Salmon spawn in the upper Columbia after an 80-year hiatus
Scientists from Colville Tribes and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife say this is an important first step to restoring a healthy population.
by
Northwest Public Broadcasting / December 29, 2020
For the first time in more than 80 years, salmon have spawned above the Grand Coulee Dam. It’s the beginning of a study by the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation to bring salmon back to the Upper Columbia River.
This fall, Colville research scientist Casey Baldwin walked up and down the Sanpoil River, upstream from the dam, searching for salmon redds. In August, the tribal fisheries managers had released 100 fish with PIT tags Passive Integrated Transponders to track the salmon. They’d hoped to see if the fish survived and spawned.