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Posts tagged "fish kills"

Winter Fish Kills in Local Lakes

Posted by PLSLWD Staff - March 24, 2021 - News

Winter fish die-off, or winterkill, is a natural process that happens from time to time in our area. This year the watershed and the City of Prior Lake have received reports of winterkill at Pike Lake, Crystal Lake, and Jeffers Pond (see photo).

Winterkill can happen when there are low oxygen levels in the water caused by factors such as:

  • Early snow and ice
  • Snow on the ice reduces sunlight, stopping plants from producing oxygen
  • Shallow water levels
  • Fish using up the available oxygen

After a winterkill event, residents can expect dead fish washing up on shore, foul odor due to decomposition, and an increase in scavenging animals. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recommends either leaving the fish to decompose naturally or removing and burying them.

There are some benefits to winterkill, including the removal of invasive species such as carp. Lakes that experience a complete winterkill, such as Pike Lake this winter, receive a fresh start for their fish populations and may see an increase in water quality due the absence of carp.

The Minnesota DNR tracks winterkill; to report a fish die-off, call the DNR at 651-649-5451. More information can be found on the DNR website:  https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fisheries/fishkills.html

This article was first published on the City of Prior Lake’s website here.

View Full Article fish, fish die-off, fish dieoff, fish kills, winter kills

Spring Lake Fish Kill – Updated 9/19/18

Posted by PLSLWD Staff - August 30, 2018 - News, Spring Lake

UPDATE 9/19/2018:

The MN DNR took fish samples from the fish kill to run tests to investigate potential causes of the fish kill. Initial findings noted gill necrosis and a heavy load of flavobacteria which is consistent with fish who have Columnaris disease. The DNR is still doing other tests to confirm. Columnaris disease is caused by a bacteria that is constantly present in fish populations, but does not typically cause death except when fish are stressed, such as during spring spawning season.

UPDATE 9/6/2018:

District staff collected dissolved oxygen readings from Spring Lake yesterday, 9/5/18.  The results show that oxygen levels have increased significantly from last week.  Dissolved oxygen was 8.5 mg/L on the top 6 meters of the lake and the bottom 4 meters were anoxic, or without sufficient oxygen.  On August 28, dissolved oxygen levels were 5.7 mg/L on the top 4 meters of the lake, which is near the minimum required level for a healthy fish population and the bottom 6 meters of the lake were anoxic.  Both of these samples were taken in the afternoon, when dissolved oxygen levels are the highest due to photosynthesis, so oxygen levels likely dipped below this at night.

DNR staff collected fish samples on 9/5/18, which will be tested for disease. Results of these tests will take at least a week.

A dumpster, donated by Buckingham Companies, will be placed at the Spring Lake boat launch today by 5pm for fish disposal only and the Organics Recycling Facility at Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community will dispose of the fish at no cost. Please put ONLY fish (no plastic bags) in the dumpster.

———————————————————————————————————–

The District has received several reports from residents of a fish kill on Spring Lake. According to MN DNR Fisheries staff, the fish kill is likely a result of late summer lake conditions and weather. Low oxygen conditions are the most likely culprit that is causing the fish to die. During this time of the year, there is a high biological demand for oxygen in the lake, as many fish and other organisms are active and consuming oxygen, so competition for oxygen is high in the lake. Different fish species have varying oxygen needs and tolerance of low oxygen levels.  Samples taken on August 28 revealed dissolved oxygen levels around 5 mg/l on the top half of the lake, which is the minimum level required for a healthy fish population.  The bottom half of the lake was considered anoxic, or without oxygen.

After having quite a long period with no rain and hot weather, and then getting quite a bit of rain over the last week or so rain. That rainwater was colder than the lake water and because colder water is more dense, the rainwater sunk to the bottom of the lake, displacing the oxygen-poor water which was previously at the lake bottom. As the oxygen-poor water moved upwards, some fish could have been caught in the oxygen starved water, causing them to receive an insufficient amount of oxygen and die. Some deoxygenated water from surrounding wetlands may also have been pushed into the lake causing the dissolved oxygen (DO) levels to be lowered. There are a couple factors that could have caused the low DO levels, but hopefully with cooler temperatures and wind, the lake DO levels will increase.

Based on resident reports, only crappies have been found in the fish kill on Spring Lake. Consequently, it is unlikely that the kill was caused by a toxic spill, as a toxic spill would have affected all fish species. The current Spring Lake fish kill is most likely a result of natural causes due to low oxygen levels stemming from late summer lake conditions and weather.

Fish washed up on my shoreline. What can I do with them? While the fish are ultimately individual landowners’ responsibilities, the District has coordinated a dumpster with Buckingham where residents can drop off dead fish from their shorelines. The SMSC’s Organics Recycling Facility in Shakopee has agreed to take the fish. The dumpster will be at the Spring Lake boat launch off of Vergus Avenue and will be available beginning Sept 6th by 5 pm.

How to Report Fish Kills: If you observe large fish die-offs on any of the lakes you can report any findings on the U of MN’s fish kill reporting map. The fish kill map is a tool created by Dr. Nick Phelps to identify fish kills in Minnesota and allows you to identify the date, location, approximate number of fish and condition of the fish and note if anything about the fish looks abnormal. UMN researchers may then investigate the kill and gather specimen samples for the UMN veterinary diagnostics laboratory. UMN staff also share reports with MN DNR staff.

Photo was taken by Spring Lake resident, Jeff Will.

View Full Article Lake, Spring Lake, crappies, fish, fish kills

Deep snow and cold winters increase instances of fish kills

Posted by PLSLWD Staff - May 10, 2018 - News, Prior Lake, Spring Lake

MN DNR Press Release:

Cold winters with abundant snowfall can lead to fish die-offs and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has already taken reports of this process, known as winterkill, occurring in lakes near Brainerd, Hinckley and the Twin Cities area.

“While seeing lots of dead fish can be disconcerting, we remind people that winterkill is normal and happens every year to some extent,” said Neil Vanderbosch, DNR fisheries program consultant.

Once a lake is capped with ice, the amount of dissolved oxygen present in a lake depends on how much oxygen is produced by aquatic plants. Winterkill occurs when snow and ice limit the amount of sunlight reaching aquatic plants.

Without adequate sunlight, the plants produce less oxygen. If the vegetation dies from lack of sunlight, the plants start to decompose, a process that further depletes oxygen dissolved in the water.

Trout species require high dissolved oxygen levels and may begin dying off when a lake’s dissolved oxygen falls below 5 parts per million (ppm). Bluegill and largemouth bass are also sensitive to low oxygen levels. Walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, carp and crappie can tolerate dissolved oxygen levels as low as 2 ppm.

Winterkill rarely results in the death of all fish in a lake, but lakes with frequent winterkill events tend to be dominated by bullheads.

Winterkill can have some benefits. In lakes with overabundant panfish, occasional winterkill can increase growth rates of the fish that survive. Winterkill can also greatly reduce carp abundance, which leads to increased water quality and more successful stocking efforts.

People who see numerous dead fish after the ice melts should report their observations to the State Duty Officer at 800-422-0798.

View Full Article dead fish, fish die-off, fish kills, winter kill

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Prior Lake – Spring Lake Watershed District

The District covers about 42 square miles in Scott County, MN. Water in the PLSLWD flows mainly from the southwest to the northeast through Spring, Upper Prior and Lower Prior Lakes, and then north through the Prior Lake Outlet Channel to the Minnesota River near Valley Fair amusement park.
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Prior Lake - Spring Lake Watershed District
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Prior Lake, MN 55372

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