Well, this was a big mistake. Wildlife officials attempting to repopulate a river with salmon were thrown a curveball after a truck crash released 77,000 of the fish into the wrong body of water.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said a tanker truck was transporting about 102,000 spring Chinook smolts — adolescent salmon — for release into the Imnaha River. Things took a turn for the worst when the truck rolled over alongside Lookingglass Creek, a tributary of the Grande Ronde River.
The crash caused about 77,000 of the fish to wind up in the wrong creek and far from their intended destination. “The Union County Sheriff’s Department responded immediately and assisted with on-scene assessments and vehicle recovery operations,” ODFW said. “Small amounts of diesel fuel were quickly contained and did not result in a hazardous material spill response.”
The fish had initially come from Lookingglass Hatchery, which raises the Chinook salmon to be released for tribal and sport harvest. They also use the fish to supplement the Imnaha River’s wild population, which is considered threatened.
Fortunately, the driver of the truck, an ODFW employee, suffered only minor injuries and is currently recovering.
Source: https://www.dfw.state.or.us/news/2024/04_Apr/040224.asp