http://hotnews.oregonlive.com/cgi-free/getstory.cgi?o0426_AM_)R-FishHatcheryLoss&OR&news&ornews

1/7/0000

Baby Salmon Kill at Hatchery

1.3 million baby salmon were killed when an alarm failed to alert workers that a pump supplying water to indoor incubators had shut off during the night.

The alarm failed to reset properly after power was cutoff for maintenance by the Corp of Engineers which operates Lost Creek Dam above the hatchery.

-- bardou (bardou@baloney.com), January 09, 2000

Answers

Nope. Not Y2K related. In fact, if you just ask flint-child, absolutely nothing that can ever happen or go wrong can EVER be Y2k related. It would be nonsense to even try to associate it with Y2k. As a matter of fact, if you even so much as THINK that it might be Y2K related, flint-child will have you reported to your local mental health authorities. After all he has omnisciently spoken, ex cathedra, from on high claiming that in another week ALL Y2K problems will vanish into the background noise. It is painfully obvious that no entity could possibly have any disincentive to reveal a Y2K issue. Lord knows they would have no liability qualms nor grievances with their insurance company nor litigation to face. All problems will simply hereafter be called run-of-the-mill everday normal snafu's. Only a malicious malignant malcontent exhibiting wild-eyed misanthropy could even suggest otherwise.

Never mind the daily increases in reported failures. Never mind the new information that embedded systems are going into feedback loops and failing seven to 10 days after they 'should have'. Never mind that there are an unexplicable number of fires, explosions and chemical dumpings which CAN NOT be attributed to Y2K even thought they are 'strangely' out of the norm. Never mind that we are only a scant week into the potential failures.

PAY NO ATTENTION to any mention of Y2k!!

Thus spake the great and wonderful flint-child! Let there be no more discussion nor senseless debate. It is written, so, let it be done!

Paul Milne

Clinton: "I did not have sex with that woman, Miss Lewinsky"

bks: "It was not overt lying. It was overgeneralization for rhetorical purposes."

-- Paul Milne (fedinfo@halifax.com), January 09, 2000.

Exactly how much time were people spending looking for or posting hatchery fish kills pre-Y2K?

-- John H Krempasky (johnk@dmv.com), January 09, 2000.

If you live within five miles of a 7-11, you're toasted salmon!

-- Alfred E. (What@MeWorry.com), January 09, 2000.

You know that is a hard thing to figure, John. Also, it is hard to figure out how much of everything was going on before we all got so tuned in with the internet. y2k is happening at the highest height of internet global connection. We are able to get all kinds of info that never was available before. It is very difficult to measure these things due to our new founded awareness. There really is no frame of reference since the net has grown with y2k. I think time will tell all.

-- a mom (who@knows.com), January 09, 2000.

Just thought I'd throw in my 2 cents. In the Pacific Northwest a fish kill is news without having looking for it. The economic impact on the local economy makes it a newsworthy subject by default.

-- Ken Mitcham (ken_mitcham@yahoo.com), January 09, 2000.

I'm glad I have 1147 cans of Tuna left ... :o)

-- deckman@topodehill (bendover@needky2.com), January 09, 2000.

And 3 cases of smoked, sugared Alaskan salmon ..... ! mmmmmm

John, for what it's worth this hatchery kill was sectional front page news in the Oregonian newspaper, as so much of the economy and mucho politics now revolve around slamon runs v. dams. It was first posted early Satruday, which is the day the articel ran. Hard to miss out here. 1.3 million fry, eggs, or hatchlings killed ..... and my guess is many other "compromised". Half the Rogue River release for the coming year.

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-- SH (squirrel@huntr.com), January 10, 2000.

FRED did it

-- Nancy (wellsnl@hotmail.com), January 10, 2000.

Bottom line it, guys. For well over a year I've heard about unsubstantiated chemical plant explosions, CEO's retiring, and potential water problems. Now a major fish kill.

It's well past time to put-up or shut-up. Is it related to Y2K or not?

Please, please, prove it, for once.

-- cjs (cjs@cjs.com), January 10, 2000.

There is no way for a outsider to prove anything is y2k related. For now, all we can do is speculate. Those that don't want to read the speculation don't have to.

-- Dave (dannco@hotmail.com), January 10, 2000.

"It's well past time to put-up or shut-up. Is it related to Y2K or not?"

Hawk says it is Y2K related, but people don't like to admit that because insurance companies don't cover it.

-- Hawk (flyin@high.again), January 10, 2000.

Heh, I wasn't searching for this story, as a matter of fact, my husband and I took a trip to Reno and we heard and saw it on the news. They explained what happened and I thought it was a good story to report here. BTW, I could have reported the Y2K glitch in the same news location of welfare checks being delayed, but I thought the fish story was more significant. Why do I think it was more significant? Because 2 years from now when those fish were suppose to mature, they won't be around, which means no salmon on your plate. The Cocoa Puff crowd will always be with us.

-- bardou (bardou@baloney.com), January 10, 2000.

The Rogue hatchery produced fall chinook appear to be a part of one of the largest runs on the west coast - the southern Oregon - Northern California fall chinook. As part of the same genetic ESU (Ecologically significant unit) they can probably draw eggs from a variety of hatcheries if needed: http://www.nwfsc.noaa.gov/pubs/tm/tm35/Appendices/AppendixDPt1.html#

You might note that there is sunbstantial indication that many hatchery practices have severe adverse impacts on "natural spawners." (e.g. Density dependent rearing mortality; altering of coadaptive gene complex by stray; and disease.) It is only natural spawners that are counted for listing under the Endangered Species Act.

Ironically, the hatchery accident may prove a population boon to local naturally spawning fall chinook. Although these were determined to be a healthy population not requiring listing, coho (another salmon) did not fare the same.

The hatcheries may help the coastal fisherman, but, because of the Endangered Species Act, they are a bane to land and resource managers.

-- marsh (armstrng@sisqtel.net), January 10, 2000.