Katherine Moncure (KDLG/Dillingham)

At the end of summer, hordes of salmon fill the streams and creeks around Lake Aleknagik. They have traveled thousands of miles from the ocean. These waterways are an important part of the salmon life cycle, where adult fish come to spawn and then die. The fish aren’t the only ones hanging out in these waters. Each year, researchers from the University of Washington’s Alaska Salmon Program follow them upstream to survey the number of salmon that reach the spawning grounds.

A small village in Bristol Bay received a statewide award for their work promoting literacy and education. The community of about 70 residents has pursued big things from its little library. KDLG’s Katherine Moncure reports that the award’s recipients want to make their programs accessible to others throughout Bristol Bay.

The proposed Pebble Mine has faced significant setbacks recently. But that hasn’t stopped a mysterious new investor from committing millions of dollars to the controversial project at the headwaters of Bristol Bay.