Prospect Island Update: Dead Fish Removal Begins Today

Prospect Island Update: Dead Fish Removal Begins Today

by Dan Bacher

Bureau of Reclamation and DFG biologists on Sunday, November 25 checked Prospect Island, where thousands of fish are dead or dying, and the DFG gave the approval to remove the fish that have died, according to Jeff McCracken, Bureau of Reclamation spokesman.

The majority of fish appear to be striped bass, but salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, bluegill, crappie, Sacramento pike minnows and other species have also died. Endangered delta smelt could also be the victims of the fish kill.

“We've mobilized a crew and expect to begin this first thing this morning,” said McCracken on November 26. “The DFG believes removing the fish will ‘enhance’ water quality and allow for the remaining live fish to survive. We will also pump oxygen into the pools where there are remaining fish.”

McCracken said that Bureau of Reclamation officials, the DFG manager and biologists would meet today to determine the best way to deal with the remaining fish on the island. DD-M Crane and Rigging Company of Alameda, the same company that did the repairs to the levee, will be removing the dead fish and installing aerators in the ponds, amounting to 800 acre feet of water, that remain on the island.

“Apparently there are natural pools there that always had native fish,” said McCracken. “DFG will let us know what the next step needs to be. We believe that the water remaining on the island is sufficient to keep the remaining fish alive once the dead fish are removed.”

After hearing about Bureau of Reclamation plans to remove the fish and oxygenate the water, Bob McDaris, who brought the fish kill to the media and public’s attention after discovering the thousands of dead and dying fish on Prospect Island last Tuesday, was encouraged that something was finally being done about the matter.

“I’m glad that they are removing the dead fish and are oxygenating the water,” said McDaris, owner of Cliff’s Marina in Freeport. “I still would like to go with a group of volunteers and rescue the remaining fish and put them into Miner Slough.”

He noted that one option would be to put fish back into the slough by means of a 1-foot diameter irrigation pipe. All McDaris and his volunteers need is the authority and means of transporting these fish across a muddy wallow to be released back into the slough.

According to McDaris, “I talked to Mary Mason, DFG warden, this morning. She told me ‘I’m not going to tell you that you can’t do the rescue.’”

McDaris, (916) 769-8047, is on standby right now with 75 volunteers to go out and rescue any fish that are still alive. He is also willing to donate money to hire a helicopter to transport the last remaining fish.

“All I want to do is save the fish,” emphasized McDaris.

Meanwhile, the DFG is opening a criminal investigation into the fish kill. “We’ve taken photographs of the dead and dying fish at Prospect Island and the law enforcement branch of the DFG is now doing a criminal investigation of the matter,” said Steve Martarano, DFG public information officer. “We plan to find out if anything occurred at the island that could be considered a crime. If we determined that a crime had been committed, we would then go to the District Attorney to press charges.”

He also said the Department was going to see it they could rescue some of the fish off the island. “We’re looking at all options,” he stated.