2002 Klamath River fish kill facts for kids

The 2002 Klamath River fish kill was a sad event that happened in September 2002 on the Klamath River in California. Many fish died because of low water levels and warm temperatures.

About 34,000 fish were officially counted as dead. However, some people believe over 70,000 adult chinook salmon died. This made it the biggest salmon kill ever in the Western United States. Besides chinook salmon, other fish like steelhead, coho salmon, sculpins, speckled dace, and Klamath smallscale sucker also died.

Why the Fish Died

A report by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service explained why so many fish died. It found that water was being sent away from the river. This water was used by farmers and ranchers in the Klamath Basin. It was also a year with very little rain, called a drought.

The river had unusually low water flow. Many fish were returning to the river to lay their eggs. The water was also very warm. These conditions allowed a disease called gill rot to spread. This disease killed the salmon before they could reproduce.

The fish died downstream from where the Trinity River joins the Klamath. Salmon from the Trinity River were hit harder. Their journey to lay eggs was at its peak. The official count of dead fish, 34,056, might be too low. It could be only half of the real number.

For example, in September 1908, before farming used much water, the river flow was about 800 cubic feet per second. During the 2002 fish kill, it was only 475 cubic feet per second. Biologists had warned that more water was needed to keep the fish safe. But these warnings were not followed.

Efforts to Help the River

The fish kill made many people want to help the Klamath River. Local American Indian tribes, environmental groups, and fishers worked together. They wanted to remove dams on the Klamath River.

These dams change the river's natural flow. Removing them would help the fish. An agreement called the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement (KBRA) was made in 2010. Tribes, farmers, and a power company called PacifiCorp signed it. But this agreement did not pass in Congress.

Later, in 2016, new agreements were signed. Important leaders, including the U.S. Secretary of the Interior and tribal chairs, signed them. The governors of Oregon and California also signed. These agreements included a new law to help the Upper Klamath Basin.

However, the Yurok tribe later said they no longer supported these agreements. They felt their fishing and water rights were not fully protected. These rights would have been stronger under the first agreement.

Community Responses

The fish kill deeply affected the local communities. Many people wanted to share their experiences.

Salmon is Everything Play

A play called Salmon is Everything was created. It was a team effort between tribal members and a professor from Humboldt State University. The play showed how the fish kill impacted people. Its cast included people from the Hupa, Karuk, and Yurok communities.

The play shared the experiences of the Yurok, Hoopa Valley, and Karuk tribes. It also included farmers, ranchers, and others connected to the Klamath watershed. A Karuk woman, Kathleen McCovey, helped with the play. She added a spiritual view through an elder character named Rose.

Rose's character showed how important salmon are to Karuk and Yurok culture: "Rose: ...You see, to the Karuk people everything and everyone has a purpose. The spirit people taught the Karuk how to live on the land, what to do, what to eat, how to behave, and how and when to conduct ceremonies. Then when the Karuk people knew what to do the spirit people went into the sky, the earth, the trees, the animals the rocks, and into the plants. You see, when I am in the forest, I am never alone, I am surrounded by spirit people."

The play was first performed at Humboldt State University. It was later shown at the University of Oregon. The play's script was chosen as Humboldt State University's Book of the Year for 2015-2016.

Documentaries

Many documentaries were also made after the event. This shows how much the public cared about the issue. A River Between Us is one such documentary. It was directed by Gregori J. Martin.

This film explains the different viewpoints of people involved. It shows how one Native American tribe visited a potato festival. This festival was held by people who had different ideas about the river. They wanted to understand each other better. The documentary shows that many people found common ground over time.