Ridding Diamond Lake of the Chub, Airs June 26, 2008
Posted Tue May 27, 2008
- Promotional Contact:
- Carol Howard
- 503-977-7751
Halloween 1992 proved to be a very scary day indeed. State biologists conducting their annual fish survey of Diamond Lake pulled up their nets and found a tui chub. They knew the lake and its trout population was in trouble. Their fears were soon realized. Within a few years, the chub had eaten all the food, the trout all but disappeared and the lake’s water quality was ruined. OREGON FIELD GUIDE checks in to see if the state’s expensive and controversial solution to the problem worked. Tune in to the stations of Oregon Public Broadcasting on June 26 at 8:30pm and Sunday, June 29 at 2:30am and 6:30pm for the report on Diamond Lake. Also meet an Oregon man who combines artistry with athletics as he pursues a surfer’s life, and see what teenagers are doing with Youth Corps.
Diamond Lake Chub -- In just a few years after discovery of the tui chub in Diamond Lake, a $3.5-million-a-year fishery dropped to $250,000 a year. The chub threw the lake water out of balance, spawning a poisonous algae bloom that closed use to the public. The same thing happened in the 1950s when chub, native to the Klamath basin, escaped into the lake, possibly from a bait can emptied into the water. Back then, the chemical rotenone was used to kill all the fish in the lake … and it worked. But 40 years later, the chub were back and one possible solution was to again use rotenone. It was a costly and controversial plan. FIELD GUIDE joins biologists taking the latest fish survey to see how the plan worked and look at the lake’s future prospects.
Umatilla Contaminated Fish -- A study by the Oregon Environmental Council has some startling news for tribe members along the Columbia River. Results show high levels of contaminated tissues in their bodies and the cause may be the salmon, a traditional part of their diet. See how the tribes are working to restore a healthy salmon population.
Youth Corps -- Follow a group of 10 teenagers who spend six weeks of their summer vacation volunteering for the Northwest Youth Corps. It's not a holiday camp. They come from all over the country to do backbreaking work in Oregon's forests and work, sleep and eat outdoors. And for many, it's a transforming experience.
Video clips of the stories featured on FIELD GUIDE can be viewed online immediately following the broadcast at www.opb.org/programs/ofg/
About OREGON FIELD GUIDE
In its 19th season, OREGON FIELD GUIDE remains a valuable source of information about outdoor recreation, ecological issues, natural resources and travel destinations. OREGON FIELD GUIDE airs Thursday evenings at 8:30pm on the television stations of Oregon Public Broadcasting and repeats on Sunday evenings at 6:30pm. In the Mountain Time zone of Eastern Oregon, the program airs at 9:30pm Thursdays, and at 7:30pm Sundays.
About OPB
OPB is the state's most far-reaching and accessible media resource, providing free access to programming for children and adults designed to give voice to community, connect Oregon and its neighbors and illuminate a wider world. Every week, over 1.5 million people tune in to or log on to OPB's Television, Radio and Internet delivered services. As the hub of operations for the state's Emergency Broadcast and Amber Alert services, OPB serves as the backbone for the distribution of critical information to broadcasters and homes throughout Oregon. OPB is one of the largest producers and presenters of national television programming through PBS, and is also a member station of NPR, Public Radio International (PRI), and American Public Media (APM).
The OPB Web site is opb.org.
Last Modified Tue May 27 2008 15:57PM
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