Managed Extinction: The Decline and Loss of Wild Salmon and Steelhead in the Pacific Northwest

Authored by our very own Rick Williams. Managed Extinction describes the decline of wild salmon and steelhead in the Pacific Northwest over the last 150 years. Many populations are presently on the verge of extinction, particularly in Idaho’s Snake River Basin. Widespread habitat alteration and mainstem dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers contributed to the decline of salmon and steelhead, but continued reliance on hatchery production to rebuild declining salmon runs rather than conservation measures has resulted in management leading to extinction. Restoration of imperiled upper basin salmon and steelhead populations requires removal of the four Lower Snake River dams, restoration of riverine ecological processes, and development of a new salmon management paradigm that focuses on ecological resilience and stewardship.