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

Energy Storage in the 21st Century

Felt Dam Draft License Application Comment

The “Practitioner’s Guide to Hydropower Dam Removal” is published

Idaho Rivers United, American Rivers, and the Hydropower Reform Coalition are proud to present the Practitioner’s Guide to Hydropower Dam Removal. This is a comprehensive guide for dam owners and practitioners on removing hydropower dams regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Removing dams is a common practice and a good option for dam […]

Salmon Recovery Update: Litigation Still on Hold As Parties Chart New Course for Region

IRU, alongside co-plaintiffs, agreed to a further pause in the long-running salmon litigation with the federal government at the end of last month. This stay will last until December 15th, giving parties time to review and consider a package of proposed federal actions and commitments to restore Snake River salmon. Earthjustice, who represents IRU and […]

Presidential Memorandum directs federal agencies to restore healthy and abundant salmon populations across the Columbia River Basin  

Today, the Biden Administration released a Presidential Memorandum directing federal agencies to use all of their authority to restore healthy and abundant wild salmon, steelhead and other native fish populations across the Columbia River Basin and to review and update any policies not aligned with that goal,” according to an Earth Justice press release. As […]

Salmon campaign update, summer 2023

Where we are As summer fades away, the wild spring and summer-run Chinook and sockeye that have returned to Snake River Basin headwaters are finding mates and digging redds in the gravels of their birth in order to spawn – while steelhead are settling into deep river pools to overwinter before spawning themselves. This vast, […]

Environmental policy updates: NEPA, BLM, & public lands

In the world of environmental policy, this summer has been busy with three new proposed rules from the Federal Government, which include changes to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), a Public Lands Rule, and revisions to the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) oil and gas leasing regulations. The Council of Environmental Quality announced revisions […]

60 day Notice on Hot Water Litigation & How it Relates to Endangered Sockeye

IRU, along with Columbia Riverkeeper, Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association, and Idaho Conservation League, recently provided 60 days notice of intent to sue the U.S. Army Corps over lethal hot water conditions for migrating sockeye salmon caused by the Lower Snake River dams. 

Sixty-Day Notice of Intent to Seek Removal of Lower Snake River Dams

Here is IRU’s breakdown of frequently asked questions regarding the recent notice of intent to sue the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Background & outcome: This intent to sue seeks changes, and a ruling made by a federal judge, to demand that the Army Corps remove the four Lower Snake River dams to recover salmon […]

Speak Up for Salmon: The Federal Government is deciding its course of action on salmon recovery & dam removal

The Biden Administration’s Council on Environmental Quality has received over 30,000 comments thus far in response to a 60-day call for feedback on federal salmon recovery measures in the Columbia Basin, including restoring the Lower Snake River via dam removal. Comments are requested by July 3rd, so the federal government and plaintiffs, including IRU, which […]

Sackett v. EPA decision on Clean Water Act

Today, the Supreme Court rolled back protections under the Clean Water Act (CWA) by severely limiting the interpretation that adjacent wetlands will be protected and considered “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) except in extremely limited circumstances. For decades, the definition of WOTUS has been a moving target as the CWA’s protections only extend to […]

Call to Action: Biden Administration is Requesting Comments on Salmon Recovery

A Chinook salmon in the South Fork of the Salmon River. Photo credit: Matt Steinwurtzel The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), a division within the federal government, opened a 60-day “request for information” period earlier this month on federal actions related to salmon recovery in the Columbia Basin and Lower Snake River Dam (LSRD) removal. […]