Greenwood County officials say a fish kill that occurred at Lake Greenwood earlier this month is most likely the result of a natural event. Officials were notified of this fish kill on April 13. Local officials say that likely hundreds of fish have died, with the count still underway.
A fish kill is when large numbers of fish suddenly die within a body of water.
Robert Russian, Greenwood County Public Works Director, says that he is not concerned by the scale of the kill.
"It's not going to impact the overall health of the fishery," says Russian. "We're not looking at any long-term effects."
As of this story’s publication, there has been no change observed in the lake's water quality. According to a social media post from the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES), the fish kill has not impacted local drinking water. Russian says there are no current public advisories for the lake.
"Lake Greenwood has two drinking water intakes that supply public water systems: Greenwood Commissioners of Public Works and Laurens County Water and Sewer Authority," say SCDES officials . “Neither of these drinking water intakes are located in areas where the fish kill has been observed."
According to Russian, smaller fish kills have happened in Lake Greenwood before due to excessive algae blooms and low oxygen levels during drought conditions. There have yet to be reports of these conditions causing the current fish kill.
Anyone with information related to this fish kill is encouraged to contact Greenwood County Lake Management, SCDES, or the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.
