ONE STREAM, MANY BARRIERS

Migrating salmon encounter a number of barriers in urban streams, from culverts to trash grates. Washington is spending millions to remove them.

In this interactive, visual narrative, readers can follow a salmon’s journey through an urban stream, encountering various obstacles on the way. This story is part of the Times’ Tunnel Vision series, which won a 2025 Pulitzer Finalist in Local Reporting and First Place in Graphics and Illustrations in the 2024 SPJ NW Journalism Contest.

Preview the graphics below, or explore the scrolling version published in The Seattle Times on Sunday, March 10, 2024.

Process

Here’s some of my preliminary sketches. My initial idea was to show a salmon’s point of view. Some fish travel across the edge of the frame, adding more visual interest.

I rendered the final art digitally in Procreate on the iPad, which allowed me to make changes on layers as needed. Although digital, the style is based on my past experience in traditional pen-and-ink and watercolor. I enjoyed leaving hand-drawn touches, like the box frames.

Finally, I collaborated with Frank Mina, Assistant Managing Editor, to code the scrolling version for the online story. Readers can now follow a salmon’s journey up an urban stream—encountering various barriers along the way 🐟 🐟 🐟

VIEW THE SCROLLING VERSION:
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/times-watchdog/removing-wa-salmon-barriers-surges-to-1m-a-day-but-results-are-murky/

MORE ON SALMONIDS:
How pink salmon became climate winners
For Washington steelhead, flexibility is a survival strategy
50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act