Pacific Rivers works for abundant, self-sustaining populations of wild spring Chinook salmon that preserve their cultural, spiritual, ecological and economic value for future generations.
Spring Chinook salmon are among the Northwest’s most important species. They are also among the most imperiled today.
For decades, fisheries managers and others have generally assumed that if spring Chinook disappeared, fall Chinook would simply replace them, because they were essentially the same fish. Recent genetic evidence has shown otherwise. Over the last decade, Dr. Michael Miller and his research team at UC Davis have confirmed that spring Chinook salmon are genetically distinct from fall Chinook salmon. Today we know which unique genetic attributes created their ability to enter freshwater early and migrate far upstream. We also know that springers’ unique characteristics did not arise independently in each watershed. They are the result of a single genetic mutation millions of years ago that was followed by unique adaptations over immense spans of time to the watersheds they inhabit today.
There is no longer any reasonable basis for an assumption that spring Chinook salmon will magically “re-evolve” in any time frame meaningful to us if we lose them. What took nature eons to create cannot be replaced quickly. We can’t be sure it is possible at all. But some things are certain. It is possible to lose springers. We can lose them in specific basins. (We already have.) We can lose them entirely. If we lose them, we will have lost them not just for people living today, but for untold generations to come. The good news is that we now have a much better understanding of springers, an even stronger case for immediate actions to save them, and a very good idea of what those actions must be.
In late 2022 we celebrated the release of The Lost Salmon, a full-length documentary film by Shane Anderson that makes a beautiful and compelling case for protecting and restoring springers. In 2023 we promoted the film by organizing and supporting screenings around the region. At each screening we urged attendees to contact the appropriate federal officials to urge protection of springers under the Endangered Species Act.
On July 17, 2023, Pacific Rivers and the Center for Biological Diversity finalized and submitted to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) a petition for ESA listing of the springers of the rivers of the Washington Coast, which are among the most imperiled of all populations of the species. Our petition includes detailed information supporting listing, including the latest genetic evidence that springers are distinct from other Chinook salmon. That information bolsters the case for other pending ESA petitions for other populations of springers in the Northwest.
In December 2023, NMFS issued a preliminary finding that ESA listing may be warranted. While we await the agency’s decision, we continue our work to spread the word about the importance and plight of spring Chinook and to address current threats to springers such as a proposed dam on the Chehalis River in southwest Washington.
More about the petition can be found under “Learn More” WA Spring Chinook Petition, along with how to make your voice heard!
Spring Chinook salmon are among the Northwest’s most important species. They are also among the most imperiled today.
For decades, fisheries managers and others have generally assumed that if spring Chinook disappeared, fall Chinook would simply replace them, because they were essentially the same fish. Recent genetic evidence has shown otherwise. Over the last decade, Dr. Michael Miller and his research team at UC Davis have confirmed that spring Chinook salmon are genetically distinct from fall Chinook salmon. Today we know which unique genetic attributes created their ability to enter freshwater early and migrate far upstream. We also know that springers’ unique characteristics did not arise independently in each watershed. They are the result of a single genetic mutation millions of years ago that was followed by unique adaptations over immense spans of time to the watersheds they inhabit today.
There is no longer any reasonable basis for an assumption that spring Chinook salmon will magically “re-evolve” in any time frame meaningful to us if we lose them. What took nature eons to create cannot be replaced quickly. We can’t be sure it is possible at all. But some things are certain. It is possible to lose springers. We can lose them in specific basins. (We already have.) We can lose them entirely. If we lose them, we will have lost them not just for people living today, but for untold generations to come. The good news is that we now have a much better understanding of springers, an even stronger case for immediate actions to save them, and a very good idea of what those actions must be.
In late 2022 we celebrated the release of The Lost Salmon, a full-length documentary film by Shane Anderson that makes a beautiful and compelling case for protecting and restoring springers. In 2023 we promoted the film by organizing and supporting screenings around the region. At each screening we urged attendees to contact the appropriate federal officials to urge protection of springers under the Endangered Species Act.
On July 17, 2023, Pacific Rivers and the Center for Biological Diversity finalized and submitted to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) a petition for ESA listing of the springers of the rivers of the Washington Coast, which are among the most imperiled of all populations of the species. Our petition includes detailed information supporting listing, including the latest genetic evidence that springers are distinct from other Chinook salmon. That information bolsters the case for other pending ESA petitions for other populations of springers in the Northwest.
In December 2023, NMFS issued a preliminary finding that ESA listing may be warranted. While we await the agency’s decision, we continue our work to spread the word about the importance and plight of spring Chinook and to address current threats to springers such as a proposed dam on the Chehalis River in southwest Washington.
More about the petition can be found under “Learn More” WA Spring Chinook Petition, along with how to make your voice heard!
