Port Angeles: Pump malfunction kills 600,000 young salmon at Elwha hatchery

PORT ANGELES — A water pump malfunction at the Lower Elwha Klallam tribal fish hatchery in late January led to the death of 70 percent of the facility’s newly hatched coho salmon.

The failure occurred either early on the morning of Jan. 30 or late the night before but wasn’t detected until 600,000 of 850,000 coho alevin were dead.

Fish in the alevin stage have freshly emerged from their egg. At hatcheries, they remain in incubation trays while feeding from their yolk sacks, which hang attached to the underside of their bodies and provide vital nutrients until absorbed.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

Details of the pump failure came to light Friday morning in an interview with hatchery fish manager Doug Morrill.

—————–

The rest of the story appears in Sunday’s Peninsula Daily News.

More in News

Ballots to be mailed Wednesday for special election

Four school districts put forward measures

Connor Cunningham of Port Townsend, an employee of the Port of Port Townsend, hangs a sign for new business owner Lori Hanemann of Port Townsend on Friday at her shop in what was a former mortgage office at Point Hudson Marina. (Steve Mullensky/for Peninsula Daily News)
Shop sign

Connor Cunningham of Port Townsend, an employee of the Port of Port… Continue reading

Teenager receives heart transplant after 12-hour surgery

Additional surgery was expected to close chest

f
Readers give $108K in donations to Home Fund

Donations can be made for community grants this spring

Red Parsons, left, Kitty City assistant manager who will help run the Bark House, and Paul Stehr-Green, Olympic Peninsula Humane Society board president and acting executive director, stand near dog kennels discussing the changes they are making to the Bark House to ensure dogs are in a comfortable, sanitary environment when the facility reopens in February. (Emma Maple/Peninsula Daily News)
Humane Society officials plan to reopen Bark House

Facility, closed since last July, could be open by Valentine’s Day

Clallam EDC awarded $4.2M grant

Federal funding to support forest industry

Firm contacts 24 agencies for potential OMC partner

Hospital on timeline for decision in May

Port Townsend nets $5.3 million in transportation grants

Public works considers matching funds options

Holly Hildreth of Port Townsend, center, orders a latte for the last time at the Guardhouse, a cafe at Fort Worden State Park, on Wednesday. At noon the popular cafe was to close permanently, leaving an empty space for food, drinks and restroom facilities in the park. (Steve Mullensky/for Peninsula Daily News)
Fort Worden Hospitality closes business operations

Organization faced with ‘legal limbo’ because lease was rejected

Clallam fire districts providing automatic support

Mutual aid helps address personnel holes

You're browsing in private mode.
Please sign in or subscribe to continue reading articles in this mode.

Peninsula Daily News relies on subscription revenue to provide local content for our readers.

Subscribe

Already a subscriber? Please sign in