A lot of dead fish... Algea suspected.

[peter hillman]

PERSHING COUNTY, Nev. (KOLO) -- There's a glimmer of hope at Rye Patch Reservoir after an algae bloom killed thousands of fish last fall. The Nevada Department of Wildlife surveyed the lake on Thursday and found not everything in its waters had died.

The problem at rye patch was first noticed on the lake in early October. For a then unknown reason, fish were washing up dead. A lengthy investigation found the fish fell victim to golden algae which clings to a fish’s gills and suffocates it.

"Uncountable. By the thousands… At times there was not 15 inches between (dead) fish," said Jim Hawkins, Park Supervisor at Rye Patch Reservoir.

The sheer number of fish that died lead biologists to believe the fishery was a complete loss. Using a fish finder, biologists set out Thursday to try and see if they could find any sign of life, but cruising the lake for hours only revealed a few blips.

"Right now it is blank, we have not seen anything yet," said Brad Bauman, a fisheries biologist with NDOW.

 

[Smaug]

It was witches

 

[crsublette]

Yeah, golden algae is a big problem. It outright ruined the fishing in one of the local lakes near me.

Always wash the bottom of boats out... too easy to transport this stuff...

 

[Meyer Jordan]

It apparently prefers brackish water.

 

[Smaug]

It apparently prefers brackish water.

Well apparently it really doesn't matter.

 

[HARO]

It apparently prefers brackish water.

Another good reason NOT to salt your pond!
John

 

[peter hillman]

We used to go fishing for 'Wipers' out there. Striped Bass crossed with White Bass. It's a two hr. drive but the only fishing in my area is trout, trout can get old when it's the only thing in town.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Another good reason NOT to salt your pond!
John

I am not a big fan of applying salt to a pond, but the quoted comment may be a bit of an overreaction. Brackish water includes water between .5 ppt to 30 ppt. Toxic blooms of GA occur between 1 - 12 ppt. Highest occurrence would likely occur mid-point of this range or 6 - 7 ppt.
Although this does not rule out such a bloom occurring in a Garden Pond it does make it unlikely.

 

[Smaug]

I am not a big fan of applying salt to a pond, but the quoted comment may be a bit of an overreaction. Brackish water includes water between .5 ppt to 30 ppt. Toxic blooms of GA occur between 1 - 12 ppt. Highest occurrence would likely occur mid-point of this range or 6 - 7 ppt.
Although this does not rule out such a bloom occurring in a Garden Pond it does make it unlikely.

Is the lake in question brackish?

 

[Smaug]

Is rye patch brackish?
Nevermind,I saved Meyer the effort of a googled answer and found it myself!
http://news4nevada.com/Content/PERS...h-die-off-at-Rye-Patch-Reservoir/30/161/26562