Massive Fish Kill At Sterling Lake

State and city officials say excessive a massive fish kill at Sterling Lake in central Kansas was caused by excessive green algae.

The fish began floating to the surface of the lake Tuesday. City manager Taggart Wall says the lake is not dangerous for humans.

The naturally-occurring algae creates oxygen in a lake during the day but uses it at night or when the sun isn’t shining, robbing fish of their oxygen. Hundreds of bass, flat heads, perch, carp and shad were killed by the algae bloom. Residents saved some of the fish and took them to a nearby river.

On Wednesday, the city was using compressors and air diffusers to move oxygen from the bottom of the lake to the surface.

Associated Press information from: The Hutchinson News