Each spring chinook salmon in the Salmon River begin the final leg of their journey home. For members of the Nez Perce tribe, it's the signal to gather at the mouth of Rapid River near Riggins, Idaho.
credit:
Aaron Kunz
Fishermen from the Nez Perce tribe, like Wesley Oatman, have rights to fish here at the Rapid River near Riggins, Idaho. “We’re a salmon people and I’ve been bred to do this."
credit:
Aaron Kunz
Redfish Lake was named in honor of the sockeye who were once abundant in its waters. Idaho Fish and Game's Mike Peterson remembers a low point in salmon recovery efforts in 1992 when just one sockeye, dubbed Lonesome Larry, reached Redfish Lake.
credit:
Aaron Kunz
This is Lonesome Larry, the actual Lonesome Larry. The sockeye has been stuffed and now lives at the MK Nature Center in Boise.
credit:
Aaron Kunz
U.S. Judge James Redden told Idaho Salmon producer Aaron Kunz, "I think we need to take those dams down," referring to the four dams on the Lower Snake River. Judge Redden recently stepped down from the region's landmark salmon case.
credit:
Cassandra Profita
With removal of the dams on the Elwha River ongoing, the river is already seeing signs of new life. Idaho salmon advocates feel that taking down the four dams on the Lower Snake River is necessary for salmon recovery.
credit:
Courtesy of National Park Service
Idaho Salmon, a new documentary, produced by Aaron Kunz at Idaho Public Television for Outdoor Idaho in association with EarthFix, explores the history of salmon in Idaho and looks to its future survival.
Watch On Television
Idaho Salmon, will premiere on Idaho Public Television’s Outdoor Idaho. The show will air later this year on KCTS 9 and Oregon Public Broadcasting:
Here’s the full-length feature:
Web Exclusive
Web exclusive excerpts from Aaron Kunz’s interview with Judge James Redden
Learn More
The EarthFix team has been covering salmon in the Northwest from a variety of perspectives. Check out some of the stories here.
(Listen to Aaron Kunz’s radio report on Lonesome Larry’s legacy. It’s also the story of Idaho sockeye at the brink of extinction - and back.)
Behind The Stories
“You never know how a show will look when you get started. For us, that starting point was about a year ago. But I can tell you this show on salmon was an adventure from day one. It took us to Redfish Lake in central Idaho for several weeks to capture sockeye salmon in their natural environment. We spent a few days last fall shooting a couple large chinook salmon from three different angles while the fish prepared to spawn in Marsh Creek…”
Click here to read Aaron Kunz’s full account of what it took to produce Idaho’s Salmon. It’s on the Outdoor Idaho home page.
Share Your Experiences
Upload photos, videos, and artwork and talk about the Elwha here, on our “Seeking Salmon” Tumblr page.
Congrats to David James for his winning submission, 'Annabella smelling the Balsam.'
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EarthFix is a public media project of Oregon Public Broadcasting and Boise State Public Radio, Idaho Public Television, KCTS 9 Seattle, KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio, Northwest Public Radio and Television, Southern Oregon Public Television and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
