SALISBURY — The city of Salisbury released a notice on Tuesday after a sudden and unexpected fish kill in City Park Pond.
The notice from the City states that fishing will not be allowed in the pond until further notice and asks that any fish caught in the past several days be “discarded and not be consumed, as a safety measure.”
The release comes after the pond, located in City Park between Lake and Club drives, experienced a fish kill, when a large number of fish die suddenly. Michael Hanna, assistant public works director for the city, said that the city, in partnership with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and North Carolina Wildlife Resources, have taken samples from the pond that have been sent to a state lab for testing.
The results from the sample testing is expected back on Wednesday, said Hanna.
Hanna did say that the pond did not show signs of an algal bloom, so his initial thought as to the cause was an “illegal discharge into the pond.”
He also noted that the issue has been contained to the City Park Pond, meaning that there are no concerns to the greater public as long as people don’t fish or get into the water.
Fish kills often occur due to a reduction in the water in the water, often due to lowered water levels, overpopulation or algal bloom. However, fish kills can also occur due to man-made pollution, albeit at a significantly lower rate, according to the NCDEQ.
