Why are there thousands of fish dead in the Spokane River?

Earlier this month, wildlife officials began investigating the mysterious deaths of thousands of fish found floating in the Spokane River. Jule Schultz, Waterkeeper for the Spokane Riverkeeper, was interviewed by the Spokesman-Review.  

“We have no idea why this happened,” Schultz said, “What we do know is that this appeared to be a very large event.” 

Local resident Tom McClellan, a former employee of Long Lake Dam, first noticed the dead fish on shore. They were floating in the banks and being washed downstream—as many as the eye could see—including species such as perch, walleye bass and crappie. As of right now, there is no official news on what caused the fish to wind up dead all at the same time, but I have my theories.   

Now, the incident was described as an unnatural occurrence due to murky, scummy water reported downstream of the mouth of the Little Spokane River. In his first Facebook post about the incident, McClellan thought it might have something to do with a “mineral oil” spill from a nearby paper plant. This has happened multiple times throughout the years and throughout the country.  

According to the Environmental News Network, a paper mill spill in Bogalusa, Louisiana, caused a massive fish kill in the Pearl River back in 2011. The spill released a high concentration of waste materials into the river, causing the oxygen to be sucked from a large section of the river. This meant every breathing organism suffocated and died. That could be the case for the Spokane River, but if that were so, would the media not be all over it? I mean, it has been over two weeks now. You would think something about an environmental spill would come out—unless they are covering it up, which is a conspiracy theory we probably can’t get into right now.  

Another possible reason behind this could be the fact that many fish have died throughout the U.S. due to unusually warm water temperatures caused by, yet again, a lack of oxygen in the water. But the reason for these temperatures would be the change in acidity or salinity, causing toxic algae blooms to take over the river areas.  

Toxic algae are usually caused by warm water temperatures and high phosphorus levels in the water. But, with the late winter we had this year, recent water temperatures taken by the Spokane Riverkeeper recorded temperatures at an average of about 37 degrees Fahrenheit, while temperatures for harmful algae need to reach closer to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore, these algae would most likely be caused by a high concentration of phosphorus and nitrogen to grow in cold weather.  

Phosphorus is a common element found in rocks in and near the river. Nitrogen is found in the soil and plants all around the water, too. But you know what else algae feeds off? Sulfur. According to Nature.com, sulfur is a great element for proteins, lipids and various metabolites. This means that it can contribute to the binding of metal ions and proteins, which, in turn, is great for organisms to grow and survive on, including algae. And algae are known to synthesize and store more sulfur than natural or local plants. This means sulfur can cause algae to bloom at a faster rate, dominating terrestrial plants.   

You may be wondering: what does this have to do with the dead fish found in the Spokane River? Well, my inquisitive friend, do you know what the key chemicals used in paper production are? You guessed it: sulfite salts. Picture this: Even a tiny mishap such as a minor paper-mill spill could trigger a domino effect, resulting in diminished oxygen levels and the proliferation of toxic algae. It’s a double whammy that could potentially spell trouble for aquatic life. And if this was all caused by an increase of temperature or minerals, why would there be an unnatural murkiness to the water? Why would the waterkeeper at Spokane Riverkeeper have “no idea” how it happened? Something seems fishy. 

Now, I’m not outright suggesting a covert paper-mill conspiracy behind this piscine tragedy, but I am pointing out the correlation worth exploring. With no official statements yet, it wouldn’t be surprising if this incident fades away in the relentless current of media cycles, leaving us with stagnant information.   

Presley Zimmerman can be reached at [email protected]