Documentaries focus on salmon in Klamath River 

Films were produced and directed by local nonprofit 

By LEE JUILLERAT 

H&N Regional Editor

January 28, 2012 

     A pair of documentary films on research projects aimed at saving salmon will broadcast on Southern Oregon Public Television in early February.

   The hour-long documentaries, “Sustaining Salmon: Fishermen, Scientists and Project CROSS” and “Saving Salmon: Bringing C. shasta Back Into Balance,” were scripted, directed and produced by Judith Jensen, director of Educational Solutions, a Klamath Falls nonprofit.  

   Jensen said “Sustaining Salmon” is about ongoing work at the Hatfield Marine Science Center, where scientists are trying to develop ways to use genetic stock identification to sustain salmon populations and the commercial salmon industry.

   “Saving Salmon” is about research at Oregon State University, where associate professor Jerri Bartholomew is leading studies on C. shasta, a lethal salmon parasite that can infect up to 80 percent of out-migrating Klamath River juvenile salmon.  

   “This is another key to the low Klamath salmon runs,” Jensen said of the little-known C. shasta parasites. 

Students involved in studying parasites that infect out-migrating Klamath River salmon are featured in a documentary.

    “Sustaining Salmon” will air at 11 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 5, on SOPTV, channel 9 for Charter cable viewers, while “Saving Salmon” will be shown 9 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7.

   Jensen said 900 copies of each DVD are being distributed to libraries, high schools and universities, government and community agencies and individuals. The films also can be seen on the Educational Solutions website at  www.educationalsolutions.org, You-Tube and community television cable casts.

   Jensen said the documentaries show scientific work in progress, not as finished projects, because, “I want to educate the community on how complex science works.”

   She said Educational Solutions will use the documentaries for online high school biology curriculum adapted from a classroom project done last spring.

   “I feel passionate about these projects because of the people involved,” Jensen said. “I want to explain science to a community that may be leery of science.”

   The Gordon Elwood Foundation, Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation and a private donor provided funding for the documentaries.