Much of Columbia River closed to salmon fishing

Biologists kept waiting for a big flush of fish to come through, but that never happened.

  • By Wire Service
  • Monday, September 17, 2018 2:38pm
  • Northwest

Associated Press

SPOKANE — The rare closure of most of the Columbia River to salmon fishing is largely the result of bad weather and bad ocean conditions in 2015.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife on Thursday closed salmon fishing on the main stem of the Columbia River from Buoy 10 upstream to Highway 395 in Pasco.

The Spokesman-Review says the count of fall chinook at Bonneville Dam last week was 105,795 fish. The count is normally about double that.

Fish and Wildlife officials say biologists kept waiting for a big flush of fish to come through the system and raise the season’s numbers. But that never happened.

The closure comes as the fall chinook count at Bonneville Dam hovers around 29 percent below the preseason forecast.

Talk to us

More in Northwest

FILE - In this March 9, 1995 file photo, trainer Marcia Hinton pets Lolita, a captive orca whale, during a performance at the Miami Seaquarium in Miami. The new owners of the Miami Seaquarium will no longer stage shows with its aging orca Lolita under an agreement with federal regulators. MS Leisure, a subsidiary of The Dolphin Company, said in a news release it completed acquisition of the Seaquarium on Thursday, March 3, 2022.    (Nuri Vallbona/Miami Herald via AP, File)
Agreement in place to return Lolita the orca to the Pacific

A plan is in place to return an orca that has lived in captivity for more than 50 years to her home waters.

NO CAPTION. Logo to accompany news of Seattle.
Seattle Audubon changes name, severing tie to slave owner

Seattle Audubon is changing its name to Birds Connect Seattle to move away from a name with a racist legacy.

Logo for news use, for stories regarding Washington state government — Olympia, the Legislature and state agencies. No caption necessary. 20220331
Washington moves to end child sex abuse lawsuit time limits

House Bill 1618 would remove time limits that have stymied lawsuits who frequently do not fully confront childhood trauma until years later.

In this image provided by John Odegard, firefighters in Seattle douse flames at a marina on Lake Union, near the city's University District, early on Wednesday, March 22, 2023. The fire burned 30 boats on a dry-rack storage facility, and a man found hiding in one vessel was arrested for investigation of arson, authorities said. (John Odegard via AP)
Fire at Seattle marina burns 30 boats on dry rack storage

A man found hiding in one vessel was arrested for investigation of arson, authorities said.

NO CAPTION. Logo to accompany news of Seattle.
Deputy shot, wounded in Seattle during eviction, 1 dead

A King County Sheriff’s deputy was shot Monday and a person inside the residence was later found dead.

NO CAPTION. Logo to accompany news of Washington state.
Man pleads guilty to stalking Washington state lawmaker

Isaiah Long, 34, of Bremerton, pleaded guilty to two counts of felony stalking Rep. Michelle Caldier.

X
Amtrak restores full daily train service to Vancouver, B.C.

Amtrak has restarted direct trips between Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, British Columbia.

Leonard Cobb, co-founder of state’s first Medic One, dies at 96

An incident more than 60 years ago helped prompt creation of the groundbreaking emergency medical service.

A Value Village store is seen Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2017, in Edmonds, Wash. The company that operates 300 Value Village, Savers and other thrift stores in the U.S., Canada and Australia is suing Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson, saying his office has violated its rights by demanding $3.2 million to settle a three-year investigation. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Court rejects deception charges against Savers Value Village

The Washington state Supreme Court handed the thrift store chain Savers Value Village a unanimous win Thursday.

Breadson John, 8, was found safe in Missouri on Wednesday, Feb. 21, after going missing from Vancouver in June 2022. (FBI)
Vancouver boy, 8, missing since June, found in Missouri

Breadson John was found safe in Jasper County Missouri after being missing for 8 months.

Seattle Council Member Kshama Sawant speaks to supporters and opponents of a proposed ordinance to add caste to Seattle's anti-discrimination laws at a rally at Seattle City Hall, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023, in Seattle. Sawant proposed the ordinance. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Seattle becomes first U.S. city to ban caste discrimination

The Seattle City Council on Tuesday added caste to the city’s anti-discrimination laws, becoming the first city to pass such a law outside South Asia.

Clay Siegall, cofounder and former CEO of Seagen. (Ken Lambert / The Seattle Times)
Why prosecutors say former Seagen CEO wasn’t charged after arrest

Edmonds prosecutors said there were contradictory statements on the night Seagen ex-CEO Clay Siegall was accused of domestic violence.