Document text
63 °F Forecast | Road Cams Friday, September 17, 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 27, 2004 Bear Creek fish kill cause eludes experts DEQ engineer says soap, fertilizer, an unknown toxin or "a bad day" could have killed the fish By MARK FREEMAN Mail Tribune Water experts do not know, and likely never will know, what killed hundreds of fish Aug. 18 in Bear Creek in downtown Medford. Authorities have yet to rule out anything from a natural die-off to poisoning, but no concrete evidence came from surveys of the stream or inspections of downtown storm drains that dump into the creek. Seven different species of fish, mainly native steelhead and rainbow trout 3-6 inches long, died in the incident. Anything from excessive levels of soap, fertilizer, an unknown toxin or "just a bad day" on the creek could have triggered the die-off, said senior engineer Jon Gasik, of the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. Inspectors suspect the culprit to be an unknown toxic substance from a storm drain that carries runoff from a large area of residential and commercial properties south of downtown Medford. But city and state inspectors have found no evidence to endorse that theory. Advertisement "As of this time, nothing’s been confirmed," said Dan Van Dyke, the Rogue District fish biologist for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, which is investigating the incident. "Unless anyone from the public knows of any release of toxic substances (into storm drains), we just don’t know," Van Dyke said. The dead fish were found in a 1,600-yard length of the creek that began at a storm drain pipe off Earhart Street and ran downstream to Jackson Street. The pipe drains surface runoff from about 70 acres of residential, commercial and some industrial lands in west Medford south of the immediate downtown area. Bear Creek’s summer conditions make even small doses of toxins potentially lethal, Gasik said. With water temperatures, alkalinity and dissolved oxygen levels fluctuating daily, the creek’s fish are highly stressed. "It wouldn’t take a whole lot to push them over the edge," Gasik said. "The question is, what was it?" Tracing a Bear Creek fish-kill to a known polluter is rare in Medford, where substances toxic to fish can be intentionally poured into storm drains or be washed in from parking lots during storms, said Larry Beskow, Medford’s city engineer. In some cases over the years, engineers have traced fruit juices from Bear Creek to fruit-processors and solvents to a car-detailing business, Beskow said. No such evidence appeared during two different inspections, Beskow said. "It’s hard to say what somebody may have thrown out in the parking lot that got into the storm drain," Beskow said. Polluting a waterway can be a crime punishable by a host of laws, including a new Medford ordinance that makes illegal storm-drain dumping punishable by up to $1,000. The federal Clean Water Act carries punishments of up to $100,000 and even potential prison time for intentional polluters. Van Dyke said the fish were dead at least 12 hours when they were first found Aug. 18, making them difficult to inspect. Biologists cannot rule out that a natural event — such as a lethal combination of warm water, blooming algae and poor dissolved oxygen levels — temporarily triggered the downtown die- off, Van Dyke said. However, the presence of shiners, bluegill and bullheads — all fish far more tolerant of marginal water conditions than steelhead and trout — makes that theory unlikely, Van Dyke said. Gasik said the open storm drains, which are usually situated along curbs near corners, are often mistaken by the public as part of the city’s sewer system. Sewer pipes, which are capped by manhole covers, deliver water to the city’s treatment plant, while storm drains dump directly into Bear Creek. Van Dyke said one "silver lining" from the die-off is that even in the harsh environment of downtown Medford, Bear Creek is still churning out desired fish species. "It’s exciting to see there were good numbers of juvenile steelhead and trout rearing in downtown Medford, even in the summer," Van Dyke said. "We have something to care for and nurture. Bear Creek really can be an asset." 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