DNR LOOKS INTO FISH KILL IN HATFIELD
Tuesday, July 19th, 2011 -- 10:05 AM
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is investigating a fish kill on Lake Arbutus near Hatfield.Fisheries Biologist Dan Hatleli says they found around 500 dead, bloated crappies on the lake Monday.
While that sounds like a lot of fish, Lake Arbutus is 840 acres, so it's less than one per acre.
Still, Hatleli and others are taking event seriously.
They suspect the crappies may have died because of the combination of warm water and heavy rains, which could have led to higher bacteria levels.
They've tested the water and found no chemistry problems. They've also taken a half-dozen dead fish for further testing.
Hatleli says crappies are especially susceptible to infections during the spawning season, but these fish were done spawning for the year.
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