Officials Don't Know What Caused Fish Kill

MUSKOGEE, Okla. (AP) -- State wildlife officials don't know what killed hundreds of smallmouth buffalo fish in parts of Lake Eufaula, but pollution has been ruled out.<br/><br/>About 300 fish died

Wednesday, May 2nd 2007, 8:18 pm

By: News On 6

MUSKOGEE, Okla. (AP) -- State wildlife officials don't know what killed hundreds of smallmouth buffalo fish in parts of Lake Eufaula, but pollution has been ruled out.

About 300 fish died in the Coal Creek and Mill Creek areas of the lake in mid-April.

Danny Bowen of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation says he knows of no similar incident at Lake Eufaula or any other lake in the state that has affected smallmouth buffalo fish.

Researchers made it out to the area a week after the fish kill was estimated to have occurred and found the dead fish in advanced stages of decomposition.

Because of that, Bowen says officials may never know the cause.

The smallmouth buffalo primarily is a bottom-feeding species that thrives on insect larvae and algae.

The fish is found in reservoirs and in larger streams and rivers.