After historic crash, Yukon River’s iconic king salmon run shows early signs of rebound
The jump in salmon numbers has also inflamed a debate about fishing bans amid reports of illegal harvests.
BY Max GrahamAug 14, 2026
TOPIC ARCHIVE
#YUKON RIVER
5 story dispatches filed under this topic.
Alaska’s board of fish restricted a commercial fleet to protect Western Alaska salmon. Then the AG stepped in.
Subsistence fishermen are fighting the attorney general’s decision to overturn the board’s action.
BY Olivia EbertzJun 4, 2026
A diesel spill along the Yukon raises fears about Hilcorp’s drilling program
No one is saying whether the truck that spilled 1,000 gallons of fuel had been on a Hilcorp job. But it belongs to a company that’s worked for Hilcorp on its Yukon Flats exploration program.
BY Nathaniel HerzApr 25, 2025
Above the Yukon River, on Native land, Hilcorp is set to drill for oil this summer
Hilcorp has signed oil leases with Doyon, the Indigenous-owned corporation for Interior Alaska, which hopes the drilling effort will yield the state’s next big oil field. But there’s fierce opposition from local tribes.
BY Nathaniel HerzApr 7, 2025
A Canadian gold mine spill raises fears among Alaskans on the Yukon River
Officials say cyanide pollution at Victoria Gold’s Eagle Mine poses no health risks to Alaskans. But advocates worry it could compound a yearslong salmon crisis on the Yukon River — and should draw new attention to Canadian mines in areas that drain into Alaska waterways.
BY Max GrahamJul 24, 2024