NEW HANOVER COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) – A fish kill reported in a stormwater pond on Brewster Lane in New Hanover County was likely caused by low oxygen levels made worse by drought and the ongoing heat wave, state environmental officials said.
The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resources said it received the report and logged it on the agency’s Fish Kill & Algal Bloom Dashboard, which tracks reports statewide.
Because the incident occurred in a stormwater pond — a type of waterbody not regulated by the division — staff had not investigated as of the latest update. Based on the information available, officials said low dissolved oxygen in the isolated pond likely led to the die-off, with dry conditions and high heat contributing to poor water quality…