How most of 102,000 salmon spilled from tanker truck survived

LA GRANDE, Ore. - A truck carrying more than 100,000 salmon smolts overturned in Oregon. Miraculously, a majority of the salmon made it to a river and survived the ordeal.

The crash happened on March 29 when a truck, transporting about 102,000 spring Chinook smolts, overturned on a sharp corner. The driver, an ODFW employee, sustained minor injuries but survived the incident. The 53-foot vehicle skidded on its side, skirting pavement before rolling over a rocky embankment and onto its roof.

A truck carrying more than 100,000 salmon smolts overturned in Oregon, and, miraculously, most of them managed to survive. (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife)

"We are thankful the ODFW employee driving the truck was not seriously injured," said Andrew Gibbs, ODFW fish hatchery coordinator for Eastern Oregon. "This should not impact our ability to collect future brood stock or maintain full production goals in the future."

Following the accident, about 77,000 smolts made their way into Lookingglass Creek, a tributary of the Grande Ronde River situated adjacent to the accident site. However, an estimated 25,529 smolts did not survive, with their remains retrieved from the tanker or area of the crash site.

A truck carrying more than 100,000 salmon smolts overturned in Oregon. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.)

Emergency response services from the Union County Sheriff's department promptly arrived on the scene, providing effective containment of a minor diesel fuel spill. They also supported on-site evaluations and vehicle recovery procedures, avoiding the necessity for hazardous material spill response.

A truck carrying more than 100,000 salmon smolts overturned in Oregon, and, miraculously, most of them managed to survive. (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife)

Lookingglass Hatchery, responsible for raising these spring Chinooks, carries out this task under the Lower Snake River Compensation Plan. Their work is instrumental for recreational and tribal harvests and supplementary to the threatened wild population on the Imnaha River.

Partners in fishery management, the Nez Perce Tribe (NPT), and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) were informed about the accident. The NPT staff lended their assistance during the recovery process by aiding in the collection, counting, and tag scanning of the deceased fish.

A truck carrying more than 100,000 salmon smolts overturned in Oregon, and, miraculously, most of them managed to survive. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.)

The loss amounts to approximately 20% of the total smolts meant for release into the Imnaha River this year. Due to this, fishery managers estimate a resulting decrease of about 500-900 returning adult fish in 2026 and 2027. Contrastingly, the 77,000 fish that survived will likely populate Lookingglass Creek, leading to the eventual return of an estimated 350-700 adult fish.