Norton blamed for Klamath fishkill

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2002

California Secretary of resources Mary Nichols wrote a letter to Secretary Gale Norton, blaming the Bush administration for the deaths of as many as 30,000 salmon in the Klamath River.

Nichols said the massive fishkill is tied directly to Norton's decision to restore water to non-Indians upstream. But the Department of Interior hasn't come up with a reason for the deaths just yet.

Separately, Yurok Tribe Vice Chairman Howard McConnell wrote a letter to Dave Sabo, a federal project manager. McConnell disputed claims that there isn't enough water for the fish. He cited a tribal biologist who studied the issue.

The tribe depends on fish in the area to survive. Other tribes include the Karuk and the Hoopa Valley of California and the Klamath Tribes of Oregon.

Get the Story:
State resources secretary slams feds over Klamath (The Eureka Times-Standard 10/16)
Tribe seeks more water to help salmon (AP 10/16)
Yurok Tribe says government has more water for salmon (AP 10/16)
Plan would buy Klamath farms' water (The Oregonian 10/16)

Related Stories:
Tribe protest Klamath water cut-off (10/14)
Yurok Tribe declares fish emergency (10/11)
'Not enough water to go around' (10/7)
DOI takes no blame for Klamath fish kill (10/3)
Time to count dead fish at Klamath (10/1)
Norton reverses decision on Klamath water (9/30)
Tribes estimate 30,000 dead salmon (9/27)
Salmon dying in Klamath River (9/25)
Water woes affect Calif. tribes (Enviro 08/26)
Calif. tribes still waiting for water (8/22)
Interior sued over river plan (1/10)
Plan would help restore salmon to river (12/20)