Desiree Hagen

Aucha Kameroff is on a mission. This year, the 65-year-old Yup'ik grandmother traveled hundreds of miles by snowmachine and boat, all to remind people in some of Alaska's most remote communities that their votes matter.

After two disastrous seasons, chum salmon came back to Kotzebue Sound this summer, and some commercial fishermen say it was one of the best years they've had. But the public may never know just how good it was.

Ambler Metals, the company behind the proposed open pit copper and zinc mine, has touted local benefits from the project ranging from construction and mining jobs to new infrastructure and even lower fuel prices.

According to the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, about 85 percent of Ambler's main water lines are cracked, unable to hold pressure, and require replacement.

The phenomenon known as "rusting rivers" happens when once-clear streams release highly acidic and metal-laden water, which pose a direct threat to fish and vegetation. It's happening throughout Alaska's Brooks Range.