Oregon salmon accidentally populate wrong river after truck carrying them crashes

WASHINGTON (TND) — Tens of thousands of threatened Chinook salmon were reintroduced into the Oregon ecosystem Friday, but not in the river they were intended for.

A truck carrying roughly 100,000 fish from Lookingglass Hatchery to the Imnaha River in the north of the state crashed along Lookingglass Creek, killing about a quarter of the cargo and causing the remainder to slide into the creek.

According to a press release from the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Service, the 53-foot-long tanker truck flipped onto its passenger side after failing to fully pull around a tight corner on the road next to the creek. It then skidded along the pavement and ultimately flipped onto its roof as it came to a rest on an earthen bank of the creek.

The fish are raised at the hatchery as part of an effort to encourage sportsmanship and hunting by local Native American tribes as well as repopulating the Imnaha population, which is listed as threatened.

The 100,000 or so salmon that died or turned loose Friday represent a loss of 20% of the total number intended for repopulation in that Imnaha.

The driver received only minor injuries and the local sheriff's office said spilled diesel fuel was quickly contained.