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Photos: The Salmon Project, Kobuk River

(Fourteenth of 15 parts)

The Kobuk River is a major source of food for the five communities located along it. Irregular weather patterns and changing climate have impacted these communities with flooding, seasonal shifts in river channels used for transportation, and erosion's effect on fisheries.

Erosion has a two-part effect on fisheries. It changes the river's channels and thereby the fishes' ability to navigate to their spawning grounds, and it causes sediment to cover and suffocate the eggs. The fisheries of the Kobuk River include sheefish, multiple species of whitefish and chum salmon, among others.

Oscar Avellaneda-Cruz was born in Colombia and transplanted to Alaska at the age of three. If he's not taking photos, he can be found swimming or riding his bike. He lives in Anchorage with his partner Laura and their dog Chino.

The Salmon Voices Series is produced by The Salmon Project, an experiment in telling and hearing the stories of Alaskans and our salmon. The project hopes to highlight and deepen Alaskans' strong personal relationships with salmon as food, a source of income, and a way of life. Support for the project is provided by the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation.

The views expressed here are the writer's own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, e-mail commentary(at)alaskadispatch.com.

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