State investigating fish kill in Contentnea Creek near Snow Hill

SNOW HILL, N.C. (WITN) - State officials are investigating a fish kill in the Snow Hill area Saturday.

The Division of Water Resources said it received several calls to its Washington Regional Office about dead fish along the banks of Contentnea Creek.

Field investigators said they found many species dead, including catfish, brim, sunfish, eel, and bass. The dead fish ranged in size from a few inches to a few feet long.

The state said it appears a slug of water with low dissolved oxygen is moving downstream. They have yet to find a discharge source or a spill that would cause the slug.

Water Resources says it could be a result of heavy rains occurring earlier in the week that may have pushed old stagnant water downstream.

The state says the slug of water will likely continue towards Grifton and there’s a potential for more dead fish in Contentnea Creek as it moves downstream.

So far there’s no official estimate of how many fish have died.

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