EPA Releases Overdue Plan for Hot Water Killing Salmon in Columbia-Snake Rivers

EPA Releases Overdue Plan for Hot Water Killing Salmon in Columbia-Snake Rivers

Read the full press release here.

After two decades, the EPA has released a long-overdue plan to address hot water killing salmon in the Columbia and Snake River. The plan demonstrates that warm water temperatures are caused by the long, shallow reservoirs behind the dams, reaching temperatures in the summer and fall that threaten steelhead and endangered salmon. 

The plan is the result of our year-long battle alongside Columbia Riverkeeper, Snake River Waterkeeper, and Advocates for the West on their failure to protect endangered salmon in the Columbia-Snake River. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals mandated that the EPA produce a TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) for temperature pollution in the river when our organizations took legal action against the EPA for failing to protect endangered salmon and addressing the hot water problem. 

The plan creates heat-reduction targets and addresses the sources of heat pollution within the river system. It recognizes that the dams are the main causes of temperature problems in the river, causing the river to become too hot for successful salmon migration. However, the plan lacks specific steps for reaching those targets. 

 This plan is a tremendous step forward in salmon and steelhead recovery. The best available science has demonstrated that rising river temperatures are caused by the dams and shallow, slow-moving reservoirs. Decades of science have consistently shown that removal of the 4 Lower Snake River Dams is the single most effective and robust strategy for salmon recovery, and the necessary move to restore salmon populations in Idaho. The EPA’s recognition of the impact of the dams on water temperature and salmon migration is finally solidified within this plan. It is an important step for increased protections for salmon and steelhead and will create avenues for bold action in wild fish recovery.

"Hot water in the lower Snake and Columbia rivers has been a year-in, year-out problem for endangered salmon. This victory will create more protections for endangered species that are an indelible part of our northwest way of life, culture, economy, and heritage." - Nic Nelson, IRU Executive Director