March 5, 2026
Media Contact: Amy Trainer, ATrainer [at] swinomish.nsn.us (ATrainer[at]swinomish[dot]nsn[dot]us)
Swinomish Announces Details of the Comprehensive Settlement Agreement for Seattle City Light Skagit River Dam Relicensing
Agreement protects treaty rights, supports salmon recovery, and provides path forward for clean energy generation
LA CONNER, Washington - The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community today announced the completion of a comprehensive settlement agreement (Agreement) with Seattle City Light and federal, state, and tribal partners related to the proposed new 50-year federal license for Seattle City Light’s three hydroelectric dams on the Skagit River.
The Agreement concludes over seven years of negotiation among tribes, government agencies, and other stakeholders. The Agreement will be considered by the Seattle City Council for approval this month, and then will be submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for environmental review and public comment as part of the relicensing process.
For the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, the Agreement reflects the Tribe’s longstanding commitment to protecting the Skagit River and honoring Treaty-protected fisheries that remain central to the Tribe’s culture, economy, and identity.
“As People of the Salmon, restoring and maintaining the health of the Skagit River will always be our highest priority,” said Swinomish Tribal Community Chairman Steve Edwards. “This is a hard-won, fair, and forward-looking agreement that honors our Treaty rights, strengthens the ecology of the river, and provides a responsible path forward for hydropower generation and salmon recovery.”
Swinomish leaders noted that the Tribe devoted significant time and resources to the settlement process, which took more than seven years to complete. Tribal staff from the Environmental Policy, Wildlife, and Legal departments worked alongside the Swinomish Senate and numerous partner organizations throughout the negotiations. The Agreement includes provisions that should jump-start salmon recovery in the Skagit River, including over $100 million for mainstem river restoration, $75 million for estuary restoration, $979 million for fish passage at the dams, an ongoing commitment to river flows to protect spawning and incubating salmon, and funding for ongoing science and adaptive management throughout the term of the new license.
Other participants in the settlement include Seattle City Light; the Sauk-Suiattle and Upper Skagit Indian Tribes; the Washington State Departments of Ecology and Fish and Wildlife; and federal agencies including the National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the National Park Service.
Chairman Edwards said the resulting Agreement represents the most balanced opportunity to protect and restore the Skagit watershed while supporting Seattle’s long-term clean energy generation.
“The terms of this Agreement reflect a shared commitment to protecting the Skagit River while continuing to provide clean power to Seattle residents,” Edwards said. “We believe this Agreement creates the strongest opportunity to safeguard the river, uphold our Treaty rights, and support salmon recovery for generations to come.”
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The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community is a federally recognized Indian Tribe with more than 1,000 members. Swinomish is a legal successor to the signatories of the 1855 Treaty of Point Elliott. Its Reservation is located 65 miles north of Seattle, Washington, on Fidalgo Island.