Amy Spoon Corroborates

Regional Fisheries Manager at Idaho Fish and Game, Jim Fredericks, talked with me about the drought and warm water that is gripping the fisheries of the West. "There is no way to sugarcoat what we are seeing this here is streamflows that are 10 to 20% of what they should be this time of year and temperatures that are more like late August. We were seeing those back in late June. It is not going to be a good year for fish." Jim mentioned that every state is different so I did a double check with Amy Spoon, habitat biologist for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. "I haven't specifically heard of any major, major fish kills but I do know of the fact that some of the rivers around here are popping up. They are getting reports of fish dying and people are reporting dead fish on the banks." Amy reported that inland rivers are warmer than normal and lower flowing than normal.