Large Fish Kill on Millers Lake

Hundreds of dead fish have washed up on the shores of several Alberta lakes and a new aeration method is to blame. Due to low oxygen levels in the water over the winter, hundreds – if not thousands – of fish have died. One of the lakes impacted is Millers Lake, about 25 kilometres west of Edson. “It’s really, really a disaster right now,” said Al Hunter, an avid angler and owner of Ron’s Outdoor Source for Sports in Edson. “I’d be surprised if there’s a fish alive in the lake right now.” Residents in the area said they noticed the dead fish floating on the surface of the lake when the ice melted earlier this spring. “It’s in pretty bad shape. I was out about a week ago when the ice first came off and I probably saw anywhere from 200 to 500 floating. Dead as a doornail,” Hunter said. For more than 20 years, Millers Lake has been stocked with trout. Hunter said about 12,000 are put in the water every spring. To keep the fish alive through the winter, oxygen is pumped into the lake. Last fall, the government changed the way it aerates several lakes in Alberta, including Millers Lake. But the new system didn’t work, leading to the fish kills. Those who fish the lake, and those who rely on the anglers for business, are worried about what the next few years will hold. “A lot of people will stay away from it for quite a while now because it’s dead, it’s winter-killed and they know it’s going to take about three years to get them (the fish) back to roughly the size we were catching.” Because of the fish kills, fishing is not recommended on the following lakes: Fiesta Lake Millers Lake Muir Lake Other lakes experienced significant or partial winterkill. As a result, some fishing opportunities will be available this spring on the following lakes: Beaver Lake Mitchell Lake Ironside Lake East Dollar Lake is also expected to be impacted by a significant winterkill, but no formal assessment can be completed to quantify the loss. There was also a significant drop in oxygen levels at Jackfish Lake, which has led to the lake becoming a catch-and-release site to protect the surviving fish. All of the lakes will be restocked with trout but anglers shouldn’t expect to see any large fish in the lakes for several years. The province said it is working to ensure the aeration program is fully operation by the winter of 2016/17. See the original news article and video here: http://globalnews.ca/news/2652248/its-really-a-disaster-hundreds-of-dead-fish-found-in-several-alberta-lakes/

Boat Launch 1