Quick thinking helped save hatchery fish

Quick thinking helped save hatchery fish

Property, but the actions of fire crews not only helped save lives and property, but also wildlife.

Kezi 9 news reporter jacob roberts shows us how firefighters helped breathe life back into one of the area's popular attractions.

< the leaburg hatchery& since 1953 it's helped bring fish back to rivers of the willamette basin.

The hatchery raises trout, steelhead and salmon.

But when the holiday farm fire broke out, utility companies were forced to open the gates of the leaburg dam, causing a big problem for the fish.

Jacob roberts says, "after the gates of the dam were opened, the hatchery here started to lose water and firefighters new they had to do something" over a million fish were released by hatchery staff into the river soon after the fire started, but between 5 and 10 percent didn't make it out of the hatchery.

The sturgeon and rainbow trout?popular with tourists, were stuck in display ponds and firefighters took notice.

Darren bucich says, "one evening the crew from eugene- springfield the task force leaders we got to talking about let's just dump some water in there and see what happens" and that's exactly what they did.

"and kind of aerated the water at the same time.

The fish were belly up?so to speak.

And by doing that, adding a little more oxygen to the water, it brought them back to life" most of the fish that were releasedhey staff yearling spring chinook, summer steelhead and rainbow trout - are expected to survive after spending the next few months in the river.

Those popular sturgeon also survived, but may be released into the mckenzie river later.

The hatchery itseld sustained minimal damage.

Darren says, "there are some success stories from this, if you will.

There are some good stories.

There's also a lot of sad stories too.

It's a good feeling to know there's some things that are still there" near leaburg, jacob roberts, kezi