Northwest River Restoration
is a nonprofit conservation organization headquartered in Washington State focused on restoring the Skykomish River’s steelhead and salmon population via science, technology, and advocacy. The goal is to breathe life back into the Sky for the wild fish runs, fisheries, and the ecosystem.
Our mission is simple.
To revive the Skykomish River's steelhead & salmon population and its natural ecosystem by hatching a new future with best-in-class habitat restoration and broodstocking techniques.
Reduced salmon and steelhead populations impact four key pillars of our community.
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The decline in salmon will heavily affect the food chain in coastal ecosystems. If the salmon were to go extinct then the population of their prey (i.e., insects, cephalopods, crustaceans, etc.) will increase because nothing is eating it anymore. More than 135 other fish and wildlife populations benefit from the presence of wild salmon and steelhead, from southern resident orca whales, which are at a 30-year population low, to eagles, wolves, bear, otter, coyotes, seals, and sea lions.
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Salmon are an extremely important creature both to the lifestyle and spirituality of many Native American cultures, especially the tribes of the Northwest Coast and the Columbia River. In Native American artwork and literature, salmon are often used as a symbol of determination, renewal, and prosperity. The salmon’s return was a promise of plenty of food to help the people grow healthy and strong. Native people have always seen the salmon as the life-sustaining centerpiece of their culture, dating back millennia. In short, salmon are the key to protecting a way of life rooted in the North Pacific environment: protect salmon and you protect forests, food, water, communities, and economies.
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Salmon support approximately 23,000 jobs, $1.6 billion in commercial sales and over a $100 million in recreational fishing tourism. An estimated 824,000 anglers fished (finfishing and shellfishing) in Washington State in 2006. About 88% of these anglers were state residents, and 12% were nonresidents.
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Salmon are one of the healthiest proteins, rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Keeping salmon numbers up helps keep salmon in our diet. Salmon also benefit other species as food and their bodies enrich habitats through the cycling of nutrients from the ocean to freshwater streams.
Our Priorities
The devastating effects of planetary climate cycles and deteriorating habitats have pushed several species of salmon in the Pacific Northwest to what was predicted to be, “the brink of extinction.” Researchers say recovery efforts have helped slow the decline of some salmon populations, but it has not been enough.
While some species of salmon in Washington are approaching their recovery goals, we continue to see restrictions on the Skykomish river. This year was expected to be the largest return of Chinook salmon in six years. However, there was only a three-day angling season for recreational fishing, citing concerns with low returns of wild salmon expected. Closing or limiting rivers isn't solving these problems fast enough.
At Sky River Restoration, we build on the decades of analytics trends, science, best practices, education, and advocacy with the following priorities:
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Broodstock Programs & Natural Selection
A broodstock program can mimic the natural selection process and plants egg trays and smolts in the natural habitats. Our aim is to promote healthy hatchery practices and broodstock programs have been shown to successfully reestablish endangered populations and saves wild runs through increased natural reproductive output and genetic diversity. In fact, studies have shown that broodstock programs can increase redds and wild fish by 2.6X.
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Habitat & Ecosystem Restoration
Nature is a series of checks and balances that lead to perfect harmony. To help this we need to focus on restoring the Skykomish to its natural order through a series of habitat restoration, and other ecosystem management initiatives. We're excited to leverage years of data and insights to carefully select and support this in local communities.
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Education & Engagement
Knowledge is power and we're intent on putting power in the hands of people starting at a young age. Sky River Restoration believes in continuous research and innovation for our programs and for others. We envision programming spanning hatchery education, fishing education, community engagement, marine biology scholarships, and more.
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Lobbying & Partnerships
It takes a village to make things happen. We’re committed to partnering with all stakeholders to work toward making our dreams a reality, because a restored river is a win for the environment, for commercial endeavors, for recreational endeavors, for our state, and for our local tribes.