Questions Remain in Dead Fish Mystery

Following the discovery of hundreds of dead fish in Temple's Miller Park pond, the city performed tests of the water in the hopes of discovering the cause.

The water treatment plant checked the pH, dissolved oxygen content, and chlorine levels in the water, but have not found a definitive cause behind the death of the fish.

400 fish were donated by Temple Parks and Wildlife for the Elks Lodge fishing derby. They were placed in the pond around noon on Friday. Over 200 were dead by Saturday morning.

Low oxygen levels are thought to be the most likely cause for the deaths. The aerator was turned off for eight hours beginning at midnight Saturday, enough time for the oxygen to be used up.

This is the second incident of fish dying in large numbers in Miller Park pond in a month, and the third in the past year.

Large fish kills are considered common across the state of Texas.