Equipment Failure Blamed For Fish Kill

An equipment failure is being blamed for killing about 3.7 million juvenile salmon at the Little White Salmon National Fish Hatchery.

The fish suffocated when the supply of fresh water to their incubation trays was interrupted Tuesday night, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced.

The loss represented about 95 percent of the hatchery’s stock of upriver bright fall chinook. Officials said they hoped to replace at least some of the fish with stock from other hatcheries.

The equipment that apparently failed mixes water from the Little White Salmon River and nearby springs and wells. A new mechanical system was installed in September after the hatchery sustained severe damage in February 1996 flooding.

The fish that were killed had been spawned in October and November and were scheduled to be moved to ponds next month.

Spring chinook salmon fry in the same building were not affected because they were in tanks that contained more water and lower densities of fish.