Our Challenge
Key Terms
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Culvert
A pipe-like construction of concrete or metal that takes a stream under a road, railroad track, footpath, or through an embankment.
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Erosion
The wearing away of a land surface by wind or water. Erosion can be intensified by land-clearing practices related to farming, development, road building, or logging.
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Habitat
The place a population (whether human, animal, plant, or microorganism) lives, including other living and non-living surroundings.
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Watershed
The land area that drains into a stream. The watershed for a major river may encompass a number of smaller watersheds that ultimately combine.
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Soy’ekw
Word in the Lummi language that means “fishing.” Schaenexw is the Lummi word that means “fish.”
Explore: Some Causes of Salmon Depletion
There are many factors that have contributed to salmon decline in traditional Lummi territory. Roll over the highlighted spots on the map to learn more.
There are many factors that have contributed to salmon decline in traditional Lummi territory. Roll over or touch the highlighted spots on the map to learn more.
Overpopulation: If streams get too low, too warm, or polluted, salmon die. Anything that reduces water supply, including drainage ditches and irrigation projects, can cause these conditions.
Pollution: Agriculture and industry have introduced pollutants to the waters that salmon live in. Pollution reduces the water quality and also damages the salmon food supply.
Deforestation: Poor logging practices affect drainage and increase erosion. Increased soil (silt) in the water depletes oxygen. Without the shade that trees provide, water becomes too warm.
Obstructions: Hundreds of miles of spawning areas on the Nooksack RIver and its tributaries have been affected by culverts that don't allow adequate fish passage.
Overfishing: Overfishing does not leave enough salmon to ensure adequate numbers for spawning. Remember that salmon migrate, so overfishing has occurred in many areas off this map.
Try These Questions
That is correct!
Oysters do not eat salmon, but bears, whales, and heron do. Salmon carcasses provide nutrients that enable other fish and plants to thrive in river systems.
That is correct!
Salmon live in rivers and the ocean during their lives. They migrate back to their birth river to lay eggs. The gravel in the stream bed is good for the salmon eggs and alevin because it protects them.
That is correct!
Logjams are important because they provide deep pools and cover where juvenile and adult salmon can rest and feed. The Lummi have been restoring logjams to help the salmon population.
Story Project Planner
Choose Images for Story Project
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Image 1 of 11
Toggle Favorite "We began to notice the water getting wa...James Hillaire, director, Lummi Nation Culture Department
"We began to notice the water getting warmer, and the salmon weren't coming in to Puget Sound the way they used to."
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Image 2 of 11
Toggle Favorite Commercial fishermen are finding it hard...Commercial fishermen are finding it harder and harder to catch enough salmon to make a living. 2009
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Image 3 of 11
Toggle Favorite "But salmon fishing itself, you can't ma...Felix Solomon, Lummi artist and former commercial fisherman
"But salmon fishing itself, you can't make a living at it anymore."
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Image 4 of 11
Toggle Favorite Clearcut logging causes erosion and dest...Clearcut logging causes erosion and destroys salmon habitat. 2007
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Image 5 of 11
Toggle Favorite "Since those times, logging has come alo...Leroy Deardorff, environmental director, Lummi Natural Resources
"Since those times, logging has come along, farming, development for homes, and housing, industry. And they have removed a lot of the stuff from along the edges of the river, the riparian area."
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Image 6 of 11
Toggle Favorite Although natural logjams provide good ha...Although natural logjams provide good habitat for fish, most were removed to make river travel easier for people. Date unknown
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Image 7 of 11
Toggle Favorite "When the settlers came into this area, ...
Leroy Deardorff, environmental director, Lummi Natural Resources
"When the settlers came into this area, the logjams were seen as an impediment."
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Image 8 of 11
Toggle Favorite Sometimes so many fish were caught, the ...Sometimes so many fish were caught, the canneries couldn't process them all. 1895
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Image9 of 11
Toggle Favorite "And she used to tell us stories about h...
James Hillaire, director, Lummi Nation Culture Department
"And she used to tell us stories about how they had to take barge loads of salmon out to sea and dump them because cannery workers couldn't keep up."
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Image 10 of 11
Toggle Favorite Erosion and pollution are problems that ...Erosion and pollution are problems that farms contribute to in the waters where salmon live. 2010
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Image 11 of 11
Toggle Favorite Life-cycle of the Salmon. (Download a fu...Life-cycle of the Salmon. (Download a full-size version.)
Take Notes for Story Project
Take notes and save images to help answer these questions. Your images and notes will be saved to the Story Project where you can use them to create your own slideshow.
