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Low oxygen kills fish in Minn. river

By on March 22, 2012
minnfishkill

Thousands of fish in the Pelican River in northern Minnesota are dead, likely a result of low oxygen levels, according to a report from the Duluth News Tribune.

Species affected by the fish kill include black crappie, northern pike and yellow perch. The low oxygen is a result of normal winter conditions like ice cover exacerbated by low autumn water levels brought on by drought, according to the Department of Natural Resources. The die-off began when the river was still ice-covered, but now that the river is open the DNR expects oxygen levels to rise and the fish population to eventually recover.

Read more at the Duluth News Tribune.

About Jeff Gillies

Jeff spent three years writing about fish and science around the Great Lakes. Now he writes here about fish and science across the country. He's the editor of the Environmental Monitor.

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