A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to take immediate action to improve fish passage at dams in Oregon’s Willamette Basin.
In a final opinion and order issued last week, U.S. District Judge Marco Hernandez said the Corps had for years failed to provide adequate passage for threatened chinook salmon and winter steelhead trout at dams it operates in the basin.
The order comes after the court decided in favor of three environmental organizations that sued the Corps and the National Marine Fisheries Service, arguing the agencies weren’t doing their part to protect the species.
Chinook salmon and steelhead in the Upper Willamette River system are both listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Environmentalists say dams on the Willamette and its tributaries have blocked access to spawning grounds for the fish, contributing to population declines.
The Corps said it will review the judge’s order to ensure compliance. (AP)
