Water quality experts are warning that more fish kills could be on the way for Eastern North Carolina as stagnation grips local waterways.
Teams from the environmental group Sound Rivers have been out in the field this week tracking the lingering effects of a massive fish kill along the Neuse River.
Dead fish—mostly juvenile menhaden—are actively washing inshore and collecting along the banks in New Bern and Bridgeton. Experts blame a sudden, extreme low-oxygen turnover event in the river's bottom waters.
State officials say a 40-mile stretch of the Neuse is currently suffering from severely low oxygen levels. Because the area has seen very little rain or wind, riverkeepers warn that any sudden shift in the weather could trigger another turnover and kill even more fish.
Residents are encouraged to report any new sightings to Sound Rivers.
