Protect the Chehalis River

Location of the proposed dam. Photo by Lee First

Updated December 2021

The Chehalis Basin Board is proposing the construction of a flood mitigation dam on one of the last remaining free-flowing rivers on the west coast. If built, the dam will harm some of the only remaining wild, non-listed salmon runs in Washington State, and the endangered Southern Resident orcas who rely on them.

Read more about the issue, and Take Action to Protect the Chehalis River, the salmon, and the Southern Resident orcas who depend on those salmon.

In July 2020 Governor Inslee, expressing concern over the project, directed the Chehalis Basin Board to work with tribes and develop local non-dam alternatives. As a result, the Board created a Local Actions Non-Dam (LAND) steering committee, to explore these alternatives. Here is a great article about the proposed dam and the LAND steering committee, written by our colleague Lee First from Twin Harbors Waterkeeper:

A positive step forward for the Chehalis:
The Local Actions Non-Dam Alternative Steering Committee