Biologists at California State University Bakersfield are sounding the alarm after the city’s decision to reduce water flows in the Kern River allegedly led to the death of over 3,000 fish, 23ABC reported.
The city cut back water flow Sept. 3 to conduct maintenance on a weir near the Stockdale Highway bridge, but the move has sparked concerns about its environmental impact, according to 23ABC. Antje Lauer, a biology professor at CSUB, walked the now-dry riverbed and described the devastation.
“Fish don’t cry. They don’t scream, but if you see them in shallow waters, gasping for air, it’s heartbreaking,” she said. Lauer, along with fellow professor Rae McNeish and their students, documented the mass fish deaths since late August, presenting their findings at a recent city council meeting.
SOMETHING FISHY: CSUB biology professors find hundreds of dead fish in dry Kern River https://t.co/8neiqqkqxi
— 23ABC News (@23ABCNews) September 14, 2024
“3,000 fish dead in the river is a failure on our part, and I think we can do better,” said Councilman Eric Arias, acknowledging the environmental toll, the outlet reported. City Manager Christian Clegg explained that Bakersfield had already depleted its water reserves by August and had no additional water to run through the river. The city is bound by contracts with local agricultural districts, complicating efforts to maintain water levels.
Lauer, however, believes alternative measures could have been taken to protect the fish. “If there would have been maybe a diversion, little canal or fish ladder for them, some of them may have been able to escape,” she suggested, according to the outlet. (RELATED: ‘The River Is Essentially Dead’: How Enviros’ Push To Save Salmon Ended Up Killing ‘Hundreds Of Thousands’ Of Them)
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is investigating the incident.
“California Department of Fish and Wildlife takes all instances of fish mortality seriously and is investigating what has occurred on the Kern River, we cannot comment further during the pending investigation,” a spokesperson said.
Environmentalists like Lauer hope for improved water management moving forward to protect both wildlife and agricultural interests.
