NOAA is suggesting that several Northwestern states help protect salmon migrating in the Columbia river by killing an endangered species...

Scientists conservatively estimate that well over one-quarter of native Pacific salmon populations spawning in rivers and lakes from California to southern British Columbia have gone extinct. Here are lists of regional losses and salmon extinctions in the western United States.

Salmon in the Columbia River and other U.S. streams could face an uncertain future if global temperatures continue to warm.

Hundreds of scientists say the only way to restore salmon to the Columbia and Snake rivers is to remove four costly dams. But federal agencies aren't listening. The National Wildlife Federation is mobilizing Americans to speak out against the most recent federal salmon plan. Find out how you can speak up.

An interview with U.S. District Judge Jim Redden, who’s given uncooperative federal agencies clear warning: Submit a viable salmon restoration plan for the Snake/Columbia River Basin, or face the possible breaching of four major dams.

Coordinates: 46°14′39″N 124°3′29″W / 46.24417, -124.05806The Columbia River is a river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It is named after the Columbia Rediviva, the first ship from the western world known to have traveled up the river. It stretches from the Canadian province of British Columbia, through the U.S. state of Washington; forming much of the border between Washington and Oregon before emptying into the Pacific Ocean. The river is 1,243 miles (2,000 km) long, and its drainage basin is 258,000 square miles (668,217 km²).Measured by the volume of its flow, the Columbia is the largest river flowing into the Pacific from North America, and is the fourth-largest river in the United States. The river's heavy flow, and its large elevation drop over a relatively short distance, give it tremendous potential for the generation of electricity. It is the largest hydroelectric power producing river in North America, with 14 hydroelectric dams in the United States and Canada.The Columbia and its tributaries are home to numerous anadromous fish, which migrate between small, fresh water tributaries of the river and the Pacific Ocean. These fish - especially the various species of salmon - have been a vital part of the river's ecology and the local economy for thousands of years.The taming of the river for human use, and the industrial waste that resulted in some cases, have come into conflict with ecological conservation numerous times since Americans and Europeans began to settle the area in the 18th century. This "harnessing," as it was commonly described in the popular culture of the early 20th century, included dredging for navigation by larger ships, nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons research and production, and the construction of dams for power generation, irrigation, navigation, and flood control.