Klamath River Fish Kill 2002 (Earthjustice)

More info:
http://www.earthjustice.org/library/background/legacy-of-klamath-river-fish-k...

The news started coming in on a late September Saturday in 2002. Hundreds of salmon, maybe thousands of salmon, were floating belly-up in the lower Klamath River. The first emails were tentative, as folks in northern California wrote "we think there's a fish kill going on." By Monday, no one was using the word "think." The count of dead fish was in the thousands and rising; people said you could smell the river way before you could see it -- the stench of dead salmon hanging in the hot California air. In the end, the California Department of Fish and Game estimated the count at over 65, 000 dead fish.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Klamath
• River
• Fish
• Kill
• Salmon
• California
• Endangered
• Species
• Earthjustice
• Environment

[QualityACTKids]

This is not accurate. Farms up there are small and good land stewards. Take a trip and see your self. Travel the river and see for yourself what really happens. Hatcheries are releasing fish yet govt wants to take them over. A land grab using fish story as cover, with many to gain and local small farmers and YOU loose rights. Search and you will see the many reasons why the salmon counts are low. MANY parties & ocean temps are involved. Removing clean energy dams is ridiculous!

[Cachedchex]

not to say that natives over fishing for commercial fishing isn't bad though. serious dilemma

[Cachedchex]

more like oxygen depletion caused by the algal blooms in the many warmer dammed up sections. natives have been netting for hundreds of years without too many issues, now they gotta compete with the honkies.

[Auendave]

it all the indians gill netting the fish

[powellashley24]

The Dams have a huge Impact on this! the Salmon is medicine food to the people of the klamath and elders were heart broken and many have been dying so quickly since this happened!

[bojoben]

because intelligent people see your idea as laughable. only stupid people don't understand why.

[artbymungo]

it is happening to them still, killing the fish for alfalfa farms (for livestock) is continued cultural genocide

[artbymungo]

the problem really is low flows, its a highly political issue. farmers in oregon vs. tribes in california. the bureaucrats (Gale Norton) caved to the farmers allocations, this die-off was a blunder by the 'educated folks' in charge

[artbymungo]

both. plus the price per lb can be forced too low and then folks over fish just to make a living

[amy1827]

I just watched an excellent documentary on this very same thing this week -- I think it had much of the same footage. Very informative. I see now why we must fight to keep the Klamath River as nature intended.

ps. shawboy7 -- ppl like you are ignorant