Friday September 2, 2022
Redhead Blackbelt —
Over the weekend, the Yurok Tribe’s Fisheries Department received reports of dead and dying adult Chinook salmon on the Lower Klamath River. The Department immediately mobilized monitoring crews, which observed approximately 35 dead adult salmon on a 40-mile river stretch from Blakes Riffle to Weitchpec.
According to the Fisheries Department’s preliminary analysis, the pathogen Flavobacterium columnare is the primary cause of fish mortality. Known locally as Columnaris or Gill Rot, the pathogenic bacteria rots fish’s gills until suffocation. This disease can also cause lesions on the exterior of salmon.
“The number of dead fish is alarming but not surprising given the poor river conditions,” said Yurok Fisheries Department Director Barry McCovey Jr. “We are keeping a close eye on the river and will continue to monitor for disease and deceased fish until the conclusion of the fall run. We will be working closely with the Karuk and Hoopa Valley Tribes and our federal and state partners to assess fish health and to strategize on any necessary response.”