PORT ANGELES — State and federal biologists are investigating a fish kill that occurred Thursday near the Elwha fish hatchery during maintenance on the city’s industrial water line.
City Engineer Gary Kenworthy said a city crew was doing the maintenance Thursday.
About two dozen salmon fry were killed during pumping operations necessary for the industrial water line maintenance, he said.
The repairs required lowering the water level in the line, which may have resulted in other fish dying in the runoff channel, he said.
“These are necessary repairs that we’ve done before. We regret what happened and will do everything we can to avoid it in future,” Kenworthy said.
Two public information officers for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife said Friday afternoon they hadn’t heard anything about the incident.
But National Marine Fisheries Service agent John Bowyer said Friday afternoon: “It’s under investigation.
I have nothing to report on it. We’re trying to gather all facts.”
