Drought, and water releases from dam, kill all fish in Arizona lake

www.washingtontimes.com

San Carlos Lake, a reservoir in Arizona about 95 miles southeast of Phoenix, is closed indefinitely after the death of all of the lake’s fish.

The San Carlos Recreation and Wildlife Department said Friday that “approximately 100% of the fish population within the lake” was dead and that the remains of the dead fish posed a risk to people who entered the area or tried to fish on the lake.

Officials said that the mass die-off of fish was spurred by drought conditions and the release of water from the nearby Coolidge Dam for agricultural purposes. The now-dead population in the lake, located on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation, included black crappie, bluegill, flathead catfish and largemouth bass, according to the Gila Herald.

While the lake is closed, fishing, harvesting fish from the lake and any recreational activity relating to fishing is forbidden, officials said.

Prior to the most recent incident, the last time dropping water levels caused a fish die-off at San Carlos Lake was in 2018, according to the Gila Herald.