More on fish kills in Maryland

The Maryland Department of the Environment is mandated by Environmental Article Section 4-405 (c) to oversee the investigation of fish kill incidents throughout the State.

The Fish Kill Investigation Section manages and coordinates the multi-agency, statewide fish kill response program. Staff is on call during the regular workweek and on weekends, holidays and after normal working hours to ensure that all fish kill reports are promptly addressed.

The presence of dead or distressed fish may indicate that a toxic substance has entered the waterway. For this reason, it is very important to quickly ascertain the facts, announce the findings, and institute corrective measures if practical.

Fish kills also result from a combination of natural and human induced stresses in the environment. Several elements may combine and act synergistically to overload stress tolerance levels and induce a fish kill. Typical stress factors may include population stress (crowding), spawning stress, reduced food abundance, excessive temperatures or sudden temperature change, parasite burdens, high or low pH, low oxygen levels caused by sewage or excessive algae (fueled by nutrient enrichment), salinity stress, chronic toxin levels (including metals and organics), and drought. Each incident is categorized according to the dominant stress factor detected.

More from the State website.
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