The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) reported the loss of approximately 830,000 fall-run Chinook salmon fry released from Fall Creek Fish Hatchery, presumed to have succumbed to gas bubble disease in the Klamath River.
The fry were released on Feb. 26 into Fall Creek. According to CDFW, despite suitable water quality conditions, monitoring data downstream indicated significant mortality likely due to gas bubble disease incurred as the fry migrated through the Iron Gate Dam tunnel.
CDFW said they will plan all future salmon releases below Iron Gate Dam until its removal, which is slated for later this year.
The annual fall-run Chinook salmon production goal for the hatchery is to raise and release 3.25 million fish—1.25 million released as fry, 1.75 million as smolts and 250,000 as yearlings.
