(Wahpeton)– Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources are investigating a fish kill on West Lake Okoboji.
Mike Hawkins, a DNR Fisheries Biologist, describes it as a relatively small kill. He says the numbers range anywhere from 100 to a couple hundred which he says really isn’t a whole lot for a lake that size.
Hawkins says it’s affecting a variety of species, adding he hadn’t seen any freshly dead fish as of today (Friday). He says that may be a sign the event is over.
Hawkins says it appears the fish were trapped in areas where there was low dissolved oxygen in the overnight and early morning hours. He says it was likely caused by a form of algae that attaches to the bottom of the lake, then comes to the surface and decomposes, consuming oxygen as it does.
Hawkins encourages anyone who sees a fish kill to report it by contacting an officer with the Lakes Patrol or by calling the regional environmental office in Spencer.
