Chehalis River Salmon in peril

By Cindy Hansen
January 30, 2022

The Chehalis River is one of the last free-flowing rivers on the west coast of the United States, and in some years it is the biggest producer of wild salmon in Washington State. These salmon are an important source of food for the endangered Southern Resident orcas. But the river floods, as all good rivers do, and these floods are becoming more catastrophic, due to climate change and habitat destruction in the Chehalis Basin.

To protect some of the homes and businesses in the floodplain, the Chehalis Basin Board has proposed the construction of a dam, or "flood retention facility". The dam would only protect a small percentage of structures in the flood zone, mostly those along the I-5 corridor, but it would destroy riparian habitat, wetlands, and critical salmon spawning habitat. There are smarter alternatives that will protect the residents from the impacts of flooding, while restoring the basin and protecting the salmon that the local Tribes and Southern Resident orcas depend on.

Orca Network is involved in trying to stop the construction of the dam and we are a member of the Chehalis River Alliance. Our Education and Advocacy Coordinator recently had the opportunity to visit the proposed dam site. Her account of the experience is included here.

For more information, please visit www.chehalisriveralliance.org