Reporting a fish kill?

[Rocket]

So I looked out my back window a bit ago and saw 12 8-10" small mouth Bass floating in the pond. Looking around they are every where. At least 50. And the water looks the wrong color. It looks like the mud bottom has been painted green.
Should I call DNR tomorrow ? This is a retention pond in an edition if that makes a difference.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Is it a blue green? Water clear other than the color, or is there a lot of algae? I've seen ponds treated for algae (copper sulfate or something?) that are a deep blue green. I don't know how much is toxic to fish though.

 

[eldirector]

You downstream from Indy? All kinds of nasty stuff washing out of those combined sewers.

 

[Rocket]

It is blue green. Looks like the bottom of pond has been painted. Water is clearish. But the aerator is pumping up colored water. There has been a lot of algae this year. It does look like it is going away. This is a rain catchment and local run off only. No streams in or out. There is overflow run out only but well below that. 20 min south of Indy

 

[DoggyDaddy]

My guess is that they may have "overdosed" the pond with algae treatment. That would be my first guess anyhow.

 

[woodwalker]

Maybe the pond turned over. Neighbor had that happen a few years ago and killed about every fish

 

[88GT]

I wouldn't call DNR. I don't think it's within their purview. Chances are whoever is responsible for pond maintenance dosed it with something that affected O2 levels. The shallow retention ponds may already be O2 stress due to the warmer temps we've had. It's possible an additive that further limited accessible O2 and that was enough to send the fish over the edge. And maybe somebody just dumped something in.

Maybe the pond turned over. Neighbor had that happen a few years ago and killed about every fish

I doubt it's deep enough to develop a thermocline. Ergo, little chance of a turnover event. Either way, even assuming it does have a thermocline and could turnover, it wouldn't happen in this weather.

 

[Rocket]

Thanks 88gt. Good points. And thanks for explaining a turn over event. I guess I will let it be. It is too bad for the fish. Hopefully the other fish and turtles can hold out

 

[jblomenberg16]

If it is very shallow, it may have just gotten too hot given the high temps recently and had too much algae. Good chance that the pond was treated by a local Indiana business that does a lot of work on national level, and I'm pretty certain they are knowledgeable about the right dosage.


What a really want to know is how the smallmouth bass got in there. Most ponds have a decent largemouth population, and even some spots, but usually small mouth are found in rivers and deeper lakes.

 

[Cameramonkey]

If you are seeing blue-green in the fountain spray, Its the water that is colored, not the bottom. Sounds like somebody misjudged the capacity of the pond and used a little too much copper sulfate to kill the algae. Disclaimer: I know enough to be dangerous... my idea is not a professional one.

 

[hoosierdoc]

Could it be someone is a habitual skinny dipper and the fish couldn't stand it anymore so they took the coward's way out?

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Could it be someone is a habitual skinny dipper and the fish couldn't stand it anymore so they took the coward's way out?

Or even worse... a chunky dunker.

 

[halfmileharry]

I wouldn't call DNR. I don't think it's within their purview. Chances are whoever is responsible for pond maintenance dosed it with something that affected O2 levels. The shallow retention ponds may already be O2 stress due to the warmer temps we've had. It's possible an additive that further limited accessible O2 and that was enough to send the fish over the edge. And maybe somebody just dumped something in.


I doubt it's deep enough to develop a thermocline. Ergo, little chance of a turnover event. Either way, even assuming it does have a thermocline and could turnover, it wouldn't happen in this weather.

This.
I can guess all day long but without testing the water you're only guessing.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

My guess would be that either something like fertilizer, weed killer, or maybe some kind of cleaner was washed off of a building, parking area, or lawn and into the pond with the recent rain.

Or, someone dosed the pond with an algaecide. When you add agaecide to a pond with a lot of algae this time of year, the algae of course dies and sinks to the bottom, and when it breaks down, the microorganisms that consume it use up all the oxygen from the water, which will kill some of the fish.

And, neither IDNR nor IDEM has jurisdiction over private ponds, unless they have a flowing outlet (definition of Waters of the State)

 

[Rocket]

Rumor has it that all the fish in this pond were caught in other places and released here by locals. I have seen 2' cat fish 16 large mouth blue gill and the smallies. As well as half dozen turtles. Bull frogs the occasional musk rat ( usually trapped when seen) Norwegian rats ( I think they are finally gone). It is a pretty diverse pond. About 15 years old. I hope those are the only fish to die.
Sounds like no reason to call in the calvery. And if there are any Chunky Dunkers they are dead of knight dunking. We can fish in the pond all we want as property owners but nothing else. Thanks for all info and advice

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

Rumor has it that all the fish in this pond were caught in other places and released here by locals. I have seen 2' cat fish 16 large mouth blue gill and the smallies. As well as half dozen turtles. Bull frogs the occasional musk rat ( usually trapped when seen) Norwegian rats ( I think they are finally gone). It is a pretty diverse pond. About 15 years old. I hope those are the only fish to die.
Sounds like no reason to call in the calvery. And if there are any Chunky Dunkers they are dead of knight dunking. We can fish in the pond all we want as property owners but nothing else. Thanks for all info and advice

If the Smallmouth Bass were the first (or only) fish to die, then that is a classic sign of Dissolved Oxygen depletion. Bass and bluegills are more sensitive to DO loss than catfish, carp, and some others.