Massive Fish Kill at California Trout Hatchery Will Impact Stocking Efforts for Years
The losses at Fish Springs included fertilized eggs and fingerlings that were slated to be released next year, along with mature, catchable fish that would have been released in the coming months. Hatchery staff said this could impact stockings in the Eastern Sierras for the next two seasons, but that they would explore ways to minimize those impacts by bringing in fish from other hatcheries or buying eggs from private vendors. The trout raised at Fish Springs are typically stocked for recreational fishing at public waters across Mono and Inyo Counties, and it's one of 21 hatcheries operated by CDFW.
'We're devastated by the loss of these fish, which were the product of years of hard work and round-the-clock care by our expert hatchery staff,' CDFW program manager Russell Black said a release.
Along with sourcing additional eggs and fish from other state-run hatcheries, Black explained that the agency's current priority is to assess and repair the facility's backup diesel generators. They were supposed to kick in during the power outage but didn't.
The initial power outage occurred during the afternoon of May 20 and lasted for about two hours, according to CDFW, which had scheduled a contractor to fix the hatchery's backup generators just two days later, on May 22. It's unclear from the announcement if hatchery staff knew the generators were non-operational at the time the outage occurred — CDFW noted that backup power failures at its hatcheries are rare. Regardless, the effects were devastating for the trout as water levels dropped, temperatures rose, and dissolved oxygen levels decreased.
Read Next: 'Senseless' Vandal Poisons Oregon Fish Hatchery, Killing 18,000 Salmon with Liquid Bleach
In a statement Wednesday, the Los Angles Department of Water and Power, which supplies electricity to the Fish Springs Hatchery, said the initial power outage was caused by a car colliding with a power pole. The utility company said its crews repaired the outage as quickly as possible and clarified that the hatchery's other electrical problems were not its responsibility.
'While the loss of fish at the hatchery was unfortunate, we want to clarify that LADWP does not provide backup generators.'
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Chicago Tribune
27-06-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Route 66: In St. Louis, a deadly twister crosses a long-standing divide
ST. LOUIS — There was no warning siren, only the sudden sound of what seemed at first like a locomotive speeding through her neighborhood a mile off Route 66. Lea Davis heard trees snapping. Glass shattering. The front door to her 122-year-old two-flat slammed open and shut. Open and shut. She thought to grab her partner, Reginald, who is blind, and run to the basement, but figured they might not make it in time. They could take shelter in the closet, she thought, or the bathtub. 'You didn't have much time to think,' Davis, 55 remembered of that May 16 afternoon. 'The only thing I could say was: Jesus, please save us. Please help us.' Three minutes later, the rising cacophony silenced. Davis walked to the front door to survey the remains of her Fountain Park neighborhood. 'As you can see, that's not very far away,' Davis said on a recent Thursday in June, pointing to a nearby pile of bricks that once formed the steeple at Centennial Christian Church, where her friend, 74-year-old Patricia Penelton, took her last breaths. 'It could have been us. Any of us.' The EF3 tornado that tore through Davis' neighborhood, its winds topping 150 miles per hour, cut a 23-mile path northeast across St. Louis and into southern Illinois. Five people in St. Louis were killed. Dozens more were injured. Thousands of buildings were destroyed or damaged. A month later, the extent of damage and slow pace of recovery have once again put a spotlight on this city's long-standing racial and socioeconomic demarcation known as the 'Delmar Divide,' named for a main east-west artery called Delmar Boulevard that closely parallels a stretch of an early Route 66 alignment. South of Delmar is largely home to white residents. Neighborhoods to the north, like Fountain Park, are largely home to Black residents. 'The great Delmar Divide has been synonymous with all of the state, local (and) federal funding going to projects, plans, development, all south of Delmar Boulevard,' said north side native Cheryl Nelson, 61. 'Under numerous administrations, the north side of St. Louis has been devastated.' Nelson's friend and co-worker, Justina Cramer, said her rental home in the O'Fallon neighborhood first sustained brick and roof damage. The initial repair estimate came in at $50,000. While she and others waited for help from the local, state and federal government, the condition of her 109-year-old home deteriorated. Twice, she said, the blue tarp meant to protect her roof blew away in severe weather. The ensuing water damage caused portions of her ceiling to collapse. Her kitchen cabinets fell from the walls. Two weeks after the tornado, President Donald Trump approved Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe's request for federal assistance, local media reported. 'Now we're dealing with: Do FEMA or don't do FEMA?' said Cramer, 43. 'They're not paying much.' Cramer is staying with her daughter for the time being. Some of her neighbors, she said, are living in tents in their front yards, in part to guard their homes against thieves looking to swipe copper wiring or historic St. Louis red bricks. 'I'm going to stay rooted in St. Louis city,' she said. 'Where we go from here is not a monetary value. It's not a building. It's a community effort and us being there for each other because St. Louis city was not there for us.' Over in the Fountain Park neighborhood, an orange sticker on Davis' front door marks that her home has been condemned. An electric company technician recently came and asked if she wanted the lights turned back on. But with water seeping from light switches on the wall, she knew that would likely start an electrical fire. Davis and her partner moved in with her son, for now. A man who lived in her building set up a tent on the front lawn. She wants to apply for Federal Emergency Management Agency relief funds but needs to replace her identification card, which was lost in the storm. And to do that, she needs a copy of her birth certificate. 'I don't know how we come back from this one,' she said. Across the street sits the neighborhood's namesake park, with its fountain and an empty granite pedestal where a bronze statue of Martin Luther King Jr. — reportedly the only King statue in the state — was felled by the storm. The day of the tornado, members of the Party for Socialism and Liberation's St. Louis chapter came out to help with cleanup. Other nonprofit groups soon joined and have had a daily presence in the park ever since. They've provided food, water, ice, clothing, basic medical care, art therapy, acupuncture. Their effort has been renamed the 314 Oasis. 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Axios
25-06-2025
- Axios
New Orleans' minority homeowners at greater risk of flooding
Virtually all New Orleans metro homeowners are at "major risk" from heat- and wind-related natural disasters, a Zillow analysis finds. Why it matters: That seems ... uh, pretty bad. Between the lines: Most homeowners are also at "major risk" for flooding-related disasters, too, though that's where the findings begin to reflect a reality that minority homeowners are particularly vulnerable to climate change. More than 90% of Black and Asian homeowners in the New Orleans metro are at "major risk" for flooding, compared to 85.8% of Hispanic and 75.9% of white homeowners, the data show. The big picture: The disparities loom larger within the national data, which indicate that 81% of Black homeowners, 77% of Hispanic homeowners and 65% of Asian homeowners are at risk of extreme heat, compared to 52% of white homeowners. Meanwhile, 60% of Black homeowners, 43% of Hispanic homeowners and 33% of Asian homeowners are vulnerable to extreme wind, compared to 32% of white homeowners. Some 32% of Asian homeowners and 21% of Hispanic homeowners are vulnerable to poor air quality, compared to 11% of white homeowners and 9% of Black homeowners. How it works: Zillow's analysis is based in part on climate risk data for homes listed for sale on the platform, using risk modeling techniques from First Street.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Yahoo
Tampa Bay local governments prepare for ‘active' hurricane season
The 2025 hurricane season, forecast by experts to be 'above-normal,' began with the start of the month. And, after President Donald Trump's cuts to Federal Emergency Management Agency's staffing and financial aid, hurricane recovery may be more of a localized effort this year. Last year's back-to-back hurricanes showed Tampa Bay governments have room to improve their response to natural disasters, but these projects cost millions of dollars and take time to complete. Here are some lessons Tampa Bay's elected officials learned last year and the steps they're taking to improve the region's hurricane resiliency. Last year, areas of Hillsborough County that are not in flood zones, such as the Forest Hills neighborhood that drapes northwest Tampa and the unincorporated county line, were saturated with high water during Milton when backup generators failed to turn on stormwater pumps. In November, Hillsborough commissioners voted to hire an independent engineering firm, Black & Veatch, for $500,000 to investigate the county's stormwater infrastructure, identify deficiencies, explore policy changes and make recommendations. The first phase of the study was slated to end by the start of the hurricane season, and during the next phase, the firm will recommend projects to minimize flooding. As a part of the study, the county held community meetings and conducted an online survey this spring to hear feedback from residents about what went wrong last year. In the meantime, the public works department is trimming trees, clearing pipes and ditches and completing hundreds of drainage inspections across the sprawling county. It may be time to consider adding flood insurance to your home, regardless of where you live, said Timothy Dudley Jr., director of the Emergency Management Department. 'Water always finds a way,' he said. The city of Tampa is a part of Hillsborough County's stormwater study, and failed backup generators for stormwater pumps have been a particular point of contention for residents living outside of flood zones. Pump stations that move wastewater to the city's sewer system failed last year, which city officials said contributed to flooding in neighborhoods that didn't expect any. Some of the city's pumps haven't haven't been properly maintained, according to an audit from this year. And residents have recently complained the city isn't cleaning drainage ditches. Mayor Jane Castor announced in April that the city was spending $94 million toward pump upgrades at 28 stations and raising their electrical connections. The city is also installing more backup generators to pump stations — totaling 74 in Tampa. But there are more than 200 pumping stations in the city, and the city's wastewater department is continuing to evaluate whether generators can be added at additional sites. Another problem: gas shortages. Companies assisting with the response couldn't find enough gas, despite the majority of Central Florida's fuel coming through the Port of Tampa. Castor said that this year, every city employee has an assignment for emergency situations, and she cautioned residents they, too, have personal responsibility to stay safe. Local officials can plan for a lot of scenarios, Castor said, but as last year showed, until they experience storm situations first hand, they won't know all of the answers. Helene stayed 100 miles offshore but pushed almost 7 feet of storm surge ashore, causing unprecedented flooding in Pinellas. Many residents ignored evacuation orders. Only 1,700 residents went to shelters, said Adam Pedzich, Pinellas' response and recovery manager. Many who stayed behind had to be rescued by first responders. The county is targeting messages about that risk to those who live in condos, boats and mobile homes and focusing outreach on senior living centers. When Milton quickly followed Helene, 13,000 residents filled up shelters. In a shelter, residents can expect a small personal space and three basic meals a day. Operators aim to serve hot food but a meal could be a sandwich and a bottle of water. Pedzich recommends bringing any preferred drinks or snacks. Bedding won't be provided, so residents are encouraged to bring a cot or air mattress and, in case their home is destroyed, important documents. For those evacuating with pets, residents should bring a kennel, pet food and shot records, though the county will work with folks who don't have those items. 'We shouldn't be waiting until you're in the cone of the storm,' Pedzich said. 'Think about it now.' St. Petersburg had to shut down sewage plants last year — a first for the city — to protect expensive equipment from long-term damage and safely evacuate employees. But that precaution left thousands of residents unable to flush toilets or shower. Mayor Ken Welch said the city is accelerating $545 million of investments over the next five years in its sewage plants. And at the Northeast Water Reclamation Facility, the city raised a platform that will house generators for when the power goes out. It's now at 11 feet, two feet above federal standards, but it will soon have a 15-foot wall around it. The generators could be there by the height of hurricane season, but since much of the equipment is manufactured overseas, the city is at the mercy of the supply chain. The city hasn't raised the facility where plant employees work, though that's also in the plans. Public Works Administrator Claude Tankersley said the city is working this year on a way to shut the sewage plant down remotely. 'We're doing everything, I think, humanly possible, everything fiscally possible, to give us a higher level of capacity and resilience,' Welch said. 'But at some point, if a storm crosses that threshold, folks need to understand they need to evacuate.' The city of Clearwater is pursuing grants to elevate Bayshore Boulevard and engineering a design to raise a low-lying sewer pump station to avoid flood risk. The city has also increased creek and ditch clearing and is adding temporary pumps in low-lying areas on North Beach while permanent pumps are designed and installed. Mayor Bruce Rector said the city's tourism industry was able to bounce back quicker than other areas on the coast because of the rebuilding it had already done. Also helpful, he said, was moving quickly on storm debris pickup and creating pop-up permitting sites to expedite repairs for those whose homes were damaged. Rector said when city staff went door-to-door to help residents, some just wanted to grieve and talk. 'They served a role in engaging our community, going out there where the people are at,' Rector said, 'and hopefully build a relationship that will continue on for years to come, where [residents] now not only trust our local government and our staff, but they feel more engaged in our community.'
