The Columbia Basin Initiative is a 2023 agreement between the U.S. government, four sovereign Native American Tribes (Nez Perce, Yakama, Warm Springs and Umatilla) and the U.S. states of Washington and Oregon to provide over $1 billion in funds for salmon restoration and clean energy production. The agreement comes after over twenty years of litigation with the U.S. government for violating the Endangered Species Act. The agreement honors the treaty rights of the four tribes to fish and gather food in the Columbia Basin. The funding also will be used to support Tribally-owned energy projects.

The Columbia Basin refers to the geographic area that spans Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.

In the 1960s, the U.S. government built four dams on the Snake River. These dams provide hydroelectric power to the region. Scientists, tribes, and fisherman believe that the dams have led to the destruction of the salmon population.

In 2022, Washington Governor Jay Inslee and U.S. Senator Patty Murray published a report about the cost of replacing the energy and irrigation of the Lower Snake Sams.

Salmon are a critical food source for animals in the region. Salmon are also important to the culture, economy, and way of life of tribal nations and indigenous people in the area.

Scientists argue that there is a threat of extinction for thirteen species of salmon and steelhead trout. Climate change is also impacting the salmon population through warming waters.

The Columbia Basin Initiative makes changes to dam schedules during salmon runs and migration in an effort to preserve the salmon population.

The 1855 Treaty of Point Elliott created the Yakama Nation, which included 1.3 million acres of land. While the federal government retained 11 million acres of land, there was a provision that tribal members could continue to fish and gather food in that area.