Residents are reporting to Town Hall that they are noticing more fish dying in Fountain Lake.
Fish being found lethargic and some washing ashore dead is not an uncommon occurrence during the hot summer months in most urban lakes, according to Town of Fountain Hills PIO Bo Larsen. He said the most common cause of this situation is sudden oxygen depletion in the water caused by several natural factors.
On cloudy days, plants’ photosynthesis does not produce as much oxygen. Other factors include high winds mixing deep water with surface water. When the water at the bottom, which has low oxygen concentrations, mixes with surface water, it reduces the overall oxygen supply in the lake rapidly. This sudden oxygen depletion will often happen in 24 hours.
