The Brief
- Hundreds of dead gizzard shad were discovered in Lake Hollingsworth in Lakeland, prompting the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to investigate.
- City officials believe recent extreme heat, drought conditions and low dissolved oxygen levels in the water likely caused the fish die-off, not pollution or chemical spills.
- The city of Lakeland collected water samples for FWC testing.
LAKELAND, Fla. – It has felt a lot like summer over the past couple of weeks, and it’s affecting our local lakes. In Lakeland, hundreds of fish were found dead, prompting the state to investigate the cause.
It was 12-year-old Noah Fetterhoff and his 9-year-old sister Vera’s first time fishing on Lake Hollingsworth.
What they’re saying:
“I was just bored, and I felt like fishing, and my parents said we could come down here, which is great,” Noah Fetterhoff said.…