CityStream segments

The Duwamish waterway has long been prized for its abundant salmon runs. That changed in the early twentieth century when industrialization led to decades of pollution. Salmon runs diminished, and the Duwamish was in trouble. Fortunately, the federal government stepped in and has worked to reverse the damage. Local company Vigor, which owns a massive shipyard on Harbor Island, is also helping. It’s creating a so-called “rest stop” for salmon by removing thousands of pilings coated with toxic creosote. Vigor is also dredging tons of contaminated silt. As Michael Crowe reports, the new sheltered habitat will help salmon find food, gather strength, and hopefully give them a better chance to survive.