Washington salmon still facing threats, study finds

Salmon and steelhead in the Interior Columbia Basin are still facing a lot of threats, according to a report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The report, a five-year status review from NOAA, states that seven Interior Columbia and Snake River salmon and steelhead runs will remain either threatened or endangered.

Two salmon runs in Washington state are among the most endangered on the West Coast: the Upper Columbia River spring-run chinook and Snake River sockeye. Both have high extinction risks.

However, NOAA officials call current trends for threatened Snake River fall-run Chinook encouraging.

Over the last five years, climate change, drought, and high temperatures have affected salmon habitat in the Columbia and Snake River basins. Marine heat waves also caused trouble for salmon and steelhead in the ocean.

NOAA officials say the increasing pressure of climate changes makes the situation more urgent, requiring more ambitious recovery actions, such as reducing water temperatures and restoring habitat.