Fish Kills

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Two large fish and several small fish lay dead need reeds
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A fish kill is the sudden death of fish in a lake or stream. 

Every year, MDC handles around 100 fish kills and other water quality events that pose a threat to fish, wildlife, and recreation. Half are caused by natural events like drought, heat, or lake turnover. The rest are caused by pollution, chlorinated drinking water, or chemical spills.

Pollution from municipal and agricultural waste water have been the leading sources of fish kills in Missouri since the 1940s.

MDC partners with the Missouri DNR to investigate fish kills in our streams, rivers, and lakes and ensure that water quality is restored.

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Habitat Hints - Fish Kills

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MDC's Andrew Branson tells us all about fish kills. He addresses why they happen and how landowners can try to avoid it from happening to their ponds.
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Fish Kills on Public Waters in Missouri 2019

Key: NA: Not Applicable NC: Not Calculated ND: Not Determined

Date Body of Water County Cause Source Duration Area of Damage Damage in USD Fish Killed
Dec 26, 2019 Stormwater basins Jackson low dissolved oxygen   ND ND NC ND
Dec 13, 2019 La Barque Creek Jefferson waste oil abandoned oil drums ND ND NA NA
Dec 10, 2019 Deer Creek, tributary of St. Louis 15% sodium hypochlorite solution (chlorine bleach) box truck leaking load 1 day 100 feet  $              34.50 16
Dec 3, 2019 Davisdale CA Howard natural gas multiple pipeline leaks ND ND NA NA
Nov 26, 2019 Briarwood Lakes Jefferson cyanobacteria   ND ND NA NA
Oct 23, 2019 Fishpot Creek St. Louis unknown   ND ND NC ND
Oct 7, 2019 Ben Branch Lake Osage cyanobacteria   ND ND NA NA
Oct 7, 2019 River Des Peres St. Louis City sewage   ND ND NC ND
Oct 5, 2019 Private Pond Lafayette unknown   >4 days ND NC ND
Oct 4, 2019 Spees Branch Lewis   lagoon runoff ND ND NA NA
Oct 2, 2019 Bonne Femme Creek Boone fish tumors/cysts   ND ND NA NA
Oct 2, 2019 Little Prairie Lake Phelps potential harmful algal bloom   ND ND NA NA
Sep 28, 2019 Opossum Creek Jasper unknown   ND ND NC ND
Sep 22, 2019 Apple Creek Cape Girardeau low dissolved oxygen   >3 days 10.5 km NC 500
Sep 17, 2019 Little Prairie Lake Phelps cyanobacteria   ND ND NA NA
Sep 17, 2019 Grand River, tributary to Livingston possible chlorine toxicity chlorinated water ND ND NC ND
Sep 15, 2019 Ashland Lake Boone cyanobacteria   ND ND NA NA
Sep 12, 2019 Far West Floodway Ditch Dunklin unknown (pesticide suspected)   ND ND NA NA
Sep 11, 2019 St. Francis River & tributary to St. Francois hypoxia (confirmed) & ammonia toxicity (suspected) waste water from Farmington West WWTP 2 days 2.3 km  $       7,245.37 6,549
Sep 10, 2019 East Fork Little Charitan River Macon hypoxia Long Branch Dam- dewatering 2+ 0.22 acres  $       4,695.26 366
Sep 8, 2019 Little Platte River Clay unknown   ND ND NC ND
Aug 29, 2019 Private Pond Macon possible algal toxin   ND ND NA NA
Aug 28, 2019 Prairie Lake St. Charles cyanobacteria   ND ND NA NA
Aug 28, 2019 Ray County Lake Ray low dissolved oxygen   ND ND NC 5,627
Aug 26, 2019 Proctor Park Lake Moniteau low dissolved oxygen algae dieoff ND ND NC ND
Aug 23, 2019 Ownbey Lake Adair Aquashade pond dye   ND ND NC ND
Aug 23, 2019 McCartney Lake Franklin possible cyanotoxins   ND ND NA NA
Aug 22, 2019 Private Pond Cape Girardeau low dissolved oxygen   ND ND NC ND
Aug 19, 2019 Hazel Creek Lake Adair disease suspected   ND ND NC ND
Aug 14, 2019 Dunnegan Memorial Park Lake Polk   Suspected harmful algal bloom ND ND NA NA
Aug 12, 2019 Perche Creek Boone low dissolved oxygen   ND ND NC ND
Aug 9, 2019 Leisl Lake Boone likely low dissolved oxygen   ND ND NC ND
Aug 7, 2019 Private Pond Moniteau   suspected aerial crop dusting ND ND NC ND
Aug 2, 2019 Brush Creek Jackson low dissolved oxygen unconfirmed sewage leak ND ND NC ND
Jul 28, 2019 Military Academy Pond Audrain cyanobacteria suspected   ND ND NA NA
Jul 28, 2019 Lakeview Park Lake Audrain cyanobacteria suspected   ND ND NA NA
Jul 27, 2019 West Fork Cuivre River, tributary Audrain hypoxia & NH4 toxicity (suspect), discoloration (confirmed) swine manure from Windmann Farms 2 days 1.5 miles  $       1,326.09 3,347
Jul 25, 2019 Ray County Lake Ray algal toxins present, low dissolved oxygen   ND ND NC ND
Jul 25, 2019 Flat Branch Creek Boone chlorine toxicity (suspected) water main break (suspected) 1 day ND  $                 0.75 6
Jul 24, 2019 Harmony Creek, tributary of Boone Chlorine toxicity water main break 2 days 0.42 miles  $              52.08 403
Jul 22, 2019 Grindstone Reservoir DeKalb cyanobacteria suspected   ND ND NA NA
Jul 22, 2019 Little Niangua River Camden silt bridge construction ND ND NA NA
Jul 16, 2019 Hinkson Creek, tributary to Boone raw sewage vac-truck dump ND ND NA NA
Jul 15, 2019 Osage River Cole likely blunt force trauma Bagnell Dam ND ND NC ND
Jul 13, 2019 Ber Juan Pond Phelps chlorine toxicity undetermined ND ND NC ND
Jul 13, 2019 Bear Creek, tributary of Boone chlorine toxicity pool water from leaking cap on City sewer line 1-2 days 0.17 miles  $           438.46 1,437
Jul 11, 2019 Wears Creek Cole unconfirmed   ND ND NA NA
Jul 10, 2019 Sac River Cedar Low dissolved oxygen hypolimnetic release ND ND NC ND
Jul 8, 2019 Port Hudson Lake Franklin cyanobacteria   ND ND NA NA
Jul 7, 2019 Horseshoe Lake St. Louis City Low dissolved oxygen likely vegetation management(copper sulfate) ND ND NC ND
Jul 4, 2019 Table Rock Lake Stone reported sewage smell   ND ND NA NA
Jul 3, 2019 Austin Lake Texas cyanobacteria   ND ND NA NA
Jun 27, 2019 Lake of the Ozarks Benton blunt force trauma dam operations ND ND NC ND
Jun 25, 2019 Farm Pond St. Francois possible bacterial bloom   ND ND NA NA
Jun 25, 2019 Alpine Village Pond Greene unknown   ND ND NA NA
Jun 24, 2019 Meyer Lake Scott low dissolved oxygen likely, possibly algal toxins   ND ND NC 100
Jun 22, 2019 Osage River Miller likely blunt force trauma dam operation ND ND NC ND
Jun 19, 2019 Binder Lake Cole low dissolved oxygen likely   ND ND NC ND
Jun 14, 2019 Bourbeuse River Maries lethargic fish   ND ND NA NA
Jun 6, 2019 Lake ShowMe Scotland cyanobacteria   ND ND NA NA
Jun 6, 2019 farm pond Moniteau spawning stress   ND ND NC 10
Jun 5, 2019 Private Pond Boone low dissolved oxygen planktonic algae bloom/die-off ND ND NC 400
Jun 1, 2019 farm pond Osage low dissolved oxygen   ND ND NC 110
May 23, 2019 Private Pond Saline fungicide crop spray ND ND NC ND
May 17, 2019 Elk River, tributary McDonald   land applied waste ND ND NA NA
May 15, 2019 Lake of the Ozarks Benton blunt force trauma, possibly low dissolved oxygen Truman dam operations ND ND  $    11,628.56 117
May 1, 2019 Stinson Creek, tributary to Callaway animal waste CAFO runoff ND ND NA NA
Apr 26, 2019 Flat Branch Creek Boone Chlorine toxicity water main break <1 day 900 meters  $           257.89 1,552
Apr 24, 2019 Little Blue River, tributary to Cass domestic sewage manhole vandalism ND ND NC ND
Apr 8, 2019 Deepwater Creek Henry low dissolved oxygen lack of flow from Montrose Dam unknown 200 meters  $       2,799.58 86
Apr 1, 2019 Cane Creek, tributary of Cape Girardeau ammonia toxicity & potential petrochemical toxicity liquid nitrogen & diesel fuel unknown 900 feet  $              55.42 794
Mar 21, 2019 Big Creek Jackson chlorine toxicity water main break ND ND NA NA
Mar 8, 2019 Hickory Creek Newton Chlorinated drinking water Municipal water line < 1 day 0.25 miles  $           500.31 134
Feb 28, 2019 Lick Creek Audrain potential ammonia toxicity and low dissolved oxygen hog lagoon overflow ND ND NA NA
Feb 12, 2019 Gasconade River Maries petroleum unsupported pipeline ND ND NA NA
Feb 6, 2019 Mississippi River St. Charles crude oil pipeline break ND ND NA NA
Jan 25, 2019 Meramec River St. Louis used cooking grease restaurants ND ND NA NA
Jan 8, 2019 Bourbeuse River Franklin mechanical fluids skidsteer stuck in river ND ND NA NA