Salmon and steelhead are treasured resources, important to the Pacific Northwest culture and economy. Similarly, the 31 federal dams in the FCRPS have fueled the region's economic growth for more than 70 years, providing nearly 40 percent of the region's electric power supply as well as flood control, irrigation, navigation and recreation. 

The FCRPS is operated to support multiple species of listed and unlisted fish. 
Numerous biological opinions have guided these operations since the first Columbia Basin stocks were listed. But an approach that relies on hydropower operations alone will not recover the species. Many other factors have contributed to the salmon's decline, including overharvest, hatchery practices, degraded habitat and ocean conditions.

Under these BiOps and other laws and authorities, the federal action agencies carry out a wide range of actions to help listed fish at all stages of their lifecycle. This includes habitat restoration, hatcheries to jump-start nature, improved river conditions, better survival past dams and harvest management.