But salmon advocates blasted them as a step backward, saying they depend too much on restoring habitat in tributaries to boost fish numbers and not enough on reducing the high numbers of young salmon killed by 14 dams on their way to the sea.

“Ultimately, this plan shows it is time for Congress and the next administration to restore the balance in this river, assure the law and science are followed, and protect the thousands of family-wage jobs,” said Todd True, lead attorney for salmon advocates.

Once an expected challenge is filed, it will be up to U.S. District Judge James Redden to decide whether the plans, known as biological opinions, meet the demands of the Endangered Species Act to put salmon on the road to recovery.

Late last year, he warned that the original proposal was seriously flawed and that he would turn the job over to an independent panel of experts if it failed again.

NOAA Fisheries Service, the agency in charge of salmon restoration, concluded that without any changes, the dams jeopardize the survival of 13 threatened and endangered stocks of salmon and steelhead, but that with enough additional help, the fish could one day thrive.

“It is my deepest hope that those who traditionally continue to litigate might be willing to look beyond the litigation and support a 10-year effort in which we focus on trying to recover fish rather than arguing about methods or standards,” said Bob Lohn, northwest administrator of NOAA Fisheries.

NOAA Fisheries issued three biological opinions. One covers operations of the 14 federal hydroelectric dams on the Columbia and Snake Rivers.

The second expands the flexibility of operations of Upper Snake River irrigation projects in southern Idaho and Eastern Oregon, so they can provide more water for salmon migrations at critical times. The third puts new controls on tribal, recreational and commercial fishing in the Columbia and Snake rivers.

The plans do not include removing four dams on the lower Snake River in Eastern Washington, which is favored by salmon advocates.