1,000 fish die in Emporia due to “fish mortality” – cause unknown

EMPORIA (KSNT) – Health officials are investigating a “fish kill” near the town of Emporia that left hundreds of fish dead in a local river.

KSNT 27 News reached out to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) for information on a reported large number of fish kills in the Cottonwood River in Lyon County. A KDHE spokeswoman sent back a July 18 report on the fish kill investigation.

This report indicates that the area investigated was a section of the Cottonwood River approximately three miles east of Emporia after initial observations were made by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP). The fish appeared to have been dead for several days but showed no outward signs of deformity or disease.

Investigators on the ground were unable to find a cause for the fish kills, although the KDHE report noted an oily sheen on the water. Investigators were unable to find any signs of contamination in the river or of possible dumping or use of herbicides.

Fish species affected by the event include carp, buffalo, drumfish and spotted catfish, with most of the dead fish being black or largemouth buffalo, the release said. Other species, such as shortnose pickerel, have been spotted swimming freely in the water.

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