Shocking salmon video

Isn’t this video enough?

By Miles Johnson, Senior Attorney

When I found sockeye in the Little White Salmon River—infested with lesions and fungus—I worked with a salmon videographer to get an up-close look. See for yourself. I expected it to be bad, but the video is hard to watch. Video produced by Modoc Stories: 

The video narrator, Don Sampson, has been a lifelong champion for salmon and was one of Columbia Riverkeeper’s founding board members 21 years ago!

These fish were on a miraculous journey back to their birthplace up the Snake River or upper Columbia. But they will not make it. The Columbia River is simply too hot to swim upstream. These fish found a pocket of cool water to escape the heat, and die.  

What’s going on? 

The dams create unnaturally hot water due to huge stagnant reservoirs, and now climate change is pushing river temperatures over the edge.

Senators Murray, Cantwell, Wyden and Merkley have the power to help salmon. The best thing they can do is to obtain funding—this year—to breach the Lower Snake River Dams. They need to hear from you. Can you sign this petition or call them directly?  

If this video, which provides a horrific glimpse of our future, does not spur our elected leaders to take action, I don’t know what will. Please let them know that this is not ok. We cannot look the other way.  

Help us raise awareness by sharing this video far and wide (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter).