Our clean water and healthy fish are under threat.

The history of overuse and exploitation of the river in the face of various industrial booms is still evident in the water levels and quality of the Spokane River today. The salmon that once “caused the river to run black” with their great numbers are now virtually non-existent. Aluminum processing during WWII resulted in high levels of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs) oil, petroleum-based fuels, and chromium in the water, and despite no longer being produced, still threatens aquatic life and the safety of the people that use the Spokane River. Climate change and river modification continue to increase water temperatures, changing the ecological makeup of the river.

Map of Spokane River with Major Dischargers and Fish Consumption Advisory (Spokane River Forum)

This does not mean that Washington has always held its standards high. The federal government built an aluminum processing facility in order to construct aluminum sheets for WWII. The facility started producing aluminum in 1943, and after the war ended it sold the plant to private corporations who continued to use the factory to produce aluminum. The facility also produced polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) oil, petroleum-based fuels, and chromium. Doing so produced waste in many forms, including wastewater, chrome sludge, paint and solvent wastes, and black dross. While the passage of the Clean Water Act led to more restrictions and improved water quality, considerable effort is still required to clean up and restore the river.