Salmon River Source to Sea

A team of women will ski and paddle the Salmon River from the source to the sea as a conservation campaign promoting the removal of the four Lower Snake River dams and a moratorium on the Stibnite Gold Project, in order to save Idaho’s rapidly dwindling salmon populations from extinction.

The mission is to connect, educate, and engage communities through conversations and storytelling in a call to action around Idaho’s endangered chinook, sockeye, and steelhead populations.

The women will travel over 1,000 miles, following the natural migration path of anadromous fish from the rivers of central Idaho to the Pacific Ocean. The team will make a film about their journey, the salmon populations, the communities most impacted by the declining salmon populations, and the necessity to breach the dams for salmon recovery.

The project will include grassroots action through community events such as group paddling days, tribal visits, river clean ups, citizen science and more. Additionally several educational events with school groups, partnered non-profit organizations, and expert speaker visits will take place.

End of April: begin skiing to the headwaters of the Middle Fork Salmon.

Early May: paddle from the source of the Middle Fork to Corn Creek, then get shuttled to the headwaters of the Main Salmon to start skiing and paddling.

May 19th: reach the put-in for the permitted section of the Main Salmon. Paddle the South Fork Salmon before or after the permitted section of the Main – as river levels allow.

End of May through mid-June: paddle the Lower Salmon through the Snake, switch to sea kayaks, portage the 4 Lower Snake River Dams.

Mid-June: continue in sea kayaks and the slog of flat water with headwinds and 4 more dam portages down the Columbia.

Mid July: reach the Pacific Ocean!