McKinney Fire 95% Contained
Klamath river communities continue to recover this week from several fires and a shocking fish kill. The McKinney and Yeti fires along the middle Klamath are over 90% contained. And while the Six Rivers Lightning Complex near Willow Creek along the Trinity river is only 17% contained, evacuations have eased.
As sediment loads are settling out and oxygen levels in the river normalize, Tribes and Agencies continue to collect data to better understand the causes and overall impacts of the McKinney Fire Fish Kill. So far, there are no reports of the event impacting this year’s adult salmon migration, but things are being closely monitored as the Klamath River is running a muddy brown all the way to the Pacific. Tribes and agencies will release more information in the coming weeks and months to help inform future land and water management decisions.
News
Firefighters continue to battle Northern California wildfires - Los Angeles Times
The Six Rivers fire has burned more than 16,900 acres in Trinity and Humboldt counties, and the Red fire is burning in Yosemite National Park.
Happy Camp resident reflects on living amidst the 2022 wildfires | Jefferson Public Radio
The McKinney Fire, and the Alex and Yeti fires are burning in Siskiyou County, along the Klamath River. It’s a vast rural area, dotted by several small towns. Kathy McCovey lives in Happy Camp. McCovey is a member of the Karuk Tribe and is a longtime firefighter. JPR’s Erik Neumann spoke with McCovey on Monday about what it’s like living near the fires.
‘Our river is sick’: Yurok Chair Joe James joins tribal leaders at state Capitol to advocate for water rights – Times-Standard
Yurok Tribal Chairman Joe James joined several other tribal leaders from across California at a joint session of the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee and the Assembly Select Committee on Native American Affairs on Tuesday morning for an informational hearing. James and the other tribal leaders spoke about the water issues their communities are facing, as well as how the government’s long history of marginalizing their concerns has fostered these problems.
An anxious American west sizes up historic climate bill: ‘We need every tool’ | US news | The Guardian
While the legislation provides renewed hope, work remains to be done to ensure the funding is put to best possible use
Wildfire kills Klamath fish: ‘Everything that’s in there is dead.’ — High Country News – Know the West
Landslides of ash have poisoned tens of thousands of fish in the already-imperiled river.
New Cohort of Condors Set to Arrive in Humboldt | News Blog
Another cohort of four California condors is scheduled to arrive Aug. 16 in a Yurok Tribe-led effort to bring back the endangered bird they know as prey-go-neesh to reestablish a population on the North Coast.
Native teens practice first trip down dam-free Klamath River | Jefferson Public Radio
Kayakers are already training for new open water when the Klamath River dams are removed.
McKinney fire debris flow kills Klamath River fish - Los Angeles Times
Flash flooding in a Northern California burn scar triggered a massive debris flow that is now suspected of killing scores of Klamath River fish.
California's McKinney fire has taken 4 lives including that of a fire lookout : NPR
Kathy Shoopman, 74, was the Buckhorn-Bally fire lookout at the Klamath National Forest. She was killed Friday by the McKinney fire — the largest and most deadly wildfire in California this year.
In Case You Missed It...
The Forest Service is overstating its wildfire prevention progress to Congress despite decades of warnings not to
At the nation’s largest fire agency, the program to reduce wildfire fuel is receiving much-needed investment. But for 20 years, it has tracked that work with “misleading data.”
21,000 fish die in 'catastrophic failure' at UC Davis research facility - Los Angeles Times
The fish, which died of chlorine exposure, included green and white sturgeon and chinook salmon that were being studied at the facility.
The Klamath Salmon Festival is on Saturday, August 20
The Yurok Tribe is extremely excited to invite the community to the 58th Annual Klamath Salmon Festival on Saturday, August 20. The theme of this year’s event is Rising Up in recognition of the Tribe’s recent reintroduction of the Prey-go-neesh (California condor) in Yurok Country and the pending removal of the Klamath dams! The 2022 Salmon Festival will feature live music from Blue Rhythm Revue, a kids’ area, basket-weaving demonstrations, Stick Game and Softball Tournaments, the Yurok Tribal Court’s Ney-puey Color Run, Smoked Salmon Contest, high-quality gift items made by dozens of local vendors and the unforgettable salmon lunch.
