Protecting Fish and Watersheds
CRITFC provides invaluable biological research, fisheries management, hydrology, and other science to support the protection and restoration of Columbia River Basin salmon, lamprey, and sturgeon
Protecting Treaty Fishing Rights
CRITFC employs lawyers, policy analysts, and fisheries enforcement officers who work with state and federal agencies to ensure harvest sharing between tribal and non-tribal fisheries
Sharing Salmon Culture
Wy-Kan-Ush-Pum means "salmon people" and all residents of the Columbia River Basin are "Salmon People." It focuses on the importance of salmon and the environment in which salmon live.
Providing Fisher Services
CRITFC provides fishers from member tribes with resources to help them carry on the tradition of making a living from fishing. CRITFC also operates 31 fishing access sites along the Columbia River.
2013 Bonneville Dam Count
On Tuesday, 3,147 summer chinook passed Bonneville Dam. So far 8,418 have passed this year.
Red: Current count for past 7 days
Blue: 10-year average count for past and upcoming 7 days
Currents
Lamprey Flume System Installed
On June 4, 2013 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed a Lamprey Flume System at the Washington Shore fish ladder entrance of Bonneville Dam. This is the largest and most complex structural improvement yet made for lamprey and is significant due to the fact that historically, lamprey have had the... Continue Reading »
Kingfisher
This piece was written in 2004 by Warm Springs tribal elder Terry Courtney Jr., who passed away on June 15. Mr. Courtney served on the Warm Springs Fish & Wildlife Commission, representing his tribe at CRITFC for over five years. His work in service to the tribes ranged from representing tribal issues... Continue Reading »
A New Treaty for a New Era
The Columbia River Treaty between the United States and Canada has been a hybrid of fears and profits since its ratification in 1964. Narrowly designed for flood control and optimized hydropower production, the treaty has locked in 1960s priorities that do not reflect the modern values and considerations... Continue Reading »
Director's Message: First Salmon
Last month saw the start of the Columbia River First Salmon feasts of the year, first in Lyle, then in Celilo the following week. This year, the fish have been slow coming and there have been low numbers of ceremonial fish available for the feasts. Despite this, though, the gatherings have gone on, just... Continue Reading »
A Second Time Around for Steelhead
Yakama, Nez Perce, and CRITFC staff gathered at Dworshak National Fish Hatchery in Orofino, Idaho to air spawn adult steelhead. This live spawning technique uses a small injection of compressed air into the female’s body cavity to press the eggs out without harming the fish.(Male fish are milked for... Continue Reading »
Advocacy Issues
Genetically Modified Salmon
In the Pacific Northwest, salmon are culturally irreplaceable First Foods for the region’s tribal people, thus anything that could negatively affect them must be examined with the utmost care. Allowing the production of genetically engineered Atlantic salmon potentially threatens all the work that has been accomplished in rebuilding these fish.
Columbia Gorge Coal Transport
Three proposals are being considered that would transport coal through the Columbia River Gorge to be shipped to Asia. All of these projects will affect the Columbia and those who depend on it, creating environmental injustice as the burdens of the projects fall on those who will reap the least benefits.
Lamprey Restoration
This ancient fish has survived ice ages, mass extinctions, and shifting continental plates for hundreds of millions of years. Now, in less than a century, they have declined to the point where their very existence is in peril. The tribes of the Columbia Basin, honor-bound to protect them, are working to restore this important part of the ecosystem and tribal culture.