August 21, 2024
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As salmon return home to spawn, people work to bring them back from the brink

For 6 million years, Pacific salmon have repeated their extraordinary life cycle. But that delicate dance may be in its final act absent a full-scale intervention.

Fortunately, humanity is coming together at a crucial hour. Tribes, federal governments, states, and communities are working in harmony in the Pacific Northwest to save salmon. And while handshakes won't save salmon alone, progress is accelerated by consensus.

The state has cleared 219 failed culverts on its property in recent years, opening 680 miles of potential habitat. The Climate Commitment Act and other revenue sources are sponsoring hundreds of fish barrier corrections on private land. And the state's nation-leading water quality standards are reversing ecological damage.

Humanity has pushed salmon to the brink. But by acting in unison, society may yet help them recover.

Read the full story on Gov. Jay Inslee's Medium

WSDOT’s progress on injunction-related culvert repair is moving quickly. Projects under contract will open nearly 800 miles of habitat for salmon again. Communities are helping too, like the Bainbridge Land Trust's restoration of Springbrook Creek.