Fish kill reported in the Pottawatomi River in Owen Sound last week is not anticipated to be from an unusual occurence, according provincial government ministries.
A local resident contacted the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks Owen Sound District Office on April 14 to inform staff of hundreds of dead fish in the Pottawatomi River.
Ministry spokesperson Gary Wheeler says environment officers attended the scene in Owen Sound to determine if the fish kill could be attributed to a spill, release or discharge of pollutant into the water.
“Officers did not find any signs of contamination within the river, nor were there other dead fish observed upriver or downriver,” Wheeler explains. “No other animals, such as water fowl, were found deceased or observed to be in distress.”
Ministry staff conducted further assessment of the Pottawatomi River on April 15. Wheeler says no additional fish were observed dead or dying. He says there were no other characteristics or evidence of contamination apparent or identifiable to suggest that a specific pollutant was the cause or present.
Water samples collected at the scene have been sent to the ministry lab for analysis. Wheeler says at this time, it's not anticipated any pollutants will be found.
“This incident is not expected to impact Owen Sound's drinking water wells or system,” Wheeler notes.
The Ministry of the Environment will continue to monitor the Pottawatomi River. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and Grey Sauble Conservation Authority have been notified of the fish kill, Wheeler notes.
Asked about the suspected cause of the fish kill in the river, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry says fish die-offs are not unusual, particularly in spring and summer.
“These fish deaths can be caused by low oxygen levels in water, stress from spawning, changing water temperatures or disease,” a statement from an MNRF spokesperson explains.