Friday February 20, 2026
The Daily —
The threats Washington salmon populations face have been a topic of conversation and concern for a long time. Scientists and community members alike are well aware of the dangers the salmon population faces from factors such as human development in or adjacent to watersheds, climate change, and unethical fishery practices. However, in the past 10 years, researchers have uncovered more underrepresented challenges Pacific Northwest salmon populations grapple with.
The Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) are the largest species of Pacific salmon. Chinook mostly spawn in the mainstream large rivers and streams, such as the Columbia and Snake rivers. The Snake river is infamous for its large hydroelectric dams built in the 1960s and 1970s, which have devastated the river’s salmon runs.