Wild, scenic, and toxic: Recent degradation of an iconic Arctic watershed with permafrost thaw
The Salmon River and many of its tributaries in Alaska's Brooks Range now have toxic levels of metals, exceeding EPA safety thresholds for aquatic life. This contamination, likely due to thawing permafrost exposing sulfide minerals, may explain the recent dramatic decline in chum salmon returns to this watershed, impacting local communities dependent on the salmon for both livelihood and sustenance.