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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Asphalt waste makes way into Ashland Creek ... UPDATED: Reporter, cameraman shot to death on air in central Virginia ... Since You Asked: Ve have vays of making you vote ... Asphalt waste makes way into Ashland Creek ... UPDATED: Reporter, cameraman shot to death on air in central Virginia ... Since You Asked: Ve have vays of making you vote ... UMPQUA RIVER Warm water kills 150,000 steelhead fingerlings at Umpqua River Hatchery Comment By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Aug. 24, 2015 at 2:00 AM By The Associated Press Posted Aug. 24, 2015 at 2:00 AM » Social News Unusually warm water has killed more than 150,000 summer steelhead fingerlings at an Umpqua River hatchery. Many more may still die, potentially as much as 95 percent of this year's batch, Rock Creek Hatchery manager Dan Meyer said. Hot water is dangerous for fish on its own, but it also creates an environment where bacteria and parasites can thrive, The Eugene Register-Guard reported. Although the fish were treated in smaller holding tanks and returned to health when the problem was detected, disease broke out again once they were moved back outside. Hot weather and below-normal snowmelt have caused a steep rise in water temperatures. Water in the North Umpqua has reached 71.4 degrees this summer, much higher than the mid 60-degrees that used to mark record-high temperatures, Meyer said. "I have never seen water this warm out of the North Umpqua — I hope this is not the new normal," he said. "Every year is different, but I have heard that five of the last 10 years have been the warmest in 125 years of record-keeping." The die-off the Rock Creek hatchery's summer steelhead fingerlings peaked during a nine-day period in mid-July. He doesn't know how many of the tiny fish there are in the 20-foot by 80-foot raceway where they are contained as they grow and mature enough to be released into the river. Fisheries biologists usually do their population counts in the fall, when the fish are larger and more mature. Cooling the water — 500 gallons per minute flows through the raceway — would be too expensive, Meyer said. The loss in such great numbers is a blow, Meyer said. "It's not only a big economic hit, it's like a piece of us goes away too," he said. "I've seen many grown-ups cry over much lesser incidents than this." By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Aug. 24, 2015 at 2:00 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501