Saving the Chetco River, salmon ecology 101

The recent Frontline documentary Alaska Gold chronicles many heroic and inspiring stories in the struggle to save Bristol Bay and its wild watershed from a mega copper mine. We provide a link to another one below. Bristol Bay serves as a reminder that the job of protecting our own wild salmon river from mining is far from done.

The Chetco River Protection Act has not been passed into law and the Forest Service's proposed temporary mineral withdraw still faces many hurdles before it's even decided on by the Secretary of Interior. If these efforts fail, we could once again be faced with proposals to mine the entire length of the Chetco—from Boulder Creek to the Forest Service boundary. Please go to How to Help and send a reminder to Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley that we need their help. Go ahead. Please nag the Senators for the Chetco and read about "salmon ecology 101" and what others are doing below.

Recently hatched salmon and salmon eggs from Pebble Science's Salmon Ecology 101.

We recently came across an inspirational science-based website called  PebbleScience.org. Its purpose is to promote the sharing of objective scientific information on the proposed copper mining in Bristol Bay, Alaska. The Salmon Ecology 101 page provides an excellent overview of the complex life history of salmon and the ecosystem services they provide.

Salmon ecology 101 applies to all salmon river ecosystems. Understanding them better helps make the case for providing rivers like the Chetco, Elk, Illinois, Smith and Rogue with the highest level of protection possible.