Because of Cheney's intervention, the government reversed itself and let the water flow in time to save the 2002 growing season, declaring that there was no threat to the fish. What followed was the largest fish kill the West had ever seen, with tens of thousands of salmon rotting on the banks of the Klamath River.

April and early May fishing is very good. Most of our charter trips are catching limits. Clear skies with the wind out of the northeast at 5-10 mph have been the norm. The water flowing into Milwaukee harbor is 57 degrees. We have been fishing the temp breaks in front of the river mouth and harbor gaps marking fish at all depths. Our best...

Few wildlife spectacles in North America compare to the sight of bears gathered along streams and rivers to scoop up spawning salmon. Our findings surprised us: bears actually nourish the forests by discarding partially eaten salmon carcasses. The flow of nutrients from ocean to streams to woodlands is an unexpected and unprecedented direction.

Coordinates: 46°14′39″N 124°3′29″W / 46.24417, -124.05806The Columbia River is a river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It is named after the Columbia Rediviva, the first ship from the western world known to have traveled up the river. It stretches from the Canadian province of British Columbia, through the U.S. state of Washington; forming much of the border between Washington and Oregon before emptying into the Pacific Ocean. The river is 1,243 miles (2,000 km) long, and its drainage basin is 258,000 square miles (668,217 km²).Measured by the volume of its flow, the Columbia is the largest river flowing into the Pacific from North America, and is the fourth-largest river in the United States. The river's heavy flow, and its large elevation drop over a relatively short distance, give it tremendous potential for the generation of electricity. It is the largest hydroelectric power producing river in North America, with 14 hydroelectric dams in the United States and Canada.The Columbia and its tributaries are home to numerous anadromous fish, which migrate between small, fresh water tributaries of the river and the Pacific Ocean. These fish - especially the various species of salmon - have been a vital part of the river's ecology and the local economy for thousands of years.The taming of the river for human use, and the industrial waste that resulted in some cases, have come into conflict with ecological conservation numerous times since Americans and Europeans began to settle the area in the 18th century. This "harnessing," as it was commonly described in the popular culture of the early 20th century, included dredging for navigation by larger ships, nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons research and production, and the construction of dams for power generation, irrigation, navigation, and flood control.