Worst Steelhead Returns in Columbia River History

September 3, 2021 By: Spencer Durrant

Salmon River SteelheadThis depressing news isn’t all that surprising, given how poorly things have been going for salmon and steelhead in the Columbia. But as of September 2, 2021, only 35,106 steelhead had been counted at the Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River, with only 780 making it to the Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River.

Over the past five years, those areas have averaged 67,973 and 2,679 respectively.

You can read more about this record-breaking steelhead run here.