Fish Kill

[ollie]

So Sunday I went down there to take a look and see if they stocked anything since MDC was in a stocking mood with all the trout streams. I was definitely surprised at what I saw. At the first bridge down from the mill there must have been 50+ trout all belly up on the bottom where it looks like they dumped them into the river. Pretty much all of them were in a 10 foot radius so they had to have died immediately when they hit the water or maybe they were dead already I don't know. I thought maybe shock at first, but you would think some of them would have scattered out before dying. I am going to have to ask the conservation department what happened on this one. Needless to say, I didn't catch anything down there so I headed back home early. Can't say I have ever seen that at Capps before.  

[BilletHead]

47 minutes ago, ollie said:

So Sunday I went down there to take a look and see if they stocked anything since MDC was in a stocking mood with all the trout streams. I was definitely surprised at what I saw. At the first bridge down from the mill there must have been 50+ trout all belly up on the bottom where it looks like they dumped them into the river. Pretty much all of them were in a 10 foot radius so they had to have died immediately when they hit the water or maybe they were dead already I don't know. I thought maybe shock at first, but you would think some of them would have scattered out before dying. I am going to have to ask the conservation department what happened on this one. Needless to say, I didn't catch anything down there so I headed back home early. Can't say I have ever seen that at Capps before.  

                    Dumped dead I am betting Ollie. Did you get a picture to show MDC? let us know what you are told. Thanks for sharing. 

[ollie]

Yeah, I got a couple of pics so I am going to reach out to them today and see what they say. I just heard back from Rick at MDC. There was a malfunction in the oxygen line when they transported them from RR. MDC was aware of it and told me only about a fourth of the stocking down there was like that. Some did survive, but not all. At least they owned up to it and are aware of the issue.

[trythisonemv]

Why would they dump them any way? Unless they were inter mixed it seems kind of like a bad idea. 

[dblades]

Either dump the live ones or let them die going back? 

[tjm]

1 hour ago, trythisonemv said:

Why would they dump them any way? Unless they were inter mixed it seems kind of like a bad idea. 

"only about a fourth of the stocking down there was like that."

So yeah that sounds like the live, the dead and the almost dead fish would be mixed in the same truck tank and in the same dip net full, best course is to stock them all before more die. The dead fish in the stream  won't hurt a thing, feed for turtles and crayfish. About 10-20% of all C&R fish die and we don't get excited, so this is just a few more than normal. And in that fishery the ones that live  will be gutted and fried in a short time anyway. I've there when MDC was stocking a couple times and within 1/2 hour of a passing car seeing the stocking truck 4 or more local cars showed up and before the  hour had passed that many more, telephone spreads the word. Probably even faster with cellphones.

@ollie thanks for the report and for the follow up.

Wonder if MDC will try to make up the loss with an additional stocking or just let it go. Likely just let it go. I believe that is scheduled for five rainbow dumps per year and one of browns.

O^2 shortage is reason enough for dead fish. I would not suspect "shock" from the drop during stocking, I've seen trout dropped from taller bridges and go to feeding within minutes of the stocking. And I've seen fingerling trout dumped from a passing airplane into an alpine lake in Idaho, and they grew up, that must have been a 150'-200' at probably 100mph or faster travel. I've watched as trout were tossed off that particular bridge and went to feeding almost immediately, it always surprises me how little the flight through the air affects the fish.

 

[ollie]

No, they won't make up the difference in the next stocking I'm sure. I was betting on them being dead before hitting the water, but you never know. I'm also sure they didn't want to take them back after they figured out what was going on.