[env-trinity] Trinity Journal- Earlier onset, increased fish disease feared

Wed Jul 19 11:00:38 PDT 2023

http://www.trinityjournal.com/news/local/article_63ca2f24-25c3-11ee-9a85-879f79281544.html#tncms-source=login
Earlier onset, increased fish disease feared

   - By Josh Cozine The Trinity Journal
   - Jul 19, 2023 Updated 24 min ago
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Local fishing guides are worried about a potential catastrophic uptick in
diseased fish as the Trinity River is running lower and much warmer this
year in some areas.

Guides have reported temperatures being much higher this year in certain
parts of the Trinity and correlated increased reporting of gill rot, after
annual flow releases were altered at the end of this winter. Trinity River
Restoration Program has further substantiated the claim that an increase in
gill rot in fish appears to be taking place, at least in certain parts of
the river, but stated that so far estimates can only be made based on
secondhand observations and that the situation is being monitored.

Last year, an increased rate of columnaris was reported in the Lower
Klamath — where the Trinity meets up before heading to the Pacific — but
toward the end of August rather than mid-July. This led to TRRP increasing
water flows to flush the river with cold water to clear out diseased water
and break up salmon groupings which tend to cluster near any cold water and
further spread the disease to one another (The Trinity journal, “TRRP
announces increased flow to combat salmon disease in lower Klamath,” Aug.
26, 2022).

Fishing guides and lodging owners Cory Inouye and Darren Victorine with
Indian Creek Lodge and Trinity Fly Shop, respectively, spoke to The Journal
on concerns they’ve seen firsthand as well as other accounts they’ve
received, and how these higher temperatures should not normally be seen
this early in the year.

Victorine said after hearing the reports he drove down river as far as
Hoopa, and said while there he observed dead fish on the riverbed, alluding
to gill rot being the likely culprit, and recorded water temperatures of 74
degrees at a depth of three feet — much higher than it should be this time
of year, he said.

“It shouldn’t be this high until September,” Victorine said.

“Seeing one fish, it could be any mysterious cause, but seeing two in the
same hole,” Victorine said, “when we see fish like that we kind of already
know, but I’ve never seen it this early in the season.”

Inouye was crucial in forming the Trinity River Watershed Alliance earlier
this year in response to the winter variable flows implemented by TRRP, and
suggested the early flows are a likely culprit in any increased disease
incidence (The Trinity Journal, “Winter flow town hall suggests possible
path to banking more water,” May 3, 2023).

Inouye also brought the issue up on the Facebook page “Trinity River
Coalition” where many other fishing guides and river-concerned locals
shared their anecdotes, and told The Journal on Monday, July 17, that he
was making plans to speak to the county Board of Supervisors the next day
at their planned meeting on the issue. He supplied The Journal with an
early draft of what he planned to say, including the following excerpt
summing up the fears he has heard:

“I, along with the Trinity River Watershed Alliance, posted information
about a week ago of a pending crisis dealing with our spring chinook salmon
run. Our worry was that the reports we were given were only the beginning
of what was going to become a full-blown infection. We believe a majority
part of the population of salmon is infected and we stand to lose a
significant portion unless BOR immediately begins emergency flows.”

TRRP Executive Director Mike Dixon stated in an email to The Journal that
he has heard recent estimates from Fish and Wildlife staff that a majority
as high as 70% of fish at the Junction City weir show visual signs of
infection. He immediately followed up with another email emphasizing the
fact that these were not scientific measurements, only visual
approximations, but stated that even as approximations the numbers along
with other evidence were concerning and being looked into.

“This is unusually and concerningly high, and coupled with some early
prespawn mortality, it definitely has the attention of all the relevant
agencies,” Dixon stated.

“This is somewhat surprising because temperatures don’t seem exceptionally
high in the upper river yet,” Dixon stated.

He added a possible speculation he said was shared to him by fish
biologists that thunderstorms in early June which “blew out” the North Fork
Trinity River and added heavy sediments to the section of river which
damaged the gills of fish there at the time, possibly making them more
susceptible to gill rot.

Further information is being gathered, and updates are expected in the
following weeks.

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