Thousands of dead fish and crabs floated to the surface of the Magothy River this week, suffocated by low oxygen levels in the water.
Waterfront homeowners and boaters reported the dead fish - perch, bluegill, pickerel and carp as well as dead crabs - Wednesday and yesterday.
The Maryland Department of the Environment sent investigators to the site of the fish kill, centered around Blackhole Creek on the north shore of the river.
They're testing fish tissue and water samples for toxic algae or other culprits, but their working hypothesis is that weather conditions lead to an unexpected lack of oxygen in the water, said Dawn Stoltzfus, an MDE spokesman.
A combination of low tide, strong winds and a cold front Wednesday may have caused low-oxygen water on the bottom to move to the top. The surface oxygen readings were 3 mg/l, Ms. Stoltzfus said. That's far below normal, and most fish need 5 mg/l to survive. Crabs need 3 mg/l.
The fish kill involved more than 2,000 fish representing 18 species, Ms. Stoltzfus said.
Bill Adler of Severna Park noticed the dead fish floating in the river during his daily morning rowing session yesterday.
"I went out and it was a beautiful day, and as I got down near Blackhole Creek and Chest Neck Point, the water was just full of fish - dead fish," Mr. Adler recalled.
Mr. Adler has lived on the river since 1995 and said he's never seen - or smelled - anything so bad.
Ed Poe didn't have to go further than the end of his Blackhole Creek property in Pasadena to see the devastation. He considered scooping up and disposing of the dead fish on his beach, but stopped after just two netfulls landed him 15 pounds of dead fish.
"I was devastated by it," he said. "The water and the beach at low tide was covered in dead fish."
Mr. Poe and others in the neighborhood recently started a group called the Blackhole Creek Environmental Conservancy. If nothing else, this fish kill is giving them a start in learning about the health of their creek, Mr. Poe said.
To Paul Spadaro of Severna Park, president of the Magothy River Association, the fish kill is yet another sign that we need to do more to clean up area waterways.
Rapid development, overuse of fertilizers and leaky septic systems all take their toll on the water, and in turn, the aquatic life.
"What the poor fish have to deal with is our doing," he said.
To report fish kills or for information, call the Maryland Department of the Environment at 800-285-8195.
