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New Report Charts Salmon Progress by Staff BPA Journal, January 2010

Dam improvements, habitat restoration and other work on behalf of threatened and endangered salmon are on track to deliver the benefits mandated by the 2008 Biological Opinion for the Federal Columbia River Power System, according to a progress report released in December.

The report issued by BPA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation cites progress including improved passage through dams, lower predation, more than 260 miles of reopened stream habitat and other measures. It documents work by the agencies during the first year of the 2008 Biological Opinion, which specifies how they will protect fish from the impacts of hydroelectric dams.

The biological opinion requires the three agencies to regularly assess their progress on salmon protection and address any shortcomings in annual reports. The first-year report concludes the agencies are on track to meet science- driven targets for boosting fish survival through dams to 96 percent or 93 percent, depending on the species.

"We're not only seeing that more fish make it past the dams safely, but we're also looking beyond the dams to make sure they have what they need elsewhere in the system, too," said Bill McDonald, Pacific Northwest regional director for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. "While this reflects only the first year of the BiOp, it's setting the direction for the years to come."

Related Sites:
2008 FCRPS BiOp Implementation