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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Eye On Boise

Report: Faster response needed to mitigate salmon die-offs

Here’s a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A draft report taking a hard look at last summer's massive die-off of sockeye salmon in the Columbia River Basin says Northwest fisheries managers must respond faster to mitigate future fish kills if similar warm-water conditions return. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report released last month describes conditions and assesses actions of fisheries managers in a year when 90 percent of the 510,000 sockeye salmon that entered the Columbia died. Endangered Snake River sockeye perished at an even greater rate. About 1 percent of the 4,000 fish returning from the Pacific Ocean survived the 900-mile journey to central Idaho. The report recommends real-time monitoring of fish ladder temperatures at dams to provide early warning signals. Another suggestion is having plans in place to trigger fisheries managers into action.



Betsy Z. Russell
Betsy Z. Russell joined The Spokesman-Review in 1991. She currently is a reporter in the Boise Bureau covering Idaho state government and politics, and other news from Idaho's state capital.

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