Oregon

Oregon man accused of killing nearly 18,000 salmon with bleach

Published

8 months ago

May 1, 2024

Oregon man accused of killing nearly 18,000 salmon with bleach

An Oregon man is facing multiple charges after he dumped bleach into a tank at a Douglas County hatchery, killing roughly 18,000 young Chinook salmon, according to state and local authorities.

In a statement announcing the arrest of Joshua Heckathorn, 20, of Gardiner, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) called the poisoning of thousands of fish that are a protected species, a “significant poaching incident.” The fish were killed at a volunteer-run hatchery.

The investigation began on April 22 when Douglas County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) deputies responded to a call that someone “forcibly made entry into the hatchery building” and poured a chemical substance into one of the rearing ponds causing the death of thousands of pre-smolt Chinook salmon, ODFW said.

The following day, around 6:30 p.m., a DCSO deputy patrolling the area spotted a man in the hatchery and “behind the locked gate and no trespassing signs.” The man, identified as Heckathorn, authorities said, was questioned at the scene and “admitted to trespassing on the property and entering a storage location and handling the chemical bottle.”

Heckathorn was arrested and booked into the Douglas County jail on charges of burglary, criminal trespass and criminal mischief. Authorities say poaching charges are expected to be added.

A dead juvenile salmon is inspected after being removed from a Yurok Fisheries Department rotary screw trap on the Klamath River on June 9, 2021, in Weitchpec, California. An Oregon man on Tuesday was charged…

Justin Sullivan/Getty

Newsweek reached out via email on Tuesday night to DCSO for comment. It was unclear at the time of publication whether Heckathorn had retained an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

Due to the high number of salmon killed, DCSO is working the case with the Oregon State Police (OSP) Fish and Wildlife Division to “address both vandalism on the property and a significant poaching incident,” OSP Sergeant Levi Harris said in a statement.

“Poaching charges will include Unlawful Taking Chinook Salmon for 17,890 fish, which raised the charge to a Class C felony,” Harris said. “In addition, Heckathorn faces charges of Making a Toxic Substance Available to Wildlife, which is a Class A Misdemeanor; and Criminal Mischief 1st Degree (Damaging or destroying property of another in an amount exceeding $1,000). Additional penalties could include a lifetime angling license suspension and damage suits for unlawful killing of wildlife.”

The maximum civil penalty in the state for illegally taking or killing a single Chinook salmon is a $750 fine.

“Courts have the authority to multiply that amount by the number of fish taken, with a judgment in this case potentially raising the amount to over $13 million,” Harris said, adding that while the fines are unlikely to rise to that level, the incident is a significant loss for the Gardiner Reedsport Winchester Bay Salmon Trout Enhancement Program (STEP).

“The killing of these fish is a real blow to the STEP Program volunteers, ODFW, fishermen, and the community as a whole,” Harris said. “In my 25 years as a game warden, this is one of the most senseless acts I have seen.”

Oregon Man Arrested for Killing Salmon — Gardiner Reedsport and Winchester Bay hatchery manager Tim Hooper shovels the dead pre-smolts from the bottom of the rearing pond. The roughly 18,000 fish will be frozen for future evidence in the criminal case.

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

Newsweek reached out via email to the OSP and representatives for the Gardiner Reedsport Winchester Bay STEP program for comment.

The Gardiner Reedsport Winchester Bay STEP hatchery is run by volunteers who raise and care for nearly 200,000 fish each year before releasing them into the Umpqua River estuary, according to the group’s website. The poisoned salmon were set to be released in June as part of a state program that the Oregon legislature established in 1981 to help “rehabilitate and improve stream habitat and natural fish stocks.”

President of the STEP program Deborah Yates said the volunteers at the hatchery are still trying to come to terms with what happened. She said volunteers have spent hundreds of hours caring for those fish, saying: “It’s an incredible time investment, and they mean a lot to people.”

“You get attached to those fish,” Yates said. “When nature does something, it’s crushing. But it’s nature and it happens. But when someone comes in and does something like this, you can’t wrap your head around it. We have so many hours wrapped up in those fish, to have someone come in so cavalier, and kill them, it doesn’t make sense.”

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Related Topics:chinook Featured fish Oregon poachers poaching salmon wildlife

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Oregon

First salmon in century reach Oregon's Klamath Basin after dam removal

Published

3 hours ago

December 16, 2024

Press Room

First salmon in century reach Oregon's Klamath Basin after dam removal

On the U.S. West Coast, conservationists for the world’s largest dam-removal project are both celebrating initial successes and encountering short-term obstacles. VOA’s Matt Dibble has our story from the Klamath River on the border between California and Oregon.

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Oregon

Oregon snags Northwestern cornerback Theran Johnson

Published

11 hours ago

December 16, 2024

Press Room

Theran Johnson.

USA Today Sports photos

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on Rivals.com, the leader in college football and basketball recruiting coverage. Be the first to know and follow your teams by signing up here.

Northwestern junior cornerback Theran Johnson will be transferring to Oregon.

The 5-foot-11, 182-pounder from Indianapolis (Ind.) North Central High had 53 tackles (40 solo), two interceptions, one of which is returned for a touchdown, and 10 passes defended this season. He has 103 tackles, 18 passes defended and three interceptions on 37 games at Northwestern.

Johnson had a season-high seven tackles in a 26-20 overtime win at Purdue on Nov. 2, and he returned an interception 85 yards for a touchdown in the 40-14 loss at Iowa the next week.

The former Rivals.com three-star prospect was the No. 12 overall player in Indiana and the No. 65 cornerback nationally in the class of 2021. He picked Northwestern over the likes of Cincinnati and Notre Dame, along with Ivy League programs Dartmouth and Yale.

Stay locked in on the Rivals Transfer Tracker to keep up with the latest transfer news, portal entries, commitments, and rankings. For a deep-dive into the transfer portal, make sure you visit the Rivals Transfer Search page.

The Rivals Transfer Portal X account is a must-follow for any college football fan.

The winter college football transfer portal window is scheduled to open on December 9th, 2024 for 30 days. Additionally, players have a 30-day window to transfer if their head coach leaves. There is also a five-day window for players to transfer after their team has finished postseason play.

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Oregon

2025 Look-Ahead: Will Oregon Lose a Game?

Published

18 hours ago

December 15, 2024

Press Room

2025 Look-Ahead: Will Oregon Lose a Game?

The Oregon Ducks’ 2025 football schedule released earlier this week and laid out the team’s path for next season. Here I’ll take a look at each game and offer a tentative prediction, fully knowing that rosters and game times have not yet been set.

August 30th vs Montana State

Not too much to consider here. Montana State is a respectable FCS program but shouldn’t hold a candle to Oregon on the field.

The Ducks had a bit of a tough time against Idaho in week one this year but I trust that that was an aberration.

Prediction: Oregon wins

September 6th vs Oklahoma State

This makes for a fun out-of-conference power four game that shouldn’t be too worrisome for fans. Oklahoma State has had a great run under coach Mike Gundy but appears to have lost its step a bit this year.

Prediction: Oregon wins

September 13th @ Northwestern

This could be a bit of a weird one as Northwestern breaks in a new stadium but the Ducks will still be relatively fresh which tamps down concerns about a trap game. The Wildcats don’t recruit or develop at a level that should create any real threat to Oregon and this game takes place before weather should really be a factor.

Prediction: Oregon wins

September 20th vs Oregon State

Oregon will welcome the Beavers back to Autzen Stadium again for just the second non-conference matchup between these programs. Credit to Oregon State for managing to recruit at a reasonable level this year (68th nationally per the On3 Industry Rankings), well above many power conference teams but I don’t think it’ll be nearly enough.

Prediction: Oregon wins

September 27th @ Penn State

As a rule I don’t predict undefeated seasons so there has to be a loss somewhere. Presumptive 2025 starting quarterback Dante Moore will not have played in an environment comparable to Beaver Stadium and the Ducks will be playing their fifth game in as many weeks.

I expect a charged atmosphere in College Park for this one and although Penn State has struggled to beat elite teams under coach James Franklin, I’ll say they snare Oregon here.

Prediction: Oregon loses

October 11th vs Indiana

Bit of a tough one to analyze here. It’s unclear how much of Indiana’s roster will be retained past 2024 and while this has been an incredible year for the Hoosiers, I don’t expect them to be winning double-digit games on a consistent basis.

This will the their first trip to Autzen Stadium and I think the roster differential as well as home environment will be too much to overcome.

Prediction: Oregon wins

October 18th @ Rutgers

Just two weeks removed from a bye, I expect a sharp outing from Oregon here. Rutgers is a stable, well-coached operation but realistically isn’t in the same hemisphere as the Ducks. I have all the respect in the world for Scarlet Knights’ coach Greg Schiano but Rutgers isn’t known for being especially difficult to win at and there are any number of reason to not be concerned here.

Prediction: Oregon wins

October 25th vs Wisconsin

Is this a revenge game? Wisconsin pushed Oregon to the brink this year, holding the team to 16 points and maintaining a lead into the fourth quarter.

Next year figures to be a little different. The Ducks were on the last game of eight in a row this season and clearly wore it on the field.

With motivation to put 2024’s nail-biter behind them as well as the Autzen crowd at their backs and a better rest situation, I don’t expect many challenges.

Prediction: Oregon wins

November 8th @ Iowa

In my mind this is the biggest trap game of 2025 as Iowa consistently fields a disciplined unit that makes you beat them. It’s hard to imagine coach Kirk Ferentz adapting his system much between this year and next so points will likely be at a premium for the Hawkeyes once again.

On the flip side this will be a quality team that has a good home atmosphere and should be excited to host a West Coast power in Oregon. It’s one of my lower-confidence predictions but I think the Ducks, fresh off a bye, get this one done with a far more dynamic offense than Iowa has been able to muster.

Prediction: Oregon wins

November 15th vs Minnesota

I like coach P.J. Fleck as much as the next guy but the talent discrepancy here will, again, be tough to overcome. A reasonably rested Oregon team will be playing its second-last home game of the year and should be in the thick of the playoff mix, leaving little room for an upset.

Prediction: Oregon wins

November 22nd vs USC

It occurred to me while writing this that USC’s had to play at Autzen in its last two matchups against the Ducks but I’m not one to feel bad. It will be difficult for coach Lincoln Riley to get this team to a place where they can contend against the best teams in the country in just one offseason and Oregon is never shy on motivation going against the Trojans.

I won’t say I outright expect a blowout but this is definitely a game I could see being over early.

Prediction: Oregon wins

November 29th @ Washington

Second-highest in the trap rankings for next year is a road matchup against the Huskies. It’s hard to call a rivalry a trap game but after trouncing them this year, Oregon could come into this one a little headstrong.

I also expect a much-improved Washington team in year two under coach Jedd Fisch as he did at Arizona, taking the team from one win in his first season to five the next. With that all said, this is another opportunity for Oregon to avenge its 2023 loss at Husky Stadium and likely punch its ticket to another Big Ten Conference Championship appearance.

Prediction: Oregon wins

Record Prediction: 11-1

It was difficult to find a loss on this schedule but like I said, I don’t really predict undefeated seasons due to how rare they are. In any given year even the best team is likely to drop one at some point.

I could see this being another 12-0 regular season for the Ducks but three somewhat dicey games prevent me from calling it outright. I expect another great year for Oregon with plenty of elite talent backfilling losses from this season’s roster and a likely berth in the College Football Playoffs.

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