After years of negotiations and a decades long court battle over dam operations, a historic partnership agreement has been signed by President Joe Biden, the Governors of Washington and Oregon and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Yakama, Umatilla, and Nez Perce, to restore wild salmon populations, expand clean energy production, and reinforce the economic benefits of the Columbia River system.

Even as ecological disruptions cause salmonoid populations to suffer in the Columbia River, Shad populations are on the rise.

Yakama Nation leaders, Columbia Riverkeeper, and over 40 people gathered at the mouth of the scenic Little White Salmon River to hold a Salmon Vigil. The vigil was to raise awareness about the ongoing deaths of sockeye salmon caused by hot water temperatures in the Columbia River and its tributaries.

Columbia and Snake Rivers had become “superheated” due to a combination of climate change, heatwave events, and overheating problems related to stagnant dam reservoirs. The Columbia stands at 71 degrees Fahrenheit. Fish are dying.