Salmon are in Trouble

Salmon in the Chehalis Basin have a strong cultural and economic significance to the people who reside here. These fish were once abundant, but are now seriously degraded from historic levels. Experts estimate that the current abundance of the Chehalis Basin’s Spring Chinook salmon runs are 20% of what they were just 100 years ago, and other species are less than 50%.

Leading to this decline have been overfishing, diking and draining of estuaries, wetlands and floodplains, a vast network of road and rail systems built with inadequate fish passage, and unregulated timber harvest, industrial, and residential development.

Our Work

In order to slow and reverse the decline of the salmon populations, the Pacific Salmon Recovery Fund (SRFB) and the Lead Entity process were initiated in Washington State’s rivers. The Chehalis Basin Collaborative for Salmon Habitat (Lead Entity) consists of experts from state, local, and tribal governments, as well as the Regional Fisheries Enhancement Group and interested local citizens.

Our Mission

Our mission is to identify and then collaboratively evaluate voluntary restoration and protection actions that create healthy habitat for salmonids.