2002 Klamath River fish kill

The 2002 Klamath River fish kill occurred on the Klamath River in California in September 2002. Over 70,000 adult chinook salmon were killed when returning to the river to spawn,[1] making it the largest salmon kill in the history of the American west.

A report by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found that the kill resulted from water diversions to Klamath Basin by farmers and ranchers during a drought year.[2] The report found that the atypical low flow in the river along with high fish return numbers and high water temperatures allowed for a gill rot disease to kill at least 33,000 salmon in September 2002, before they could reproduce. The die-off was downstream of the Trinity inflow, and the salmon of the Trinity were impacted to a greater degree than the Klamath as the Trinity run was at its peak. The report does mention that the official fish die-off estimate of 34,056 is probably quite low and could be only half of the actual loss. Klamath River flows as measured at the river gauge in Keno show a low flow of 800 cubic feet per second (22.7 m3/s) in September 1908 (before irrigation began). During the 2002 fish kill, flows of 475 cubic feet per second (13.5 m3/s) were recorded. During September of the 2001 irrigation shut-off, an average of 688 cubic feet per second (19.5 m3/s) was recorded.[3]

In response to a 2007 Washington Post story critical of United States Vice President Dick Cheney's role in diverting water to farmers and ranchers for political gain,[4] the House Natural Resources Committee began an investigation into his role in instigating the fish kill.[5]

The fish kill played an important role in stirring an effort by local American Indian peoples, in concert with environmentalists and fishers, to remove dams on the Klamath River.[6][7]

Community Responses

A play called Salmon is Everything was produced about the fish kill, featuring a cast which included people from the Hupa, Karuk, and Yurok communities.[8] The play was first performed at Humboldt State University, and later at the University of Oregon.[9]

References

  1. ↑ Steve Pedery (2007-07-05). "In Klamath Basin, politics trump science". The Register-Guard. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
  2. ↑ Martin, Glen (2003-11-19). "Salmon kill linked to level of Klamath". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2012-03-17.
  3. ↑ "USGS Gage #11512500 on the Klamath River below Fall Creek near Copco (Average Annual Streamflow)". National Water Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2009-08-23.
  4. ↑ Becker, Jo; Barton Gellma (2007-06-27). "Leaving No Tracks". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2012-03-17.
  5. ↑ "Cheney's role in fish kill probed 2002 Klamath River disaster". The Press Democrat. 2007. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
  6. ↑ Hymon, Steve (2002-09-25). "Salmon Die-Off Reignites Feud Over Klamath River Water". The Los Angeles Times (Oregon Wild). Retrieved 2012-03-17.
  7. ↑ Barnett, Galen (2009). "The Klamath River: Will dam removal be enough to help fish?". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2012-03-17.
  8. ↑ Valentine, Andy (2012-03-16). ""Salmon Is Everything" Opens Friday". Eugene Daily News. Retrieved 2012-03-17.
  9. ↑ Hickson, Patricia (2011). "Salmon Is Everything: A Many-Sided Story". University of Oregon. Retrieved 2012-03-17.


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