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Environment

Broken Promises

Salmon Disappear From the Pacific Northwest

Before building dams on the Columbia River, the U.S. guaranteed the tribes of the Pacific Northwest salmon forever. But the system it created to prevent the extinction of salmon has failed, and a way of life is ending.

Impact of Our Reporting
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Broken Promises

Hydroelectric Dams on Oregon’s Willamette River Kill Salmon. Congress Says It’s Time to Consider Shutting Them Down.

The newly signed legislation follows reporting from Oregon Public Broadcasting and ProPublica that underscored the risks and costs associated with a plan to migrate salmon past hydroelectric dams using a giant fish collector and tanker trucks.

Local Reporting Network

Broken Promises

The Federal Government Just Acknowledged the Harm Its Dams Have Caused Tribes. Here’s What It Left Out.

The Biden administration said officials historically gave “little, if any, consideration” to impacts on tribal fishing.

Local Reporting Network

Broken Promises

In a Major Shift, Northwest Tribes — not U.S. Officials — Will Control Salmon Recovery Funds

The Biden administration punted on key demands from Indigenous leaders to tear down hydroelectric dams hindering salmon. But tribes won control over $1 billion for other salmon efforts.

Local Reporting Network

Broken Promises

Toxic Salmon Reporting “Deeply Troubling,” Lawmaker Says, Demanding Changes to Protect Pacific Northwest Tribal Health

Citing a ProPublica and Oregon Public Broadcasting investigation into toxic contamination in salmon, state and federal lawmakers across the Pacific Northwest are calling for policy changes and more funding but are lacking details on next steps.

Local Reporting Network

16 stories published since 2021

The Department of Energy Promised This Tribal Nation a $32 Million Solar Grant. It’s Nearly Impossible to Access.

Listen to the “Timber Wars Season 2: Salmon Wars” Podcast

9 Times the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Miscalculated Badly at the Expense of Taxpayers, Wildlife

This Billion-Dollar Plan to Save Salmon Depends on a Giant Fish Vacuum

Biden Administration Commits $200 Million to Help Reintroduce Salmon in Columbia River

The Federal Government Is Finally Increasing Funding for Salmon Hatcheries. Tribes Say It’s Not Enough.

The Fight of the Salmon People

“Salmon People”: A Native Fishing Family’s Fight to Preserve a Way of Life

Salmon People: A Native Fishing Family’s Fight to Preserve a Way of Life

The U.S. Promised Tribes They Would Always Have Fish, but the Fish They Have Pose Toxic Risks

The Racism, and Resilience, Behind Today’s Salmon Crisis

How a Federal Agency Is Contributing to Salmon’s Decline in the Northwest

Yes, We Fact-Checked These Watercolors

How Not to Count Salmon

The U.S. Has Spent More Than $2 Billion on a Plan to Save Salmon. The Fish Are Vanishing Anyway.

Help Us Understand Pacific Northwest Salmon and Treaty Rights

What We’re Watching

During Donald Trump’s second presidency, ProPublica will focus on the areas most in need of scrutiny. Here are some of the issues our reporters will be watching — and how to get in touch with them securely.

Learn more about our reporting team. We will continue to share our areas of interest as the news develops.

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Sharon Lerner

I cover health and the environment and the agencies that govern them, including the Environmental Protection Agency.

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Andy Kroll

I cover justice and the rule of law, including the Justice Department, U.S. attorneys and the courts.

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Melissa Sanchez

I report on immigration and labor, and I am based in Chicago.

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Jesse Coburn

I cover housing and transportation, including the companies working in those fields and the regulators overseeing them.

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