Salmon and Steelhead Advocates Demand Urgent Dam Spill to Protect Endangered Fish

On October 15, 2025, the state of Oregon and several conservation groups filed a request with a federal judge in Portland, Oregon, seeking urgent protective measures for threatened and endangered salmon and steelhead at the Snake and Columbia river dams. The plaintiffs are asking Judge Michael Simon to require the Army Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the Bonneville Power Administration to increase water spill at the dams 24 hours per day during the spring juvenile fish migration period, as well as expand spill in the summer, fall, and winter.

Other requested actions include lowering reservoirs during fish migration periods and taking steps to reduce water temperatures. These measures are aimed at helping juvenile salmon and steelhead avoid passing through turbines or elaborate fish bypass systems at the dams, which studies show can reduce their survival rates on the way to the Pacific Ocean.

The legal filing marks the resumption of litigation over a 2020 plan for operating the hydropower system, which the plaintiffs argue failed to adequately protect the fish under the Endangered Species Act. The lawsuit had been put on hold for the past two years while the Biden administration explored a long-term solution with Columbia River tribes and the states of Oregon and Washington.