Fish Die-Off Tubutulik River

Observation by Leigh Takak:

While traveling to our stream flow measuring gauge site, 30 miles up the Tubutulik River, we observed more than 50 otherwise healthy (not spawned out) dead fish including pink and chum salmon and white fish. When we got to the gauge site we took rough temperature readings which indicated the water was 16 degrees centigrade and collected dissolved oxygen data which indicated that the DO was 8 ppm.

Comments from LEO Editors:

LEO has received several observations in the past week about salmon mortalities in rivers along the western coast, possibly related to warm water temperatures from the recent high temperatures across the state.

These observations are being forwarded to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and the Norton Sound Health Corporation.