Fish Kill Seen Below Lake Dam
Mineral Wells Area News received a tip that there had been a large fish kill just below the dam at Possum Kingdom. The photo was taken about a half mile downstream of Morris Sheppard Dam on November 15.
We enquired with the Brazos River Authority who were unaware of any problems and suggested the photo be forwarded to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
“According to our PK staff, they normally see a few fish floating just below the PK dam. It is not unusual to find a few floating as many times fishermen will throw back those that they feel are not acceptable. But, we’ve not seen a kill of this size directly below the dam,” said BRA’s Public Information Officer Judi Pierce.
‘“Fish kills can be caused by many things from a lack of oxygen caused by algal blooms to chemical spills like gasoline or fertilizer. With this being further downstream of the dam, the kill could have been caused by any number of problems,” said Pierce.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has a division they call the “Kills and Spills” team that investigates fish kills when they occur. Pierce said she would forward on the information.
https://tpwd.texas.gov/landwater/water/environconcerns/kills_and_spills/regions/
