Fish kill discovered at West Lake Park in Scott County

Scott County Conservation employees say they started finding dead fish last week in West Lake Park.

Iowa's Department of Natural Resources estimates 3,500 to 4,000 fish died. The lake's recent restoration made the water clearer, which enabled sunlight to reach deeper into the lake. That made it easier for plants to grow.

Park officials are not concerned about a lack of fish in the lake.

"While we did have a fish kill and it looked like we had a lot of fish loss, they're confident that there will still be plenty fish in the lake," Brad Taylor, West Lake Park manager, told Our Quad Cities News on Friday. "The fish that are left will do really well because there's less competition.

"They will come back this fall to survey the lake with electro-fishing and determine whether a restock needs to happen or not," Taylor told Our Quad Cities News.

Biologists think most of the fish reached areas with higher oxygen levels. DNR employees will return in the fall to check the water and fish population.

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