Columbia and Snake dams ruling orders more spill to aid salmon.

A federal judge on Feb. 25 ordered increased spill at eight lower Columbia and Snake River dams to help out-migrating salmon and steelhead, saying those populations have "dwindled to near extinction levels." The order largely returns operations similar to 2024–25 and includes provisions allowing changes if power system reliability is at risk.

A federal judge in Portland has ordered the agencies that manage eight lower Columbia and Snake River dams to increase spill to help out-migrating salmon and steelhead. The ruling, issued Feb. 25, responded to concerns that many Columbia Basin runs have declined to near extinction levels and noted the fishs' cultural and treaty importance. The court framed the order as an emergency measure after long-running litigation and efforts to reach a collaborative agreement did not produce the needed protections. Key facts: - The Feb. 25 ruling directs increased spill at eight dams on the lower Columbia and Snake rivers to aid migrating salmon and steelhead. - The judge wrote that those fish populations have "dwindled to near extinction levels" and emphasized their cultural and treaty significance for tribes. - The court said the ordered operations are largely similar to spill regimes used in 2024 and 2025 and included offramps that allow agencies to alter operations if a credible risk to power system reliability is identified. - Separately, five Northwest groups have filed a legal challenge to the Bonneville Power Administration's plan to join an out-of-region energy trading market, a move scheduled for October 2028. Summary: The ruling imposes immediate changes intended to improve passage for out-migrating fish while preserving a mechanism for agencies to adjust operations if reliability concerns arise. Undetermined at this time is how ongoing legal challenges and regional energy decisions will affect long-term river operations and recovery efforts.