BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — Idaho Fish and Game (IDFG) reports that Rapid River Fish Hatchery staff detected that a pump used to supply oxygenated water to the early rearing/incubation building malfunctioned during a routine facility check on Nov. 18. The alarm system designed to identify water flow associated with pump failure also failed.
Staff turned on a secondary pump as soon as the situation was identified. The temporary interruption of flow resulted in the loss of roughly 1.2 million newly hatched Chinook, about one-third of the hatchery’s annual production.
IDFG says the cause of the pump and alarm failure is being investigated, and staff are taking around-the-clock shifts to monitor the pump until the cause of the pump and alarm failure is determined and repairs are made to ensure adequate water flow to the remaining fish…