Dead fish have been found in Cherry Creek and Lake Cleve following a discharge of untreated waste water Jan. 20.

When the 27,000 gallons of untreated waste water was discharged at 4036 Bemiss Road on Tuesday, Jan. 20, local resident Dan Davis began to notice dead shiners over the next few days in the nearby Cherry Creek and Lake Cleve waters.

According to Davis, approximately fifty to sixty shiners — a small, silver-colored fish commonly used for bait by fishermen — were found dead in Cherry Creek over the last week. In addition to the fish, Davis also spotted a dead gray egret washed up underneath the bridge.

Davis believes the small egret may have died from eating the contaminated fish, but hasn’t noticed too many negative effects on any of the other birds in the area, “The egrets are eating the dead fish as quickly as they can it seems. I saw a few semi-digested shiners on the bank; it looks as like some of the birds might have decided not to finish their easy meals.”

Davis called the city soon after he noticed the problem and city of Valdosta environmental manager, John Waite, arrived on the scene to test oxygen and chemical levels in the waters.

 

Read more about it in today’s edition of The Times.