My grandfather said that when he moved to Port Angeles in 1947, the salmon runs were so thick that he could have almost walked across the rivers on the backs of the spawning salmon. Today, in many of these same rivers, one would be lucky to spot one or two salmon. All Salmon, from the time they hatch from their eggs, face great challenges. Out of around 2,000 eggs laid by one female, generally only about half will hatch. Those that hatch are immediately subject to many natural and man-made obstacles.
Small salmon are easy prey for many species of fish, birds, and mammals.
Pollution or warm water temperatures caused by slow water current also kill many salmon. On rivers with dams, although fish ladders or other systems may help returning salmon bypass the dam, not much can be done to help the small salmon elude a dam. Also, in more rural areas, streams and rivers run low because their water has been diverted to irrigate crops. On rivers with dams, the speed of the current is much slower than it was naturally. This allows predators which would not normally live there to flourish.