As the ocean warms and grows more hostile, the icy waters of the Taku river have served as refuge for salmon and an abundance of more-than-human kin. However, threats from mining and resource extraction are posed to forever change the habitat of the watershed. The 1957 abandonment of the Tulsequah Chief mine in British Columbia left a disastrous environmental impact. This mine still requires billions of dollars worth of clean up action and constant monitoring to ensure the protection of this river system. Further mining projects, improper mine clean up, and mineral staking continue to threaten the vital river systems of so-called Canada and The United States. The Taku, the Unuk, and the Stikine are all transboundary rivers beginning in British Columbia, Canada, and flowing through to Alaska. They are unique both in their beauty and abundance, and in the inter-governmental action required to regulate them. The Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 dictates relations across international borders, but the treaty alone will not protect these rivers from acid mine drainage and continued extraction. Downstream politics inextricably connects the actions of mining companies in British Columbia to the livelihoods of the Tlingit Nation, Alaskans, and British Columbians who are dependent on the river. Chris Zimmer invites us to imagine what clean, healthy rivers can bring us, and to propel love for these rivers towards ethical action. 

Calling into question international agreements, futures of mining, and responses to climate change, this enduring conversation unsettles and uproots our conceptions of borders and speaks to a need for unified and long-term visions as we heal in the wake of resource extracting regimes.

Chris Zimmer is the Alaska Campaign Director of Rivers Without Borders. Based in Juneau, Chris has been with Rivers Without Borders since 2001. He has worked on environmental issues for over 30 years in Washington DC, Washington State, Montana and Alaska, including nuclear weapons testing, Columbia River dams and salmon, forest campaigns and transponder mining issues. Chris enjoys fishing and hunting in the watersheds he helps to protect.

♫ The music featured in this episode is “Funny River” by Jon Yonts, "Falter" by Golden Oak, and "Boiling Down Silas" by Larkhall.

Episode References

InTheField: NUSKMATA (Jacinda Mack) on the Gold Rush That Never Ended — FOR THE WILD 
Rivers Without Borders 
News and Information on the Mount Polley Mine Disaster

Chris’ Recommendations

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