Articles by Carol Winkel

Regional Technical Forum manager Laura Thomas presented a summary of the RTF’s 2022 Annual Report at the June Council meeting. 

Council members approved funding for nonrecurring maintenance of fish screens and hatcheries.

The Hanford Reach of the Columbia River is the only free-flowing portion of the river in the U.S., home to 70 percent of the Chinook salmon that spawn in the Columbia system.

It’s been a colder winter for us in the Pacific Northwest, which has meant a healthy snowpack and a later runoff for now.

Intense heat waves and winter storms with extreme temperatures have underscored the need to strengthen the power system’s ability to withstand these stresses, in part through well-insulated homes and buildings.

Despite good ocean conditions in the recent years, the trend for the future is not encouraging, according to NOAA Supervisory Research Fish Biologist Brian Burke.

The Council was briefed on the continued support for addressing non-recurring maintenance needs for past fish and wildlife investments in hatcheries, fish screens, and mitigation lands.

WDFW & IDFG gave an overview of the 2022 adult Chinook, coho, sockeye, and chum salmon and steelhead runs for the Columbia River and expectations for the 2023 fisheries, including information on the Snake River Basin salmon and steelhead returns and the forecast returns for 2023.

Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance briefed the Council on some promising technologies in energy efficiency, as the 2021 Power Plan includes strong recommendations for continued investments in emerging technologies.

When invasive and non-native species become introduced into a location, the results can be devastating. From aquatic mussels to wild pigs, they can spread disease, feed on endangered species, compete for resources, overwhelm native species, reduce diversity, and often create cascading effects to the food web.