Investing in the Future of the Kenai Kings
The Kenai River is more than a ribbon of water winding through Alaska’s wilderness—it is a source of identity, sustenance, and memory. For generations, it has carried the weight of culture, community, and commerce. And in its depths swim the kings—Chinook salmon—once abundant, always revered. But each season, fewer return.
The Kenai King Initiative is not just a conservation project.
Saving the Kenai Kings means more than protecting a species—it means protecting a way of life. We’re investing in bold, community-powered action to keep the Kenai River alive with kings for future generations.
Research takes resources
So does restoration.
So does the kind of collaboration that spans fisheries, governments, businesses, and local families.
This is your chance to be part of something honest, urgent, and lasting.
This fall, we’re launching a bold effort to bring together commercial and sport fishermen, tribal representatives, scientists, business owners, and concerned citizens—to face the hard truths and chart a shared path forward. This is more than a forum. It’s a rallying point.
The Kenai Watershed Forum was founded over 25 years ago on this same belief: that the health of our river depends on all of us. We’re answering that call again—not as the solution, but as the vehicle to help this community come together and build one.
Your support doesn’t just fund a forum. It fuels collaboration, conservation, and grassroots action for the king.
Our Mission
To create public awareness of the Kenai King crisis.
100% of Donations Fund Research, Restoration, and Protection for Kenai Kings
Your gift—whether one-time or sustaining—does more than preserve a symbol. It funds the work of truth-finding. It supports the path toward recovery. It says we are ready to look closely, listen carefully, and act with integrity—no matter what we discover.
Our Goal
To increase community awareness and develop a community-based action plan to save the king.
Programs
Current Initiatives & Projects
King Salmon Research
We’re filling critical data gaps and supporting collaborative studies to better understand what’s driving the decline—from ocean changes to freshwater pressures.
Community Outreach
Through events, education, and stakeholder engagement, we’re building local support for long-term salmon recovery. Everyone who depends on this river has a role.
Habitat & Policy Work
We’re working to restore river health and shape sustainable management solutions that support both fish and people—backed by science, not politics.
The Weight of the Current
Diving into the Numbers
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Kenai River king salmon returns have dropped by nearly 90% compared to historic averages. Tens of thousands once returned annually—now just 11,000 to 14,000 come back in a typical year.
~700 large kings made it past sonar in 2024—less than half of the minimum needed to sustain the run. Biologists aim for 15,000–30,000 large fish to reach their spawning grounds. Last year, we didn’t come close.
We have 1 river, 1 chance. The Kenai can’t wait. We’re acting now to protect what’s left—not to assign blame, but to face the truth, and then act. The Kenai King Initiative brings together science, knowledge, and community around a common cause: to heal what can still be healed, and protect what should never have been lost.
The Kenai King Initiative was created for this moment— To ask the questions we haven’t yet dared to ask. To seek answers, even when they are inconvenient. To act with courage, because the kings can’t wait.
How You Can Help
Getting Involved
Join the Effort
Be part of a growing movement that’s turning concern into action for the Kenai River’s most iconic fish—before it’s too late.
Together, we’re building a coalition of local voices committed to finding a path forward for the king.
Volunteer with Stream Watch
Help protect the river’s habitat by educating river users and supporting conservation at the ground level. Every conversation and every footstep makes a difference—for salmon, and for the future.
Fuel the Forum
Support the gathering of voices that care most—those who fish, live, and depend on this river—to confront the crisis facing king salmon. This forum is a call to action. Help make it happen.
Fund the Work
Support independent science, restoration projects, and community outreach that keep the Kenai River healthy—and keep king salmon in it. Your donation doesn’t fund an organization—it fuels a movement.
