Hatchery Pump Malfunction Kills 600,000 Salmon
PORT ANGELES, WA—A water pump malfunction at a Washington fish hatchery recently killed an estimated 600,000 young coho salmon.
The pump reportedly overheated and prevented water from circulating. The salmon were in the alevin stage, meaning they had freshly emerged from their eggs, making them especially vulnerable.
Officials say the hatchery's failure-alarm system didn't catch the problem, because it's designed to detect power outages, not pump failures. The hatchery is looking into a new warning system to prevent similar incidents.
The pump reportedly overheated and prevented water from circulating. The salmon were in the alevin stage, meaning they had freshly emerged from their eggs, making them especially vulnerable.
Officials say the hatchery's failure-alarm system didn't catch the problem, because it's designed to detect power outages, not pump failures. The hatchery is looking into a new warning system to prevent similar incidents.
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