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77 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, September 16, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend August 21, 2004 Bear Creek fish kill under investigation By MARK FREEMAN Mail Tribune State biologists are scouring Bear Creek for what killed hundreds of fish found dead Thursday along the stretch of creek running through downtown Medford. The dead fish, which included juvenile rainbow trout, steelhead and chinook, were found pinned to the fish screen at the Rogue River Valley Irrigation District diversion at Hawthorne Park. Also found were bluegill, bass, suckers, shiners, bullheads and some tadpoles. The cause remained a mystery Friday. "It’s interesting," said Dan Van Dyke, fish biologist for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Rogue District. "The cause isn’t known at this time." Advertisement The ODFW and the state Department of Environmental Quality were investigating the case. DEQ senior engineer Jon Gasik said one possible culprit could be summer water conditions too hot and supersaturated with oxygen for fish to survive. Tests conducted Thursday afternoon revealed Bear Creek’s water temperature at 77.2 degrees and the water supersaturated with oxygen. Those conditions are known to kill juvenile trout and salmon. But some other species present — particularly bluegill and tadpoles — are considered more resilient, making temperature and dissolved oxygen levels less likely the cause, Van Dyke said. Another possibility could be contaminants illegally dumped into downtown storm drains, Gasik said. "Somebody in the area might have dumped something down the storm drain," Gasik said. "There’s always that possibility." The area with the dead fish is immediately downstream of the storm drain along Earhart Street south of 13th Street and east of Riverside Avenue, the same place where contaminants have been dumped before. Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 776-4470, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities