The Yakima River is located in south-central Washington, United States and flows approximately
320 kilometers to join the Columbia River. The Yakima River is in the traditional territory of the Yakama Peoples on the eastern
border. The 1855 treaty that Indigenous Peoples signed with the settler government of Washington Territory included over 12 million acres of land, in which the tribe reserved their right to
continue to fish, hunt, and gather in this area.1
The Yakima River used to be home to wild trout -- downstream of the river. It had
also been a primary breeding ground for salmon, but due to the creation of impassable dams, the salmon had been absent from this area for over 100 years.2 Indigenous Peoples used the river as a plentiful fishery until the arrival of settlers
in the 1800s. Settler development of the region, consequently, led to a decline in
the salmon in the river and its tributaries.3
Today, there is a conservation plan in place in order to provide water enhancement
and supply, which is meant to create a better environment for fishing and fish habitats.
The bringing back of the missing fish was also re-giving the spiritual aspects of the fish back to
the Indigenous community. Overall, the goal today for the Yakima River is to improve water quality and quantity from a modern landscape perspective.4