It’s a report that would leave any public official scratching their heads. State, county, and city authorities are working to determine what killed hundreds of fish in a popular Pasadena park.
The fish were found floating in Memorial Park’s Vince Bayou, just off Jackson Avenue.
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KPRC 2 started investigating the fish kill Monday after our newsroom received a tip from a viewer reporting the unbearable sight. We reached out to Chris Jensen, a spokesperson with the Texas Parks & Wildlife’s Kills and Spills Team.
Jensen noted in a statement, “This may be a low dissolved oxygen event. The fish appear as all the same species of mullet.”
“A mullet is a type of ray-finned fish, meaning their fins are webs of skin supported by bony spines,” according to The Marine Stewardship Council’s website.
Additionally, mullet has been part of human diets for thousands of years.
KPRC 2′s photojournalist, Patrick Hardesty, relayed his observations of the dead fish to Jensen over the telephone and via several pictures.
“There are currently no fish gulping at the surface as mullets are currently active and not displaying stress. The hot weather and possibly low flow along with bacterial breakdown of organic material and/or algae blooms through nutrient loading (runoff) can use up oxygen locally,” Jensen wrote.
According to a spokesperson with Harris County Pollution Control, county officials went to the park on Monday to collect PH readings to figure out what killed the fish. The spokesperson said Pasadena Fire officials are assisting in the investigation.
Jensen also indicated there is no obvious chemical or sewage-type odor or odd water appearance.
Anyone wishing to report dead fish should call the Texas Parks and Wildlife 24-hour Communications Center at 512-389-4848.