The Salmon Capital of Michigan

Carson Prichard is the conductor of a symphony of voices in a groundbreaking oral history that explores the personal, scientific, and community dimensions of the Lake Huron alewife and Chinook salmon fisheries crashes. Exploring the humble beginnings of Rogers City to its rise and fall as 'The Salmon Capital,' Prichard's work is a reminder of the fragile ecosystems Homo sapiens inhabit and upon which they depend. The Salmon Capital of Michigan should be a staple read for fisheries managers and coastal community leaders, residents, researchers, and anglers.

~Brittany Fremion

I have over thirty years of experience as a student and professional with Great Lakes ecosystem changes. What you don't learn from books or experience is how changes in the fisheries affect people in coastal communities. Carson Prichard captures the social and economic aspects of the Lake Huron fishery through his interviews with anglers, business owners, and community leaders.

~Jay Wesley

Prichard provides the reader with a look back at a time when salmon fishing was all anyone could talk about within Great Lakes communities. The size of the fish and the numbers taken were truly astonishing! He does an exceptional job of capturing the essence of what it felt like to experience the dramatic rise as well as the sudden collapse of the fish that put port communities such as Rogers City on the map.

~Scott McLennan

The story of Lake Huron's sudden food web change is a cautionary tale for other Great Lakes. Carson Prichard takes the reader on a fascinating journey into the homes of those who witnessed the meteoric rise and decline of the Chinook salmon fishery in the 'Salmon Capital of Michigan.' But, at the end of the day, those who stayed in Rogers City continue to enjoy a new fishery, one with more diversity of species, and a wonderful part of the Great Lakes.

~Titus Seilheimer

In an account packed with extensive oral histories, Prichard uses locals' own words to uncover what it was like for their community to develop such an important yet relatively short-lived relationship with a new species. It's an illuminating investigation into the complex bond between a small town and the natural world.

~Publisher's Weekly