DailyAstorian.com // TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2021
148TH YEAR, NO. 102
$1.50
CORONAVIRUS
Tragedy
after fi shing
boat capsizes
Two dead at Tillamook Bay
By NICOLE BALES
The Astorian
Clatsop County
Fishhawk Lake Reserve and Community drained a reservoir in August 2019 to repair a drain pipe.
After fi sh deaths, state
fi nes Fishhawk Lake Reserve
A $439,200 penalty
By EDWARD STRATTON
The Astorian
B
IRKENFELD — The state
has fi ned Fishhawk Lake
Reserve and Community
$439,200 for draining a reser-
voir and allegedly killing more
than 30,000 fi sh. The homeown-
ers association plans to appeal
the fi ne.
Fishhawk Lake is a private
community around a reservoir
formed in the 1960s by an earthen
dam. The homeowners associa-
tion maintains the lake, processes
water and treats sewage.
The lake, considered state
waters, feeds into Fishhawk
Creek and the Nehalem River.
The homeowners association
drained the lake in August 2019
to fi x a broken drain in the dam.
An investigation by the state
found that draining the lake and
the turbidity it caused down-
stream killed 30,391 fi sh, includ-
Tillamook County Sheriff ’s Offi ce
Edward Stratton/The Astorian
Fishhawk Lake north of Birkenfeld was formed in the 1960s after the
construction of an earthen dam along Fishhawk Creek.
ing 20,539 endangered coho
salmon, 4,047 steelhead trout,
5,346 cutthroat trout and 459
trout of undetermined species.
“The draining of the lake
killed fi sh that were sucked
through the underdrain to
Fishhawk Creek by depleting
dissolved oxygen in Fishhawk
Creek,” the state Department of
Environmental Quality wrote in
a notice of penalty.
Total number
of fi sh killed by
the draining
of Fishhawk
Lake and
the turbidity
it caused
downstream,
according to an
investigation
by the state.
Bill would help with
spinal muscular atrophy
See Fish deaths, Page A6
Local family
advocates
for newborn
screening
BY THE NUMBERS: FISH DEATHS
30,391
Two fi shermen from Warrenton died after a
38-foot commercial fi shing boat capsized Saturday
at the Tillamook Bay bar entrance.
The U.S. Coast Guard was watching the Coastal
Reign as a precaution as the Warrenton-based ves-
sel crossed the bar.
T he boat capsized at about 4:40 p.m. All four
people on board entered the water and were recov-
ered by 6 p.m. and taken to hospital .
Two people were located in the water and recov-
ered by a boat team, according to the Coast Guard.
One was unresponsive.
One person climbed onto rocks at a nearby jetty
and was rescued by an aircrew.
The fourth person was eventually recovered by a
boat team by the jetty near debris that was fl oating.
The person was unresponsive and died.
Family members said Todd Chase, a 51-year-
old Warrenton man, died after he was recovered by
jetty rocks. A GoFundMe page was set up to sup-
port Chase’s wife and children.
The family of Zach Zappone, 41, of Warrenton,
said he died after being taken to a Portland hospital
in critical condition. Zappone’s family also set up a
GoFundMe page.
20,539
4,047
5,346
459
Number of
endangered coho
salmon killed
Number of steelhead
trout killed
Number of cutthroat
trout killed
Number of trout of
undetermined species
‘THE DRAINING OF THE LAKE KILLED FISH
THAT WERE SUCKED THROUGH THE
UNDERDRAIN TO FISHHAWK CREEK BY DEPLETING
DISSOLVED OXYGEN IN FISHHAWK CREEK.’
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
By EDWARD
STRATTON
The Astorian
A bill has been intro-
duced in the state Legis-
lature to require screening
for spinal muscular atro-
phy, helped in part by a
local family whose child
has the neuromuscular
condition.
State Rep. Rob Nosse
said a group of advocates
reached out to him after
the Oregon Health Author-
ity decided not to join 33
other states that test new-
borns for spinal muscular
atrophy.
The degenerative spinal
condition, a form of mus-
cular dystrophy, is the most
common genetic cause
of death in infants and
impacts as many as 25,000
Americans.
Nosse doesn’t know
why the h ealth a uthority
See Bill, Page A6
Artist focuses on inclusivity
Hurd hopes work
conveys warmth
By NICOLE BALES
The Astorian
rt has always been an outlet
for Autumn Eve Montgomery
Hurd, but over the past couple of
years, her work has become more
visible around town.
A lot of Hurd’s art is centered
around queer representation, body
positivity and female empow-
erment. The 26-year-old hopes
her work can convey a sense of
A
warmth and positivity to people
who feel the most marginalized.
She sells her art on stickers at
businesses, including Doe and
Arrow, Columbia River Coffee
Roaster and Gathered. She has also
had retailers and other people reach
out to her through Instagram and
her Etsy shop for commissions.
Soon she will be one of the
local artists featured at Foragers,
a new business expected to open
downtown in March .
See Hurd, Page A6
Autumn Hurd’s art often involves
portraits.
AutumnEvesArt
One of Autumn Hurd’s favorite drawings.