Salmon carcasses wash up on the banks of the Thompson River in Kamloops in September.

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Taylor Borth

The edges of rivers and creeks in Kamloops are covered with an unusually large number of dead salmon, and it’s causing alarm for some residents.

“I first realized something was up when I suddenly detected the putrid smell of decaying fish at a local park,” said wildlife photographer Taylor Borth. “I peeked over the edge of the bank to the river and noticed piles of dead fish on the banks and floating down the river.

“I’ve seen dead fish wash up occasionally but since living here for the past five years have never seen this many all at once.”

Jesse Ritcey with the Kamloops Naturalist Club has been responding to multiple online posts raising concerns about the issue this past week.

“On years where there are so many more fish, you’ll see more dead ones early on,” he said. “Not all the fish will make it. Some will be old, sick or used up their energy and those that spawn will die. It’s normal, it’s just the mass of fish this season are more than people are used to.”

Higher than usual numbers of pink salmon are returning to spawning grounds in Tranquille Creek from a long run up the Fraser River, while sockeye salmon are migrating through the Thompson Rivers to spawning beds in Adams River.

There are record breaking returns of Fraser River sockeye and pink salmon in parts of BC this fall, especially in southern BC, amidst decades long declines, according to the 2025 State of Salmon report by the Pacific Salmon Foundation.

The big returns of Fraser pinks are likely due to favourable ocean conditions in recent years. Pink salmon spend the least time in freshwater of any species, which reduces their exposure to climate changes that are harming other salmon species.

Pinks have a two-year lifecycle and return to the Fraser in larger numbers on odd years.

The Fraser River sockeye salmon returns have been unexpectedly high this year, the salmon foundation said, yet experts are cautiously optimistic to find out how many successfully spawn.

The salmon boom means more carcasses are washing up along creeks and rivers in Kamloops, but it isn’t a cause for concern.

“I checked with our fishery officers in the Kamloops area, and they are not aware of any unusual spike in pink mortality that would not be explained by the size of the returns this year,” said a spokesperson for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans in an email to iNFOnews.ca.

Ritcey with the naturalist club said while the fish carcasses are smelly, their decay is an important part of the ecosystem.

“Decaying fish release nutrients that supply the willows and cottonwoods along stream beds which keep water temperatures cool,” he said. “There are insects that feed on carcasses which the next fish generation will eat. It’s about nutrients going out to the ocean and coming back to be deposited for the next generations.”

The club is hosting an event called Pine Park Pink Palooza at Tranquille Creek on Sept. 27 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. where the pink salmon are spawning. The family-friendly accessible gathering aims to educate visitors on pink salmon and the importance of the creek in a fun atmosphere. There will be live demonstrations and activities provided by numerous groups including Fisheries and Oceans Canada, WildSafeBC and BC Parks.

“Not everyone has awareness that fish are in this creek at all times of the year, so any instream activity like panning, swimming or building pools can be detrimental to fish,” he said. “There have been instream closures up the dam and I’m hoping this will raise awareness as to why that’s so important.”

Go here for more information on the Pine Park Pink Palooza event.

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