Northwest Power & Conservation Council’s Final Amendments Address Concerns Raised by Diverse Coalition

Vancouver, Washington–June 18, 2026–Northwest RiverPartners, with support from our diverse coalition of utilities, ports, labor, business, and agricultural organizations, expresses our appreciation following the Northwest Power & Conservation Council’s adoption of the 2026 Fish & Wildlife Program–which included critical requested changes from the draft released last December.

Following strong engagement by NW RiverPartners members, the Council’s final plan removed harmful amendments included in their draft released last December, including one that called for extending spill into August. These provisions lacked substantive benefits for salmon recovery while introducing significant additional risks to the affordability, reliability, and authorized uses of the river system, including irrigation and navigation.

“We feel that the program as adopted addressed many of our biggest concerns,” said Austin Rohr, deputy executive director of Northwest RiverPartners. “Our members and partners around the region stepped up several times throughout this process to make their voices heard, and this is the direct result of their hard work. We look forward to continuing to strengthen our partnership with the Council and finding ways to build a brighter future for fish, wildlife, and people in our region.”

Following the adoption of the 2026 program, Council staff will prepare the findings for review and adoption. Simultaneously, work is underway on the Ninth Power Plan, with a draft to be released for public comment in the fall of this year.

Northwest RiverPartners, alongside our partner organizations, will continue to engage with the Council on these critical activities.