Utah state officials have launched an investigation after hundreds of dead fish were found floating Monday in Cove Pond, located in Salt Lake County, Fox News reported.
The discovery prompted a response from local wildlife biologists. The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources confirmed to Fox News Digital that an estimated 500 fish, mainly catfish and some bluegills and green sunfish, were found dead. Biologists’ initial tests indicated that “lethally low” dissolved oxygen levels in the pond were the likely cause of the mass die-off. Further investigations are underway by the Utah Department of Environmental Quality and local authorities.
Officials stumped by hundreds of dead fish found in pond: ‘Still being investigated’ https://t.co/nxAeWiD2sG
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“Circumstances that contributed to low dissolved oxygen levels and possible other factors are still being investigated by the Utah Department of Environmental Quality and the local authorities,” the spokesperson told Fox News. “The pond is currently closed to fishing while the incident is being investigated.” (RELATED: Death Of Mitch McConnell’s Sister-In-Law, Found In A Pond, Under Criminal Investigation)
Officials also advised against consuming any fish from Cove Pond, especially those caught on or around June 24, citing health precautions. The Division of Wildlife Resources, which routinely stocks the pond with trout and catfish, put a temporary hold on restocking the pond until the investigation is complete and the environment is deemed stable.
“It may be some time before the pond is restocked, so we encourage anglers to fish other waterbodies until further notice,” the spokesperson continued, according to Fox News.
