Hundreds of fish dying at White Rock Lake considered no big deal

by PegNews wire

DALLAS — Hundreds of White Rock Lake fish have died since Sunday from a bacterial infection -- but don't worry, it's no big deal.

Environmental officials insisted that the dozens of fish corpses were a natural occurrence and posed no threat to humans or animals.

"It's a pretty common occurrence and a relatively small fish kill -- it just happened in a well-populated area," said Alec MacDonald, aquatic scientist for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

Testing showed the water to have normal oxygen and pH levels. The fish is likely gizzard shad, which people don't eat, but which is sensitive to environmental stresses that weaken their immune systems.

Mr. MacDonald classified the White Rock Lake incident as small. "It happens a lot," he said.

Posted by T.G.