Rivers Run Free

Our wild salmon are disappearing. Our southern resident killer whales are dying. Our rivers are dammed. This must change.

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Let's let Obama know we are serious about breaching the Lower Snake River Dams and we've got good reasons to be! The president is considering issuing an executive order--now it's time for us to show him just how many people support the decision!

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The Snake River is home to vital and pristine habitat for the salmon our Southern Resident Killer Whales rely on but there are four massive barriers preventing the vast majority of them from accessing it...the Lower Snake River dams. This coalition has presented the research and information to our local representatives and to the president himself, but we still need more signatures. If you haven't signed it and can take a minute out of your day to help I would be eternally grateful!

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From Return of the River FB page... “ Was up doing an aerial shoot today and swung by the Elwha to check out the current state of affairs at the mouth..always changing, always growing...”

WOW! This is what these rivers could be like if we removed our footprint. Amazing!

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From North Olympic Salmon Coalition... “Observations from the field: Kevin Long, NOSC's esteemed project manager, sent these photos from our 2010 Morse Creek restoration site just minutes ago. Here's what he has to say... "Froggy, fishy, herbaceous, cool, welcoming". And the more technical report... "I'm totally blown away! Wood is recruiting to the channel as hoped and there are adult salmon and their redds!" All this in an area that hadn't seen water or fish for 50 years before NOSC and our partners restored the 1/2 mile of stream channel. “

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White Salmon River evolves amid mixed feelings

“Condit Dam wasn't even fully gone when the first migratory fish made their way up the newly free-flowing White Salmon River. And last year, just 3 years after dam removal, 8,000 fall chinook returned. If you give them a river, wild salmon will come back—in force.“ - Save Our Wild Salmon

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Nearshore aerial of the Elwha River from May 2nd thanks to Tom Roorda!

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A big win for the Salish Sea and Fraser River! The plans to build a hazardous waste facility on the Fraser River floodplain have been scrapped. Thank goodness!

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A beautiful, free-flowing Elwha! 

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Working with Beaver to Restore Salmon Habitat

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Army Corps to cull fish-eating birds on Snake River

“WILDLIFE -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers this spring plans to kill birds at some Snake and Columbia river dams to help protect juvenile salmon and steelhead, the Lewiston Tribune reports."

Another bandaid instead of a solution to the underlying problem. We created this problem with the construction of the dams and now we’re killing creatures for doing what they do---finding the easiest source of prey they can. Breach the dams instead of killing cormorants. 

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Evans Creek dams on track for removal this summer

ROGUE RIVER — Two of Oregon's worst wild fish barriers are on track to be jettisoned from Evans Creek this summer...

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From Return of the River’s facebook page... “Another great aerial shot by Tom Roorda showing the new beaches of the Elwha and some beautiful patterns from the sediment flowing in the Strait.”

This river has rebounded amazingly in just a few short years. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the Elwha. Imagine what could happen if we did this for the Lower Snake River!

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The Lower Snake River dams will be breached, and the sooner they are the better for the salmon, the river, and the environment...and for us.