Ep 6: The Future

The episode centers on Columbia River salmon recovery, weaving a family portrait of Yakama-area fishermen into a policy and science narrative about tribal hatcheries, dams, and climate risk. Tony Schick follows Randy Settler, Sam George and young Ionna to show how declines in salmon runs and warming rivers threaten livelihoods and traditions. The reporting highlights the Yakima/Cle Elum tribal hatchery (opened 1997) and manager Charlie Stromb’s approach: breeding from wild broodstock, using bottom feeders and earthen acclimation to produce fish that behave more like wild salmon.

The conversation moves to the larger politics: tribes used hatcheries as a tool to restore runs and won co‑management rights, producing dramatic rebounds (nearly 100,000 coho returns recently; Snake River fall Chinook from ~78 in 1990 to >20,000 later) that researchers largely validate. Yet tensions remain — federal managers once limited hatchery releases over genetic concerns (Mark Sherwood), and utilities now oppose a 2024 White House deal (about $1B total; ~$500M for hatcheries and reintroduction above Grand Coulee) that prioritizes salmon recovery while studying power replacements. Scientists warn ocean changes could slash marine survival by up to ~90%, but NOAA’s Lisa Krozier and others argue restoration and dam‑management changes still matter. The episode closes on tribal activism (protests, education in schools) and practical solutions like a proposed shad processing plant to reduce competition with juvenile salmon.