Report: Massive 2021 Salmon Die-Off In Drought-Stricken Sac River
NEW – Drought’s grim death toll: California says endangered salmon perished in Sacramento River – w/@RyanSabalow https://t.co/WM2LmUmW9U
— Dale Kasler (@dakasler) January 3, 2022
Here are some of the details from the Sacramento Bee:
It turned out to be true. Only an estimated 2.6% of the winter-run Chinook salmon juvenile population survived the hot, dry summer, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife said.
The fate of the winter-run salmon has profound implications for California’s chronically overtaxed water supplies, even as recent rain and snowpack levels suggest the drought might be easing. Environmental restrictions aimed at propping up the fish populations could deprive cities and farmers of water deliveries this year.
At the same time, fishermen and environmentalists say the salmon’s pitiful survival rate, among the lowest on record, is a disaster that should have been prevented – and raises questions about California’s and the Biden Administration’s commitment to the environment. Regulators, however, said the survival figures reflect the severity of one of the worst droughts ever, as well as other factors.
Read more at: https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/water-and-drought/article257014527.html#storylink=cpy
