Large fish, some weighing as much as 30 pounds, were found dead on the banks of Lago Santo Domingo this morning. Located in the Village of Santo Domingo, the small pond has been home to carp, bluegill and bass.
Community Development District 2 Supervisor Bill Schikora lives by Lago Santo Domingo and noticed the dead fish washing up on shore Sunday morning.
“This has never happened before,” he said. “The really odd thing is none of the birds that usually dive into the water or swim are going in. They are standing on the banks and refusing to go near the water.”
The birds are also refusing to eat the dead fish.
Schikora said he first noticed the powerful smell.
“When you have this many large rotting fish in on place in this heat, it’s going to stink,” he said
A sudden appearance of dead fish in a lake or pond causes considerable concern and alarm for most people, whose first reaction is to suspect someone of poisoning the water body. Most fish kills, however, result from natural events, although people can influence their frequency and severity. Fish kills usually result from too little oxygen in the water, according to biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
There is an aeration system in the water but, the extreme temperatures, lack of rainfall and heavy algae could play a part in the amount of fish being unable to survive.