A 'fish taxi' and a billion-dollar plan to save endangered salmon in the Willamette Basin

Explore Oregon: Making the most of the outdoors

In this episode of the Explore Oregon Podcast, Zach looks at a billion-dollar plan that involves using "fish taxis" and "fish Disney Worlds" to save endangered spring chinook in the Upper Willamette Basin. The plan centers on moving salmon around dams with massive trucks, and allowing the fish to spawn in the upper river that in the past was blocked by dams. The hope is that is to rebuild wild salmon numbers that have fallen to around 4,000 to 7,000 fish per year, down from 300,000 historically. The podcast is based on Zach's in-depth reporting on a massive, multi-billion dollar plan proposed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.