The Collection

The Upper Skagit Indian tribe, which has lived along the Skagit River for at least 8,400 years wants Seattle to remove the Gorge Dam, the lowest of the three dams on the Skagit, and return the river to the section the city de-watered. The tribe says Seattle’s century of hydroelectric work on the Skagit has contributed to a sharp drop in river’s salmon runs, which has ripple effects across the region. The Skagit is the last American river outside of Alaska still home to all five species of wild salmon, although the fish stocks are dwindling: two species are now listed under the Endangered Species Act and a nearby resident killer whale population, which depends on the Skagit River’s salmon for survival, is listed as endangered.