In a release, the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection warned of the potential for upcoming fish kills.
This release is unedited here and posted as a public service:
?Shallow lakes and ponds most susceptible to fish kills caused by extensive snow and ice cover?
The
long, cold winter, with extended periods of snow and ice cover across
the state has greatly increased the potential for fish kills in shallow
ponds and lakes, according to Connecticut’s Department of Energy &
Environmental Protection’s (DEEP).
DEEP’s
Inland Fisheries Division said these die offs, termed “winterkills” are
typically natural events that vary in severity from year to year
depending on conditions. DEEP said conditions this winter have been
similar to those experienced three years ago, when the Agency received
numerous reports of dead fish in lakes and ponds as ice cover finally
receded.
“Winterkills
occur most frequently in very shallow, nutrient-enriched ponds that are
subject to abundant growth of aquatic vegetation,” said Peter
Aarrestad, Director of DEEP’s Inland Fisheries Division. “Conditions
conducive to winterkill arise when heavy snow cover over ice inhibits
sunlight penetration, thereby preventing aquatic plants and algae from
producing oxygen via photosynthesis. This process is the sole means of
oxygen creation under ice-covered ponds. The fish typically die during
the winter and are only observed following ice-out.”
Winter
kills that occur in larger lakes are rarely serious in the long run
because lakes support thousands of fish per acre. Usually enough fish
survive, either in the lake or in connecting waters, to repopulate the
lake. More severe winterkills that result in the elimination of all or
nearly all of the pond’s fish community are more likely to occur in very
small ponds, which are often privately owned. Pond owners who
experience winterkill are advised that in the future, shoveling off some
of the snow cover to allow light penetration may stave off potential
winterkill conditions.
Anyone
observing abnormally high fish mortalities during or after the time
that ice is melting can notify the DEEP Inland Fisheries Division in
Hartford (860-424-3474), the Eastern District Office in Marlborough (860-295-9523), or the Western District office in Harwinton (860-485-0226).
The
public is also advised that any fish kills observed in rivers, lakes,
ponds, and streams any time of year can be reported to the Inland
Fisheries Division at the numbers listed above. While
most fish kills are natural occurrences, some have been attributed to
accidental or unauthorized human actions such as chemical releases,
agricultural runoff, flow modifications or poorly designed or conducted
management activities. Anyone reporting fish kills is asked to provide
as much detail as possible concerning location, time and date, estimated
size, numbers and types of fish involved, and other relevant
site-specific information, and if possible, photographs or digital
images. A fact sheet with more information on winter fish kills can be
found at http://1.usa.gov/QbpFWn.
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