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A fish kill is the sudden death of fish in a lake or stream.
Every year, MDC handles around 100 fish kills and other water quality events that pose a threat to fish, wildlife, and recreation. Half are caused by natural events like drought, heat, or lake turnover. The rest are caused by pollution, chlorinated drinking water, or chemical spills.
Pollution from municipal and agricultural waste water have been the leading sources of fish kills in Missouri since the 1940s.
MDC partners with the Missouri DNR to investigate fish kills in our streams, rivers, and lakes and ensure that water quality is restored.
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Think you see a fish kill or water quality problem? Send us details so we can investigate.
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Pond Fish Kill Guidance
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Fish Kills on Public Waters in Missouri 2019
Key: NA: Not Applicable NC: Not Calculated ND: Not Determined
| Date | Body of Water | County | Cause | Source | Duration | Area of Damage | Damage in USD | Fish Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 26, 2019 | Stormwater basins | Jackson | low dissolved oxygen | ND | ND | NC | ND | |
| Dec 13, 2019 | La Barque Creek | Jefferson | waste oil | abandoned oil drums | ND | ND | NA | NA |
| Dec 10, 2019 | Deer Creek, tributary of | St. Louis | 15% sodium hypochlorite solution (chlorine bleach) | box truck leaking load | 1 day | 100 feet | $ 34.50 | 16 |
| Dec 3, 2019 | Davisdale CA | Howard | natural gas | multiple pipeline leaks | ND | ND | NA | NA |
| Nov 26, 2019 | Briarwood Lakes | Jefferson | cyanobacteria | ND | ND | NA | NA | |
| Oct 23, 2019 | Fishpot Creek | St. Louis | unknown | ND | ND | NC | ND | |
| Oct 7, 2019 | Ben Branch Lake | Osage | cyanobacteria | ND | ND | NA | NA | |
| Oct 7, 2019 | River Des Peres | St. Louis City | sewage | ND | ND | NC | ND | |
| Oct 5, 2019 | Private Pond | Lafayette | unknown | >4 days | ND | NC | ND | |
| Oct 4, 2019 | Spees Branch | Lewis | lagoon runoff | ND | ND | NA | NA | |
| Oct 2, 2019 | Bonne Femme Creek | Boone | fish tumors/cysts | ND | ND | NA | NA | |
| Oct 2, 2019 | Little Prairie Lake | Phelps | potential harmful algal bloom | ND | ND | NA | NA | |
| Sep 28, 2019 | Opossum Creek | Jasper | unknown | ND | ND | NC | ND | |
| Sep 22, 2019 | Apple Creek | Cape Girardeau | low dissolved oxygen | >3 days | 10.5 km | NC | 500 | |
| Sep 17, 2019 | Little Prairie Lake | Phelps | cyanobacteria | ND | ND | NA | NA | |
| Sep 17, 2019 | Grand River, tributary to | Livingston | possible chlorine toxicity | chlorinated water | ND | ND | NC | ND |
| Sep 15, 2019 | Ashland Lake | Boone | cyanobacteria | ND | ND | NA | NA | |
| Sep 12, 2019 | Far West Floodway Ditch | Dunklin | unknown (pesticide suspected) | ND | ND | NA | NA | |
| Sep 11, 2019 | St. Francis River & tributary to | St. Francois | hypoxia (confirmed) & ammonia toxicity (suspected) | waste water from Farmington West WWTP | 2 days | 2.3 km | $ 7,245.37 | 6,549 |
| Sep 10, 2019 | East Fork Little Charitan River | Macon | hypoxia | Long Branch Dam- dewatering | 2+ | 0.22 acres | $ 4,695.26 | 366 |
| Sep 8, 2019 | Little Platte River | Clay | unknown | ND | ND | NC | ND | |
| Aug 29, 2019 | Private Pond | Macon | possible algal toxin | ND | ND | NA | NA | |
| Aug 28, 2019 | Prairie Lake | St. Charles | cyanobacteria | ND | ND | NA | NA | |
| Aug 28, 2019 | Ray County Lake | Ray | low dissolved oxygen | ND | ND | NC | 5,627 | |
| Aug 26, 2019 | Proctor Park Lake | Moniteau | low dissolved oxygen | algae dieoff | ND | ND | NC | ND |
| Aug 23, 2019 | Ownbey Lake | Adair | Aquashade pond dye | ND | ND | NC | ND | |
| Aug 23, 2019 | McCartney Lake | Franklin | possible cyanotoxins | ND | ND | NA | NA | |
| Aug 22, 2019 | Private Pond | Cape Girardeau | low dissolved oxygen | ND | ND | NC | ND | |
| Aug 19, 2019 | Hazel Creek Lake | Adair | disease suspected | ND | ND | NC | ND | |
| Aug 14, 2019 | Dunnegan Memorial Park Lake | Polk | Suspected harmful algal bloom | ND | ND | NA | NA | |
| Aug 12, 2019 | Perche Creek | Boone | low dissolved oxygen | ND | ND | NC | ND | |
| Aug 9, 2019 | Leisl Lake | Boone | likely low dissolved oxygen | ND | ND | NC | ND | |
| Aug 7, 2019 | Private Pond | Moniteau | suspected aerial crop dusting | ND | ND | NC | ND | |
| Aug 2, 2019 | Brush Creek | Jackson | low dissolved oxygen | unconfirmed sewage leak | ND | ND | NC | ND |
| Jul 28, 2019 | Military Academy Pond | Audrain | cyanobacteria suspected | ND | ND | NA | NA | |
| Jul 28, 2019 | Lakeview Park Lake | Audrain | cyanobacteria suspected | ND | ND | NA | NA | |
| Jul 27, 2019 | West Fork Cuivre River, tributary | Audrain | hypoxia & NH4 toxicity (suspect), discoloration (confirmed) | swine manure from Windmann Farms | 2 days | 1.5 miles | $ 1,326.09 | 3,347 |
| Jul 25, 2019 | Ray County Lake | Ray | algal toxins present, low dissolved oxygen | ND | ND | NC | ND | |
| Jul 25, 2019 | Flat Branch Creek | Boone | chlorine toxicity (suspected) | water main break (suspected) | 1 day | ND | $ 0.75 | 6 |
| Jul 24, 2019 | Harmony Creek, tributary of | Boone | Chlorine toxicity | water main break | 2 days | 0.42 miles | $ 52.08 | 403 |
| Jul 22, 2019 | Grindstone Reservoir | DeKalb | cyanobacteria suspected | ND | ND | NA | NA | |
| Jul 22, 2019 | Little Niangua River | Camden | silt | bridge construction | ND | ND | NA | NA |
| Jul 16, 2019 | Hinkson Creek, tributary to | Boone | raw sewage | vac-truck dump | ND | ND | NA | NA |
| Jul 15, 2019 | Osage River | Cole | likely blunt force trauma | Bagnell Dam | ND | ND | NC | ND |
| Jul 13, 2019 | Ber Juan Pond | Phelps | chlorine toxicity | undetermined | ND | ND | NC | ND |
| Jul 13, 2019 | Bear Creek, tributary of | Boone | chlorine toxicity | pool water from leaking cap on City sewer line | 1-2 days | 0.17 miles | $ 438.46 | 1,437 |
| Jul 11, 2019 | Wears Creek | Cole | unconfirmed | ND | ND | NA | NA | |
| Jul 10, 2019 | Sac River | Cedar | Low dissolved oxygen | hypolimnetic release | ND | ND | NC | ND |
| Jul 8, 2019 | Port Hudson Lake | Franklin | cyanobacteria | ND | ND | NA | NA | |
| Jul 7, 2019 | Horseshoe Lake | St. Louis City | Low dissolved oxygen likely | vegetation management(copper sulfate) | ND | ND | NC | ND |
| Jul 4, 2019 | Table Rock Lake | Stone | reported sewage smell | ND | ND | NA | NA | |
| Jul 3, 2019 | Austin Lake | Texas | cyanobacteria | ND | ND | NA | NA | |
| Jun 27, 2019 | Lake of the Ozarks | Benton | blunt force trauma | dam operations | ND | ND | NC | ND |
| Jun 25, 2019 | Farm Pond | St. Francois | possible bacterial bloom | ND | ND | NA | NA | |
| Jun 25, 2019 | Alpine Village Pond | Greene | unknown | ND | ND | NA | NA | |
| Jun 24, 2019 | Meyer Lake | Scott | low dissolved oxygen likely, possibly algal toxins | ND | ND | NC | 100 | |
| Jun 22, 2019 | Osage River | Miller | likely blunt force trauma | dam operation | ND | ND | NC | ND |
| Jun 19, 2019 | Binder Lake | Cole | low dissolved oxygen likely | ND | ND | NC | ND | |
| Jun 14, 2019 | Bourbeuse River | Maries | lethargic fish | ND | ND | NA | NA | |
| Jun 6, 2019 | Lake ShowMe | Scotland | cyanobacteria | ND | ND | NA | NA | |
| Jun 6, 2019 | farm pond | Moniteau | spawning stress | ND | ND | NC | 10 | |
| Jun 5, 2019 | Private Pond | Boone | low dissolved oxygen | planktonic algae bloom/die-off | ND | ND | NC | 400 |
| Jun 1, 2019 | farm pond | Osage | low dissolved oxygen | ND | ND | NC | 110 | |
| May 23, 2019 | Private Pond | Saline | fungicide | crop spray | ND | ND | NC | ND |
| May 17, 2019 | Elk River, tributary | McDonald | land applied waste | ND | ND | NA | NA | |
| May 15, 2019 | Lake of the Ozarks | Benton | blunt force trauma, possibly low dissolved oxygen | Truman dam operations | ND | ND | $ 11,628.56 | 117 |
| May 1, 2019 | Stinson Creek, tributary to | Callaway | animal waste | CAFO runoff | ND | ND | NA | NA |
| Apr 26, 2019 | Flat Branch Creek | Boone | Chlorine toxicity | water main break | <1 day | 900 meters | $ 257.89 | 1,552 |
| Apr 24, 2019 | Little Blue River, tributary to | Cass | domestic sewage | manhole vandalism | ND | ND | NC | ND |
| Apr 8, 2019 | Deepwater Creek | Henry | low dissolved oxygen | lack of flow from Montrose Dam | unknown | 200 meters | $ 2,799.58 | 86 |
| Apr 1, 2019 | Cane Creek, tributary of | Cape Girardeau | ammonia toxicity & potential petrochemical toxicity | liquid nitrogen & diesel fuel | unknown | 900 feet | $ 55.42 | 794 |
| Mar 21, 2019 | Big Creek | Jackson | chlorine toxicity | water main break | ND | ND | NA | NA |
| Mar 8, 2019 | Hickory Creek | Newton | Chlorinated drinking water | Municipal water line | < 1 day | 0.25 miles | $ 500.31 | 134 |
| Feb 28, 2019 | Lick Creek | Audrain | potential ammonia toxicity and low dissolved oxygen | hog lagoon overflow | ND | ND | NA | NA |
| Feb 12, 2019 | Gasconade River | Maries | petroleum | unsupported pipeline | ND | ND | NA | NA |
| Feb 6, 2019 | Mississippi River | St. Charles | crude oil | pipeline break | ND | ND | NA | NA |
| Jan 25, 2019 | Meramec River | St. Louis | used cooking grease | restaurants | ND | ND | NA | NA |
| Jan 8, 2019 | Bourbeuse River | Franklin | mechanical fluids | skidsteer stuck in river | ND | ND | NA | NA |