NCJ Daily Online

Karuk Tribe: McKinney Fire Caused ‘Kill Zone’ in Klamath River, Suffocating Thousands of Fish

The Karuk Tribe continues to investigate the cause and breadth of a fish kill event in the Klamath River but believes a massive debris slide from the McKinney Fire turned a section of the Klamath to sludge, killing thousands of fish.

Craig Tucker, a spokesperson for the tribe, said its believed the debris slide entered the Klamath River near Humbug and McKinney creeks, dropping dissolved oxygen levels in the river to zero and effectively suffocating scores of fish of different species, including suckers, salmon and trout.

“We think the impact is limited to 10 or 20 miles of river in this reach and the fish we are seeing in Happy Camp and below are floating downstream from the ‘kill zone,’” Tucker wrote in an email to the Journal. “We are working to better understand the event and the Karuk Tribe continues to monitor the situation.”

The tribe first reported the kill Aug. 5, saying a “very large number of dead fish, of all species,” had been observed near Happy Camp, saying preliminary observations suggested a debris flow on Aug. 3 in an area impacted by the McKinney Fire was to blame.

Sparked the afternoon of July 29, the McKinney Fire has grown to more than 60,000 acres along the Klamath River in Siskiyou County, spanning part of Klamath National Forest, and is 40 percent contained. Four people have been killed in the fire, which stands as California’s largest of 2022.

The fish kill is the latest blow to Klamath River fish populations, which have been decimated by poor water quality caused by four upriver hydroelectric dams, which choke the river’s flows, increasing water temperatures, blocking fish passage and causing toxic algal blooms. The Karuk and Yurok tribes, as well as environmental groups and other stakeholders, have been working to see the dams removed since 2002, when more than 34,000 fish — mostly adult fall-run Chinook salmon — died in the river due to a disease outbreak caused by low water flows, high temperatures and poor water quality.

Removal of the dams is slated to begin Karuk Tribal biologists believe a debris slide from the McKinney Fire turned a portion of the Klamath River into sludge, killing thousands of fish.

Photo courtesy of the Karuk Tribe

next year, with the states of California and Oregon, as well as Berkshire Hathaway, which owns the company that owns and operates the dams, now all having joined the tribes in support of the effort. —Thadeus Greenson POSTED 08.08.22

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HumCo Confirms First Monkeypox Case

Humboldt County Public Health has confirmed the first case of monkeypox in the county after a resident contracted the viral infection

According to an Aug. 5 press release, the resident is doing well, self-isolating at home and appears to have had no close contacts locally.

Monkeypox, a rare zoonotic infection caused by the monkeypox virus, which is in the same family as smallpox but less severe, is spread through close personal contact, including skin-to-skin touching, kissing and sex. Symptoms of monkeypox include fever, headache muscle aches and backaches, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion, sore throat, nasal congestion or cough. The infection may include a rash with pimples or blisters that may be painful and itchy located on or near the genitals or anus, as well as other areas, such as the hands, feet, chest, face or mouth.

According to the release, Public Health received an allotment of 20 monkeypox vaccines earlier this month. A quarter of the vaccines will be used to vaccinate staff in Humboldt and Del Norte counties who will be in charge of vaccinating community members. Some vaccines were also used for laboratory staff who will be testing the monkeypox samples in the lab. The additional vaccines are available in case of an outbreak. Public health has placed an order for more vaccines, which are expected to arrive soon.

Public Health also recently received more than 400 doses of an antiviral medication that will be made available for people with severe complications.

Although the risk for monkeypox is low, Public Health is advising residents to follow these tips to stay safe: Practice good hand hygiene, always talk to your intimate partner/s about recent illness, and be aware of new or unexplained sores or rashes on your body or your partner’s body, including on the mouth, genitals, anus and hands, avoid intimate contact, including sex, with people who have symptoms like sores or rashes.

To date, there are more than 7,100 cases of monkeypox in the U.S., including more than 825 cases in California. Last Thursday, the federal government declared the monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency, which will help accelerate vaccine distribution, allow health agencies to collect more data, create access to emergency funds and make it easier for providers to prescribe treatment.

“The experience learned in more than two years of COVID-19 response has provided staff with a lot of practice mobilizing quickly to assist in administering vaccines and getting individuals set up with the proper medications,” Humboldt County Public Health Officer Candy Stockton said. “There is a significant difference between how monkeypox and COVID are spread. Monkeypox cases will not lead to widespread closures of schools and businesses in our community.”

Public Health asks if you are experiencing symptoms or have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for monkeypox, please contact your health care provider. If you do not have a provider, call Public Health at 445-6200. —Iridian Casarez POSTED 08.05.22