Dead Fish Found In Orange Reservoir; Essex County Investigates Cause
THE ORANGES, NJ — Investigators are trying to figure out what has been causing dead fish to appear at a reservoir near the Essex County South Mountain Recreation Complex in West Orange, officials say.
Several social media posts have shared photos of clusters of deceased fish at the Orange Reservoir, which can be seen from a walking path at the county-run complex.
Patch reached out to Essex County seeking more information about the fish. We received the following reply from a spokesperson on Friday:
Find out what's happening in West Orangewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
“Recently, dead fish have been found in the Orange Reservoir at the Essex County South Mountain Recreation Complex in West Orange. We already have contacted the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), which has dispatched a fish pathologist to the site to take water samples and conduct an investigation. We are working cooperatively with the NJDEP on this matter.”
It isn’t the first time that dead fish have been spotted in a lake in Essex County – or New Jersey.
Last year, clumps of fish were spotted floating atop an 80-acre lake in Weequahic Park, which is located in Newark. An initial report received indicated healthy levels of oxygen in the water, officials said. See Related: Dead Fish Found In Newark Lake – But Don’t Blame Wildfire, Expert Says
Find out what's happening in West Orangewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
In 2008, more than two dozen fish died at Branch Brook Park due to an overgrowth of bacteria that caused a lack of oxygen in the water.
The phenomenon extends beyond Essex County. A massive fish kill piled up in a lagoon in Little Egg Harbor Township in July, with the NJDEP blaming warmer temperatures and poor water quality.
In 2023, dozens of dead fish were seen floating in a pond in Summit. Most of the dead fish were identified by Union County as large carp, which don’t belong in any of the lakes in the area, and certainly not one as small as Briant Pond, officials said. See Related: Dozens Of Dead Fish Found Floating In Union County Pond
In 2021, a major water main break that resulted in a loss of tap water throughout Central New Jersey also indirectly killed thousands of fish in Lake Creighton in Middlesex Borough, according to the NJDEP. See Related: Thousands Of Fish Died In Middlesex Co. Lake Due To Main Break
According to the New Jersey Fish and Wildlife agency, fish kills can be related to a number of causes, including infectious diseases, toxic substances, or suboptimal environmental conditions. Fish kills most commonly occur in the spring and summer when water temperatures are rising.
If a fish kill is observed it should be reported immediately to the 24/7 DEP Hotline at 877-WARN-DEP (877-927-6337), the agency says.
There are several important observations to make when reporting a fish kill, officials add:
Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
Click Here: rose toy sucking