IRU, Advocates for the West, and Partners Secure Victory for Salmon & Steelhead: Ninth Court upholds that EPA must reduce Columbia and Snake River Temperatures
IRU, Advocates for the West, and Partners Secure Victory for Salmon & Steelhead: Ninth Court upholds that EPA must reduce Columbia and Snake River Temperatures
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling on December 20th was an important victory for Idaho’s salmon and steelhead. This ruling, represented by Advocates for the West, ensures that federal environmental regulators will be forced to uphold the standards outlined in the Clean Water Act and lower water temperatures in the Columbia and Snake River.
Warm water temperatures are detrimental to salmon and steelhead. Water temperatures in the Columbia and Snake rivers regularly exceed the range salmon can withstand during summer months due to shallow, slack water reservoirs behind dams collecting heat. When temperatures reach 68 degrees, salmon become extremely stressed. Major die-offs of Idaho’s fish have occurred due to water temperatures in the Columbia and Snake river exceeding 70 degrees F. In 2015, over a quarter million sockeye died from hot water in the Columbia River. This ruling will ensure that these huge die-offs of Idaho’s fish never reoccur.
By lowering water temperatures in the Columbia River, our salmon are provided the conditions they need to survive and reach their spawning grounds. Our fish face enough obstacles in their journey from the mountains of Idaho to the ocean and back; it’s simply unacceptable to let hot water kill otherwise-healthy adult salmon before they can spawn.
IRU, Columbia Riverkeeper, and our partners were represented by Advocates for the West throughout this two-year process of holding the EPA accountable for their failure to address the hot water issue. We are glad that EPA will finally be directed to do its job.
For more information on this issue:
IRU, Columbia Riverkeeper, and Partners Battle for Solution to Hot Water That Is Killing Salmon