The heat wave was accompanied by a dramatic increase in deaths of older juvenile and adult chinook that, had they survived, would have returned from the ocean to freshwater spawning grounds, the NOAA study found.

High energy costs are a fact of life in remote, rural Alaska with few easy answers. But siblings Vjosa and Drini Pellumbi — who recently won top honors for their boiler heat recovery system design — are committed to being part of the solution.

On June 13, community members flocked to Riverview Park for the Return of the Salmon event put on by Mother Kuskokwim Tribal Coalition, a grassroots organization opposing the proposed Donlin Gold mine.

On June 3, Mother Kuskokwim, an advocacy group opposing the proposed Donlin Gold mine project on account of environmental concerns, hosted a protest event in Bethel.

The Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge announced a 30-day closure for all migratory bird species. The closure will be in effect from June 6 through July 6 and applies to the entire region. The only exception is scoters, which have their own closure from June 11 through July 11.

Bethel’s ONC tribe argued that the proposed mine’s removal of water from Crooked Creek, a Kuskokwim River tributary, would damage salmon spawning areas.

Last week, communities along the Yukon River experienced ice jam-related flooding. But as of the evening of May 26, significant ice jams close to the mouth of the river gave way and the water began to recede.

An ice jam below Aniak has inundated low-lying areas in the community and could cause further issues as the breakup front works its way towards Kalskag. But National Weather Service Hydrologist Johnse Ostman said he's optimistic about a lower river that is "thermally mushing out and degrading."

The River Watch team will be back in full force this year, working directly with communities on the Yukon and Kuskokwim and closely monitoring impacts as the ice goes out after a historically cold winter.

A University of Alaska Fairbanks study focusing on the Deshka River found that the predators have become even more voracious as the climate has warmed.