Fishermen and biologists along California’s North Coast聽agree that regional marijuana farms are severely harming local salmon populations, .
Scott Bauer, a fisheries biologist with the , says that in the summer growers use up to six gallons of water per day per plant鈥攆or as many as 30,000 plants.
Additionally, pot farms spill pesticides, fertilizers, and other substances into local rivers and streams. Debris can block salmon migration routes, and fertilizers often cause floating carpets of algae to grow. When the algae decays, it leeches oxygen from the water, suffocating fish in the process.
However, regional pot advocates say marijuana’s prohibition makes them easy scapegoats.
“The truth is, if you flush a toilet in the hills, you’re a part of the problem,” says Kristin Nevedal, a founding chairperson of the . Marijuana proponents also cite California’s record-low precipitation in 2013 as part of the problem.
If the North Coast’s marijuana debacle sounds like a buzzkill, consider taking a trip to Telluride, Colorado’s new pot paradise.