A fish kill spotted last week at Flanners Beach on the lower Neuse will likely continue.
Sound Rivers said thousands of dead juvenile menhaden were found on the beach in the Neuse River Recreation area of Croatan National Forest.
Testing by Water Quality Specialist Taylor Register showed extremely high dissolved oxygen levels and water temperature, and well as elevated pH.
She said, “With dissolved oxygen being so high in the middle of the day, that’s a pretty good indicator of algal-bloom conditions, with the fish kill likely related to dramatic dissolved oxygen drops at nighttime.”
Neuse Riverkeeper Samantha Krop said that while fish kills can happen pretty regularly on the Neuse, no one should normalize them. She said it’s a sign of a river in distress.
“Excessive heat, excessive rainfall washing more nutrients into the waterways — the root cause of both is global warming and the climate change we’re experiencing. While many are doing good things to reduce nutrient pollution, fish kills are another sign of how much more we need to do.”
Sound Rivers recommends avoiding contact with the water where a fish kill or algal bloom is occurring. Signs of an algal bloom include smelly or discolored water.
