Rivers shape the Pacific Northwest, flowing from snow-capped mountains and carving through rugged landscapes until reaching the wild Pacific Ocean. The mighty Columbia and Snake rivers connect the entire Inland Northwest and have supported human and wild communities since time immemorial. Both rivers historically produced millions of salmon and steelhead, nourishing tribal communities for thousands of years and the white settlements who came later. Today, these rivers provide hydropower, irrigation, navigation, and recreation. However, since dam construction, 13 stocks of wild salmon and steelhead were listed as threatened and endangered under the Endangered Species Act and continue to decline. Businesses, families and communities who depend on these fisheries and the now flooded landscape for their food and livelihoods have been greatly impacted. Check out our storymap to learn about the decades-long debate over how to restore the once prosperous recreation and fishing economies of this region.
