Message #38465

[Psalm 51:17]

http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/officials-investigating-10-000-dead-fish-in-lake-ariel-1.1526841
Officials investigating 10,000 dead fish in Lake Ariel
7/27/13

LAKE TWP. - Officials are investigating at least 10,000 fish that died in Lake Ariel.

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission notified the state Department of Environmental Protection of what they called a "fish kill" Wednesday morning, according to DEP spokesman Kevin Sunday.

Mr. Sunday said specialists conducted sampling, but had no information on the results of the testing Friday.

"I must respectfully decline to comment on potential contributing factors at this point in our investigation," he said in an emailed statement late Friday.

Eric Levis, the press secretary for the Fish and Boat Commission, said the event will remain under investigation.

"The preliminary estimate is 9,000 minnows and some smaller fish and 1,000 game fish, such as bass and perch," Mr. Levis said in an emailed statement.

There were no dead fish visible Friday, and people could be seen kayaking, tubing and boating on the lake.

"We love our lake," said Mollie Conway, 49, of Dunmore, who has a lakefront home.

She said her children were not interested in getting in the water on Tuesday. She described seeing a few large fish, but primarily minnows floating on the lake.

"There were a lot of dead fish," she said.

Friday evening, standing in her yard, she believed the fish kill had been an isolated incident.

"I would go in the water now," she said.