Excessive algae growth is apparently to blame for a fish kill along a section of the White River in Indianapolis.
Residents in the Rocky Ripple section of the city noticed late last week that numerous bottom feeders such as suckers had been killed. The state Department of Natural Resources believes that about 500 fish were killed, although some residents say it was more.
The DNR and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management sent investigators to the scene on July 24. No evidence of a spill was found but investigators found brownish water and scummy algae on the water’s surface. The algae blooms make oxygen during the day but rob oxygen from the water at night.
The DNR says algae growth can be fueled by excessive nutrients such as runoff of lawn fertilizer.
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