Hundreds of dead fish turn up in local river due to Hurricane Francine

Residents perplexed at what turned out to be a natural phenomenon

By DONALD WILBURN

donaldfwilburn@gmail.com

Residents in near Black_sh Bayou in St. Francis County are facing challenges spending time outside due to a recent “_sh kill” caused by the remnants of Hurricane Francine. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission explained that _sh die-offs are typical during the summer in smaller bodies of water and creeks.

According to Randy Zellers, assistant director of communication, tropical systems like Hurricane Francine have a signi_cant impact on shallow- water basins as storm surges push water and debris into swamps, leading to reduced oxygen levels in the water. This lack of oxygen forces _sh to come to the surface, where they begin piping in an attempt to gulp air. The recent cold rain from Francine caused Black_sh Lake to “ip,” resulting in the death of numerous _sh.

Zellers described how the _sh are affected by the sudden ipping of water layers and temperatures, causing them to get trapped. It is similar to when one buys a _sh for an aquarium but must allow the animal to acclimate to the aquarium’s temperature inside of a bag before adding it in.

Although the commission will not be keeping track of

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The frightening phenomenon is said to be caused when oxygen levels “flip” due to rapidly changing temperatures.

Image by Laquita Clark FISH

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the fish casualties, Zellers informed residents that the smell should fade away within a couple of days.

Residents were also advised not to handle or consume the dead or dying fish as they may cause health issues due to decomposition. Zellers mentioned that scavengers would likely consume some of the dead fish, with the rest sinking to the bottom of the lake.

A few days before Francine hit, the Louisiana Game and Fish Commission reminded their residents that fish kills after tropical systems are a normal occurrence and not a cause for alarm.