Oregon seeks $27M for dam repair it says resulted in mass death of Pacific lamprey fish

By CLAIRE RUSH
Associated Press/Report for America

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon officials are seeking more than $27 million in damages over dam repairs they say killed more than half a million Pacific lamprey fish. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife filed the claim in Douglas County Circuit Court on Friday. According to the complaint, recent repairs to the Winchester Dam in southern Oregon resulted in the death of more than 500,000 juvenile Pacific lamprey, an eel-like fish key to local ecosystems and of cultural significance to many Native American tribes in the region. The department says it’s one of the largest damages claims for illegal killing of wildlife in state history.