The Case of the Shrinking Chinook

Photo by Arne Johnson By: Mark Hieronymus The mighty Chinook salmon, the largest of the Pacific salmon species and the state fish of Alaska, is shrinking, according to a recent article in Fish and Fisheries (2018). Fisheries researchers from Alaska and Washington analyzed several databases spanning more than 40 years and looked at over 1.5

Voices from the river: Fishing in the desert

The Arroyo Seco River. By Sam Davidson Not long ago, on an unseasonably warm Saturday, I went fishing in the desert. Well, technically the Arroyo Seco River isn’t desert—the fishable section flows through a rugged canyon sheathed in cha parral. But it might as well be in the desert. It’s hot and dry there much

Southwest Oregon mineral withdrawal passes first test

TU calls on the Interior Department to follow Agriculture Department Decision. By Kyle Smith Last week brought good news for the legendary wild steelhead fisheries of Southwest Oregon. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue issued a letter on February 21 stating his Department will not pursue a review of the Southwest Oregon Mineral Withdrawal, executed in

The Tomorrow Fund

I landed at the Austin airport, and hustled over to the rental car company only to be told my license had expired the day before. The glee of the two clerks behind the counter was not lost on me. I was 90 minutes from New Braunfels, Texas, where I was scheduled in a few hours

So, I wrote a letter to Jeep

So, I wrote a letter to Jeep. They ran an ad in the Super Bowl called The Road, that showed a Jeep running up the center of what looked like a stream. My eight year old son turned to me after it ran, and said “Dad, isn’t that really bad for the stream?” A few

Fishing in the Olympics?

Photo courtesy of Bassmaster Classic As I watched Chloe Kim defy gravity on a snowboard last night, I was reminded of the splendor and the impact of the Olympics, and what it means to the compeitors who have devoted their lives to just a sliver of actual living. For Kim, it’s the half-pipe. She learned

Taking action to protect the places we live and love

This week’s news that the EPA was suspending the Clean Water Act’s protections for headwater streams was a stark reminder that elections have consequences. The previous presidential administration worked for years to write the rule, and the new one doesn’t like it. Game over, right? No. Don’t forget an unassailable fact—elected leaders are elected. By