Our Blog
November 11, 2020
Since 2012, the Columbia River Chapter’s biggest and most anticipated event of the year has been the Annual Veteran’s Fishing Event, hosted in partnership with The Fallen Outdoors. The Columbia River Chapter strives to get veterans on the water to fish and foster new friendships, and in spite of the curveball(s) 2020 threw our way, we were determined to continue that work this year. After everything veterans have done for us, it’s the least we could do for them.
November 3, 2020
Fishing is one of the most popular outdoor recreation activities in the U.S., and a significant source of economic value. In Oregon, recreational angling supports over 12,000 jobs. generates $841 million in retail sales, and provides an economic output of over $1.4 billion. Unfortunately, the populations that support this vibrant economy are at risk of extinction. Salmon recovery isn't just about protecting our fish, it's about protecting our ability to fish in these waters.
October 13, 2020
“The Columbia River is the heart and soul of Oregon, it just is. It pumps through Oregon like the blood in your veins,” said Stevie Parsons, a long-time member, active volunteer, and National Wildlife Federation board member. Many of us throughout the northwest share the sentiment. I spoke to a few of our members to hear about their experiences fishing in the Columbia River Basin.Ultimately, all of their stories centered around one shared concern: whether the fish would persist long enough for future generations to be able to share their experiences.
October 9, 2020
Today, the four northwest governors announced their intent to establish a regional collaborative group of stakeholders and tribal sovereigns to investigate opportunities for comprehensive salmon recovery in the Columbia River Basin. This comes one day after the Bonneville Power Administration, Army Corps of Engineers, and Bureau of Reclamation finalizing their multi-year process of developing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Columbia River System Operations.
October 6, 2020
The Clackamas River used to be one of the best places to fish for spring Chinook in the greater Portland area. In recent years, overall fitness of the fish produced at Clackamas Hatchery has reduced. The Steelheaders community is leading the way to support ODFW's recent request to reinvigorate their broodstock program with new wild Chinook.
September 29, 2020
The day we’ve been expecting has arrived. The Bonneville Power Administration, Army Corps of Engineers, and Bureau of Reclamation signed their Records of Decision about how they plan to manage the Columbia River Hydrosystem for the next 50 years. The federal agencies cemented their decision to implement a slightly revised version of what was supposed to be a temporary management tool, the flexible spill agreement, despite the fact that all parties involved agreed that it was inadequate for the long term when it was established in 2019.
September 24, 2020
Stevie Parsons, like many women, did not grow up fishing. “In my family, the boys did the fishing and the hunting,” she said. Now, Stevie is an avid angler and conservation advocate. She has been volunteering with Northwest Steelheaders for seven years and is a past member of our Board of Directors. It was well into adulthood that she developed an interest in the sport.
September 21, 2020
Today, we launched the Oregon Hatchery Recovery Fund to support rebuilding projects at hatchery facilities that sustained significant damage in Oregon’s recent wildfires. The fires leveled Rock Creek hatchery and severely damaged Klamath and Leaburg hatcheries. While ODFW staff were able to release or transfer millions of fish, hundreds of thousands perished. As ODFW transitions from emergency response to recovery planning, we will use this dedicated fund to help pay for the infrastructure projects necessary to get these facilities operating again.
September 17, 2020
Wildfires are tearing through the western United States, incinerating public lands, wildlife habitat, and towns in their path. Over 1.7 million acres have burned in Oregon and Washington alone, and while rain is predicted to bring some relief over the coming days, the fires have already destroyed critical infrastructure supporting our salmon and steelhead populations. Several Oregon fish hatcheries are in areas that were burned or evacuated. The Rock Creek Hatchery on the North Umpqua River sustained the most severe damage.