A massive fish kill in Somenos Lake is raising concerns about the watershed’s future.
“We have fish kills pretty regularly in the lake, but this kill is far beyond anything we’ve experienced,” says Paul Fletcher, Executive Director of the Somenos Marsh Wildlife Society (SMWS).
The die-off started over the weekend and is still ongoing as of writing this article.
Striking photos of thousands of dead fish circulated on social media throughout the week.
“So far we’ve seen thousands of dead pumpkinseeds, a few hundred coho, two brown bullheads and one three-spined stickleback,” wrote the SMWS in an Instagram post.
They believe that low oxygen levels in the water are to blame, and it’s not certain when the levels will improve.
Pumpkinseed fish are an invasive species in BC and Fletcher says that while a reduction of their population is a good thing, it’s not good news for the rest of the watershed.
“We kill off many thousands of an invasive species. That’s fine. That’s always good news to manage an invasive species. But the reality is the lake is so unhealthy that it blocks any passage of important fish, like trout and salmon from getting to their spawning areas,” says Fletcher.
Low oxygen levels are one of the many problems plaguing the small lake and that coupled with invasive parrot feather plants and increased algae blooms, takes its toll on the fish living there.
“Ultimately, we’re getting less and less cutthroat trout and coho salmon coming into the system to spawn, which means the watershed is dying,” said Fletcher
Fletcher says that funding from higher government levels will ultimately be needed to make any real impact. Aeration is one solution for restoring low oxygen to lakes, but Fletcher says it’s not ideal.
“The price tag is huge; you’re talking millions and millions of dollars. It needs major funding, more than likely federal or provincial funding.”
He adds that this wasn’t a one-off event, and expects it will continue next year.
If you are interested in learning more about the watershed or volunteering with the SMWS you can visit their website.
