over the past 18 months, the work group crafted a set of consensus […]