A fish kill impacted multiple species on the Potomac River during the July 4th weekend, according to Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) social media posts.
MDE scientists began investigating the fish kill following reports of dead fish along a several-mile stretch of the Potomac River upstream of Little Falls. The event occurred on a very hot day with powerful thunderstorms.
During initial investigation, MDE located affected fish near Sycamore Island fish along the Virginia shoreline. On-water assessments found that the event was concentrated in one primary species, golden redhorse suckers. Water temperatures in the affected area were measured in the mid-90s °F, creating stressful conditions for fish.
Based on those observations, investigators concluded the fish kill had likely ended or significantly subsided and that extreme heat was the most likely cause.
The following day, MDE scientists returned to the river for a second day of field work to gather additional information and confirm the initial findings. Teams collected more water quality measurements, documenting the extent of the fish kill, identifying affected fish species, and collecting fish for laboratory analysis.
On July 6th, MDE reported that the area impacted by the fish kill spanned approximately 13.7 river miles between Whites’s Ferry and Violette’s Lock (lock 23), several miles upstream of Sycamore Island.
According to MDE, initial investigation did not find evidence of a chemical spill or other pollution event. Laboratory testing and today’s field observations will help confirm the cause and rule out other contributing factors.
source: Maryland Department of the Environment
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