the film forum library tutorial contact

Salmon and Orcas: A Blueprint for the Future by Les Welsh Seattle Times, September 26, 2025

Salmon runs are choked to near extinction
because of four dams on the lower Snake River

Re: "Legal battle reignites over Lower Snake River Dams, salmon" (Sept. 11, Climate Lab) and "Another orca pushes a dead calf through the Salish Sea in WA" (Sept. 13, Climate Lab):

A recent week brought two seemingly unrelated stories: the legal battle reignited over Snake River dams and Columbia Basin salmon, and another southern resident orca spotted pushing her dead calf through Rosario Strait. The connection between these news stories might not be readily evident, but they are deeply intertwined. Southern resident orcas prefer fatty Chinook salmon, a threatened population. These salmon runs are choked to near extinction because of four dams on the lower Snake River, once one of the most important producers of Chinook salmon within the Columbia River Basin.

The people of the Northwest had a comprehensive solution in the Columbia Basin agreements. But the Trump administration reversed course, providing no alternative solutions to a long-simmering problem. While frustrating, a legal battle is the only tool we now have to get the salmon -- and the orca that depend on them -- what they need to survive.

As a resident of Bainbridge Island, orca sightings are a source of profound joy and a reminder of our collective responsibility to protect our surrounding ecosystems. With strong leadership from governors, tribes and many others, we have a blueprint to keep us moving toward a future for our salmon and southern resident orcas.

Related Pages:
Plan with Dams' Removal Provides Best Hope for Salmon by Les Welsh, Everett Herald, 11/21/21