Salmon Fishers of the Columbia provides a comprehensive historical study of the commercial fishing industry that dominated the massive, fast-flowing waterway forming the border between Washington and Oregon. The author details how the river's diverse physical environments—from the treacherous, storm-battered estuary at the Pacific Ocean to the steep, rocky rapids of the inland gorge—dictated highly specialized harvesting methods like gillnetting, seining, and the use of massive fish wheels. By anchoring the narrative to specific shifting sandbars and turbulent river channels, Smith illustrates how intense industrial competition ultimately clashed with the physical transformation of the basin through sweeping hydroelectric dam projects. Ultimately, the book serves as an environmental and geographic history, documenting how the relentless power and rich aquatic ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest’s largest river shaped generations of maritime livelihood before the natural waterway was permanently altered.

Columbia (Fleuve) Histoire, Columbia River History, History, Indians of North America Fishing, Indians of North America Fishing Northwest, Pacific History, Pacific Northwest, Pacific salmon fisheries, Pacific salmon fisheries Columbia River History, Saumons du Pacifique Pêche commerciale Columbia (Fleuve) Histoire, United States Columbia River

Too many fishers First fishers The innovators Immigrant laborers Highliners Cannery manager Salmon cheaper than meat Loss of habitat Beyond the rules Fish fights Fish for food