The responsible parties, State Trustees, and the U.S. Department of Interior represented by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service struck an agreement in principle for a global settlement of the natural resource damages related to the Salt Fork Fish Kill. 

The funds from the settlement will be used by the government to implement restoration projects in the Salt Fork system to offset the natural resource losses. 

The fish kill which occurred in 2002 was the result of boiler cleaning substances released into a sewage treatment facility.  The treatment facility was unable to process high concentrations of ammonia in the cleaning substances and an unknown amount of ammonia was discharged into a ditch that leads to the Saline Branch. 

The Saline Branch connects with the Salt Fork of the Vermilion River which flows through much of Champaign and Vermilion Counties (east central), Illinois. 

Ammonia is highly toxic to aquatic life.  Ammonia is rapidly dissipated and the stream should recover naturally.  However, an estimated 115,443 fish from about 42 miles of stream were killed by this incident and not replaced. 

All mussel glochidia being carried on these fish were lost.  No fresh dead adult mussels were discovered.  The Salt Fork is the most western part of the range for the federally listed endangered clubshell (Pleurobema clava).  The last recorded observation of clubshell in the Vermilion River system is in the Middle Branch of the North Fork. 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with the State of Illinois to recover clubshell populations in the Vermilion River system. 

Please contact Mike Coffey at 308-757-5800 x206 or michael_coffey@fws.gov for more information.