Publication Summary

In 1987, the Washington state Department of Ecology investigated recurrent coho salmon kills at Maritime Heritage Fish Hatchery. Hatchery water is drawn from the mouth of Whatcom Creek, which drains Lake Whatcom and downtown Bellingham. Mortality occurs after the first or second rain event of the wet season and thus may be linked to the "first flush" of pollutants into the creek.

In 1987, the Washington state Department of Ecology investigated recurrent coho salmon kills at Maritime Heritage Fish Hatchery. Hatchery water is drawn from the mouth of Whatcom Creek, which drains Lake Whatcom and downtown Bellingham. Mortality occurs after the first or second rain event of the wet season and thus may be linked to the "first flush" of pollutants into the creek. Stream sampling demonstrated that: (1) water quality degradation arose chiefly from urban stormwater runoff; (2) federal toxicity criteria for several metals and pentachlorophenol were exceeded in Whatcom and/or Fever Creeks; (3) sediments were also contaminated with heavy metals and pentachlorophenol; and (4) invertebrate communities were largely unaffected by stream pollution. Hatchery sampling during or shortly after two kill events failed to elucidate the causative agent(s). Heavy metal toxicity from multiple sources is strongly suspected, though pentachlorophenol may also play a role. Recommendations include resampling of hatchery water during the next kill and investigating the origin of fecal, metal, and pentachlorophenol contamination in Whatcom Creek.