Roadway runoff known to kill coho salmon also affects steelhead, Chinook salmon
Stormwater runoff containing a toxic compound from automobile tires that washes into streams is lethal to protected coho salmon, Pacific steelhead, and Chinook salmon, according to new research published today. In contrast, sockeye salmon seem largely unaffected by the same compounds. The newly identified risk to steelhead and Chinook salmon could help inform mitigation efforts for construction and overhaul of highways on the West Coast to ensure that future runoff is less lethal to salmon and steelhead. Some western states have already begun designing highways with inexpensive filtration measures shown to protect salmon.
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