Saving Seafood

Beyond the salmon crisis: Northwest may face broad loss of freshwater species

August 27, 2026 — Using eDNA to map and save lower-profile species crucial to the ecosystem, researchers say

According to a recent Convention of Migratory Species Report, migratory freshwater fish populations have dropped 81% worldwide since 1970. While Northwest Washington species face many of the same pressures as other species across the planet, the story here is a bit more nuanced, and researchers point to a unique interagency collaboration in the state as a pathway forward.

Salish Sea Chinook salmon populations are down 60% since the Pacific Salmon Commission began tracking salmon abundance in 1984, according to the 2024 State of Salmon in Watersheds report.

Around the Salish Sea, Chinook salmon provide immense ecological, cultural and economic value. According to the report, Puget Sound was once home to larger populations of Chinook and other salmon, with a greater diversity of traits than populations existing today. Only 22 of at least 37 historic Chinook salmon populations remain in this ecosystem. The remaining Chinook salmon populations are at about 10% of their historic numbers. Between 2000 and 2018, the total number of Chinook returning to the Salish Sea has shown a relatively stable trend.

These salmon populations face the same pressures as freshwater fish listed in the global report: habitat loss, harvest rates and climate change.

“All the research, all the science, all the data that’s been analyzed shows us that habitat is by far the leading threat,” said Annitra Peck, executive director of the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association. “You’ve got hydropower, you’ve got harvest management, you’ve got these other pieces that have so much to do with it, and they all definitely intersect, but habitat is in large part the driving concern. Salmon are an anadromous species; they utilize freshwater and saltwater, they need to be able to travel back and forth in their unique life cycle, and if they don’t have the habitat to do that, then that falls apart. It prevents that life cycle from continuing and that reproduction for salmon to be able to replace themselves essentially.”

Read the full article at the Salish Current

Balancing Energy Production and Aquatic Resources in the Roanoke River

July 23, 2026 — At the Roanoke Rapids Dam, a hydroelectric facility on the Roanoke River in North Carolina, NOAA Fisheries collaborated with Dominion Energy and partners to evaluate how adjusting the flow of water affects migratory fish and mussel populations in the river. Monitoring results are helping to ensure these aquatic organisms have the water flow and habitat they need, while maintaining robust energy production.

When large hydroelectric dams are constructed, the natural river flow is often modified. Water may be diverted through a hydroelectric powerhouse to generate electricity, then into an engineered channel. As a result, portions of the natural river may be cut off or receive less frequent water flow. This alters the river habitat below the dam, which can affect fish and aquatic organisms.

Since the Roanoke Rapids Dam was built, dam operators have diverted a majority of the water flow through a constructed channel so it can be used for electricity generation. This cut off water flow in a portion of the natural river, which became known as the bypassed reach.

In 2004, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a new license to Dominion Energy to operate the hydroelectric dam. At that time, NOAA Fisheries worked with Dominion Energy and other state and federal resource agencies to develop a new, multi-staged water flow pattern for the bypassed reach. Water flow would be increased during certain times of the year to ensure enough habitat was present for American shad and other migratory fish downstream. Three flow levels were planned for the first 20 years of the license: low, medium, and high. The new license also called for regular surveys to monitor the response of fish and aquatic organisms to the different flows.

In 2024 and 2025, scientists evaluated how the three flow levels had affected American shad, eel, and mussels. The results showed that populations in the bypassed reach increased during the medium and high flows, compared to the low flow level. However, the benefits of the high flow pattern were not significantly different from the medium flow pattern. That meant more water could be diverted to the powerhouse for energy production, without negatively impacting fish and mussels.

Based on these findings, Dominion Energy will use the medium flow pattern for the remaining 18 years of the hydroelectric license at Roanoke Rapids Dam. This allows them to generate more electricity during periods of peak demand, while also providing enough water in the river for migratory fish, like American eel and American shad, and other aquatic organisms like mussels during critical stages in their life cycles. The result is a win-win between resource agencies and industry, with parties coordinating closely and recognizing the importance of balancing power production and aquatic resources.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

Fishways Connect Habitats and Support Coastal Communities

October 6, 2015 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

By Sean McDermott, Greater Atlantic Region, Habitat Conservation Division

Have you ever seen a fish ladder or a fish lift? Do you know how one works? For many people the answer to both is “no.” If you live along the coast or on a river, there may even be a fish ladder or lift near you. Why do fish need these devices?

Migratory fish such as sea lamprey, rainbow smelt, American shad, alewife and blueback herring live and grow in the ocean and return to rivers to spawn. They arrive in coastal rivers every spring, with some rivers seeing millions of fish. After spawning, they return to the sea. Then, in the fall, millions of young fish make their way from river to sea. These fish become prey, or bait fish, supporting popular commercial and recreational fisheries. Stripers, Atlantic cod, and bluefish, to name a few, rely on these migratory fish for food. In addition, marine mammals also prey on these fish.

Fish Versus Dams: A Centuries-Old Battle

Harvest of sea-run migratory fish once provided an important food source for Native Americans and colonial settlers. Rivers also provided travel routes, and hydro-mechanical power for development of agricultural and industrial technology. As technology developed, the construction of dams for navigation and hydro-mechanical power spread, blocking the migration of those sea-run fish. The conflict between dam-building industrialists and commercial fishers led to the “Shad Wars” from 1780 to the late 1800s, with warring parties shooting guns and cannons at each other and destroying weirs and dams, all in the pursuit of the best fishing spots.

In the end, dams rose and migratory fish populations fell, taking with them the economic and cultural traditions they once supported. Populations of several species are now at all-time lows. Three species (Atlantic salmon, Atlantic sturgeon, and shortnose sturgeon) are listed under the Endangered Species Act, and four others (rainbow smelt, alewife, blueback herring, and American eel) are either species of concern or have been petitioned for listing under the Act.

Read the rest of the story on our website.

Read more stories from our Habitat Conservation Division.

Questions? Contact Jennifer Goebel, Regional Office, at 978-281-6175 or Jennifer.Goebel@noaa.gov.

An Alaskan steeppass is typically designed for small dams. The ability to reduce energy within the chute allows the steeppass to be built at a higher angle. Photo credit: Sean McDermott, NOAA.