California Fish and Wildlife. (Photo: wildlife.ca.gov)
Did Fish and Game Officials Just Cause 850,000 Juvenile Salmon to Die?
Is the Klamath Dam removal just a giant social and scientific experiment – on humans in the region as well as fish and wildlife?
By Katy Grimes, March 3, 2024 9:53 am
The removal of dams along the Klamath River in Siskiyou County, Northern California was sold to Californians as necessary to save salmon – specifically, “to restore habitat for endangered fish,” the Globe reported.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife recently released between 850,000 and 1 million salmon juveniles into Fall Creek which empties into the Klamath River, even after reports that “every living mollusk, crawdad, turtle, fish, insect in and about the river is DEAD!” William Simpson, a Siskiyou resident, told the Globe in an interview last week, when they were released that the juvenile salmon would also die because of the muddy clay sediment.
During a discussion with the Globe last Wednesday:
“Simpson said about 850,000 salmon fry were released into Fall Creek this week by California Fish And Wildlife. Fall Creek empties into the Klamath River.”
“Simpson said this is nuts. He said he is concerned that the volatile conditions in the Klamath River will likely hurt/kill the tiny fish as they enter the sediment-laden Klamath River, which he describes as mucky clay.”
“He said the ‘water flows are likely to be low in the coming months compounding adverse conditions for any aquatic life, let alone tiny salmonids that are quite vulnerable to turbidity and pollutants from clay lake bottom sediments.’”
The Globe had been alerted by Theodora Johnson that the CDFW was releasing approximately 1M juvenile salmon despite the deadly conditions. So we contacted Fish and Wildlife on Feb. 26, 2024 to ask why:
Hello Mr. Harris and Ms. Robinson,
I am a credentialed State Capitol reporter and have been covering the Klamath Dam removal.
I was informed of the fish hatchery release today of 1M juvenile salmon, under really bad conditions because of sediment levels.
It is my understanding that under these conditions, CDFW should be trying to rescue the juveniles.
Can you explain why and perhaps what the plan is?
Thank you,
Katy Grimes
California Globe
I received a response the following day telling me:
“Good morning Katy,
Thanks for reaching out to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. All media inquiries are routed through our communications offices in Sacramento and one of our team of information officers. I will look into this matter and get back to you. Thanks again.”
And then nothing – no other contact from Fish and Wildlife. No answers as to why they released hundreds of thousands of juvenile salmon under the worst imaginable conditions, only to have them die.
How is this saving endangered fish? And is this just a giant social and scientific experiment – on humans in the region as well as fish and wildlife?
Thus far, California Gov. Newsom has facilitated the destruction of one of California’s largest rivers and the draining of giant reservoirs.
The Globe reported in 2020:
Governor Newsom’s appeal implored Buffett to back the demolition project to save the salmon populations that many Native American tribes in the area rely on. “The river is sick, and the Klamath Basin tribes are suffering,” said Newsom in his letter. “The Klamath dam removals are a shining example of what we can accomplish when we act according to our values.”
In his letter to Buffett, Newsom said dam destruction could also revive salmon populations for regional Native American tribes that rely on salmon fishing.
Now we learn that the 850,000 to 1 million are dead. From Siskiyou News:
According to California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), ‘830,000’ taxpayer funded salmon are dead. Interesting that on day of the release, at the site of the release, the Senior Environmental Scientist for CDFW, Mr. Eric Jones, told William Simpson they had released 850,000 salmon fry, yet in their news release they seem to have downplayed the number that died.
According to California Department of Fish and Wildlife:
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced today that fall-run Chinook salmon fry released for the first time from its Fall Creek Fish Hatchery in Siskiyou County are presumed to have succumbed to gas bubble disease in the Klamath River.
On Monday, Feb. 26, CDFW released approximately 830,000 fall-run Chinook salmon fry into Fall Creek, a tributary of the Klamath River above Iron Gate Dam. The fish were hatched at CDFW’s new, $35 million, state-of-the-art Fall Creek Fish Hatchery, which represents California’s long-term commitment to supporting and restoring both Chinook and coho salmon runs on an undammed Klamath River.
“According to Simpson, he believes the so-called ‘bubble disease’ is a red herring, and that the clay-mud turbidity was instrumental in the death of the salmon fry, which are very susceptible to poor quality water and turbidity,” Siskiyou News reported.
CDFW insists the massive die-off was not caused by the water quality of the Klamath River, “which is still undergoing a lengthy- and controversial– dam removal process. According to the CDFW, turbidity and dissolved oxygen measurements in the river came up as ‘suitable’ as of Monday, February 26th,” KRCR TV reported.
“Everyone, including the fisheries scientists are guessing as to what might happen next in this grand environmentally and financially costly dam removal experiment,” Simpson told the Globe.
wildlife.ca.gov/News/Archive/fall-run-chinook-salmon-fry-succumb-to-gas-bubble-disease-in-klamath-river#gsc.tab=0)
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I appreciate the objective view of the current state of the river. I think the sediment washing down was known and anticipated, so it is not really news. Releasing the fry right now seems stupid though. It will take a couple years or more for the river to settle in and then we will be able to tell if this was a success or failure.
What about the ecosystem down river that was destroyed?not to mention a really good chance that rural water wells will be contaminated.
It is not just Salmon that are impacted by this biocidal project.
One has to be seriously brainwashed to look at the result of the Klamath Dams removal, the “greens” who pushed for it, as well the “green” governor Gavin Newsom who did their bidding, who furthermore called it “….a shining example of what we can accomplish when we act according to our values,” and admiringly regard it all as “environmentalism.”
If it is an “experiment,” it’s a very sick and destructive one, on the fish, the waterways, the surrounding land, and the people who live there, who, by the way, do not now know to what extent their land (which supports their livelihoods), has been poisoned, their well water poisoned, etc.— which follows the course of the entire river and its adjacent lands.
Therefore what other conclusion can we come to but that the Klamath Basin has been purposely fouled, poisoned, and blighted when our own Dept of Fish and Game releases a million juvenile salmon into the ruined, toxic soup of this environmental disaster? And what other conclusion can we come to when apparently common sense alone could have predicted the awful and deadly result of this sickening environmental disaster in the first place?
What the heck is behind this? Are the politicians and their partners-in-crime seeking to blight this area, the way they have blighted our coastal and other cities, so the entire catastrophe can be cheaply bought, rehabbed, then sold to other shadowy interests for a money return that will dwarf its previous use? All while calling themselves “greens” and “environmentalists” and “friends of indigenous peoples” in order to get away with it?
Your questions hit the nail on the head. Welcome to The Great Reset. Scams like this one are all just massive wealth transfer programs – from us to the moneyed, special interests surrounding the likes of Klaus Schwab. Did you know that Hair Gel is an alumni of the WEF’s young global leaders programs (https://www.younggloballeaders.org/)?
Very sad news.
Interesting it is having the complete opposite effect they intended!
I hope they realize Salmons Lives Matter!
Seriously, they do matter. They just destroyed a great eco system but they subscribe to the criteria of “you can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs” or in this case you can’t have a thriving salmon population without killing a million or so juvenile fish!
This will prove to be an eco-disaster.
Cali Girl, that’s like Vietnam when the army said “We had to destroy the village in order to save it.”
Yes, sadly same destructive ideology!
I anticipate learning, how illegal Marijuana cultivation on the silt flats may resurrect the Klamath from its current state.
The eco-scape will eventually repair itself but then the next big storm will destroy it again. This cycle will continue forever. Greens forget that one of the original reasons for constructing dams is for flood control. Generating electricity, creating recreational opportunities, and forming a lake to create a food source for the locals, were just side benefits.
What do you expect from the morons running things in Commifornia. These idiots can’t do anything right and the citizens just keep electing them. Who are the real morons?
Full blown MURDEROUS commutards are in charge, what DID you think would happen? Atomic powered flying cars?
” . . . the salmon populations that many Native American tribes in the area rely on.”
Prove that with verifiable data.
Having spent some of my high school years in Hornbrook and Hilt we watched this circus with interest We see the same sort of idiocy happening in Idaho. Search the Wildlands Project map, compiled from information in the Global Biodiversity Assessment, a k a as agenda 21. Tribal and international pressure becomes obvious.
The “Green” Death cult strikes again. Not only do they want to exterminate the human race they want to exterminate all life on the planet.
If you care about the environment then reject Green and embrace Conservation.
AMEN
Taking via Significant Habitat Modification or Degradation Penalties to fit the facts and circumstances of a particular case up to the statutory maximum ($2G?) x 850K… That would cover a lot of free fishing licenses.
I doubt it was “bubble disease” from passing through the opening at the base of Iron Gate. Look at the photos. The river is “free flow” which they have even made claims about. This means that the tunnel is not under pressure flow and that there would not be a pressure change.
“Your tax dollars at work” fucking up perfectly good dams and rivers for the benefit of a few libtard, do-gooder freaks! How many millions have been scammed from the citizens of CA by communist NewScum this time?