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Hundreds of dead fish wash up along Lake Apopka shoreline
Several hundred dead fish are floating along the shoreline of Lake Apopka near Winter Garden, startling visitors to Newton Park with both the sight and the smell. The fish, many of them already decaying, lined parts of the shore this week.
WINTER GARDEN, Fla. - Several hundred dead fish are floating along the shoreline of Lake Apopka near Winter Garden, startling visitors to Newton Park with both the sight and the smell.
The fish, many of them already decaying, lined parts of the shore this week.
A stinky situation
What they're saying:
Park visitors we spoke to on a recent visit to Newton Park commented that it was not the nicest outing.
"Yeah, it’s gross," said Carl Specht while out on a walk with his dog.
"It’s so unsightly," said Terry Goldstein, who was there taking photos of birds.
And the stench? Just be glad you can’t smell it through the screen.
"It’s horrendous," Goldstein said. "I’ve been coming down here for 10 years, and I’ve never seen this."
What's floating in Lake Apopka?
Dig deeper:
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Committee (FWC) confirmed to FOX 35’s Hannah Mackenzie that most of the dead fish are tilapia.
Tilapia is an invasive species in Florida, but they can be beneficial to certain ecosystems. According to the St. Johns River Water Management District, tilapia can help cut down on algae and harmful plant overgrowth.
What's to blame?
According to FWC, the cold weather caused the fish to die.
Others think something else could be at play.
"Something toxic in the water… we’ve had cold weather – never seen this," said Goldstein. "I hope the town or the county takes some action to at least take these fish away… because it’s a really nice park and people shouldn’t have to see all this."
According to a recent funding request to the state, Lake Apopka is going through a $20 million cleanup. This is in addition to the $200+ million that has already been spent on it.
FWC: It will get worse
What's next:
Since Feb. 1, FWC has received more than 450 reports of fish kills – including the one in Lake Apopka.
According to the FWC, that number will likely rise as more fish are expected to die from secondary infections caused by cold stress.
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by he Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and visitors to Newton Park.