ARIZONA NEWS

Disease ravaging carp population at Tempe Town Lake

Apr 3, 2014, 8:49 AM | Updated: 10:20 am

LISTEN: Fish dying at Tempe Town Lake

TEMPE, Ariz. — A bacterial or viral disease is killing off fish by the thousands in Tempe Town Lake.

The disease is isolated to the lake’s carp population and city officials said the lake is safe for humans to be near.

“These [diseases] are isolated to fish, in this case they’re isolated only to the carp species,” said Rick Amalfi, vice president of Aquatic Consulting, a Phoenix environmental services company.

Recent tests done by the company found no inherent dangers to humans near the lake.

“The water quality is fine. We have plenty of oxygen in the lake,” Amalfi said. “We always check for golden algae because that’s been responsible for a lot of fish kills because of the toxin it produces and we don’t find any of that in there.”

But some lake visitors are unhappy with the sight and smell of rotting carp carcasses around the lake.

“For the average person going by the lake it is pretty stinky,” Amalfi said. “When you really get the odors is when you get a windy day and a large number go down in a corner and you happen to walk by that corner, it’s going to be smelly. There’s no getting around it.”

The carp started to die off two weeks ago when the lake temperature rose. The bacteria thrives at certain degrees, which is the current temperatures.

“There are various bacterial and viral diseases that the fish get and the carp are susceptible to them when the water temperature is where it’s at right now,” said Amanda Nelson, a spokeswoman for the city of Tempe.

Nelson expected the fish to stop dying in a few weeks when water temperatures warm up further and Amalfi agreed.

“Our best guess is when the water starts warming up a little bit the disease usually dies out,” Amalfi said.

Until then, Nelson said the dead carp may be a small nuisance but, they will not affect any events taking place near the lake. She said crews are working to remove the carcasses.

Amalfi said Aquatic Consulting has increased its normal cleanup efforts. Crews will be on and around the lake daily until the disease dies out.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here.

Arizona News

Preliminary renderings submitted to the city of Phoenix in 2018 show the original design concept fo...

Audrey Jensen/Phoenix Business Journal

Partners move forward on long-planned hotel in downtown Phoenix

A group of developers has moved forward with plans for a significant downtown Phoenix hotel that was proposed five years ago but never built.

17 minutes ago

office building with trees...

SuElen Rivera

2 Phoenix Biltmore-area office buildings sell for $72.1 million

Two large office buildings that sit along the heart of the Camelback Corridor in Phoenix recently sold for $72.1 million. 

9 hours ago

Republican presidential candidates, from left, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former New Jers...

Associated Press

3rd Republican presidential debate is set for Nov. 8 in Miami, with the strictest qualifications yet

The third Republican presidential debate will be held in Miami on Nov. 8, a day after several states hold off-year elections.

10 hours ago

During the equinox, the Earth’s axis and its orbit line up so that both hemispheres get an equal ...

Associated Press

The fall equinox is here. What does that mean?

The equinox arrives on Saturday, marking the start of the fall season for the Northern Hemisphere. But what does that actually mean?

11 hours ago

Tempe police officer Candance Kanavel is competing in the Miss USA pagaent. (City of Tempe)...

Danny Shapiro

Tempe police officer to compete in Miss USA Pageant as Miss Arizona

A Tempe police officer will trade in her badge for a crown next week when she competes in the Miss USA Pageant as Miss Arizona.

13 hours ago

A Border Patrol officer sits inside his car as he guards the US/Mexico border fence, in Nogales, Ar...

Serena O'Sullivan

Gov. Hobbs to grant $10 million to Nogales Police Department for border security

Gov. Katie Hobbs announced Friday a $10 million grant to the Nogales Police Department that will help protect the U.S.-Mexico border.

14 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

re:vitalize

When most diets fail, re:vitalize makes a difference that shows

Staying healthy and losing weight are things many people in Arizona are conscious of, especially during the summer.

...

Mayo Clinic

Game on! Expert sports physicals focused on you

With tryouts quickly approaching, now is the time for parents to schedule physicals for their student-athlete. The Arizona Interscholastic Association requires that all student-athletes must have a physical exam completed before participating in team practices or competition.

...

OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center

5 mental health myths you didn’t know were made up

Helping individuals understand mental health diagnoses like obsessive compulsive spectrum disorder or generalized anxiety disorder isn’t always an easy undertaking. After all, our society tends to spread misconceptions about mental health like wildfire. This is why being mindful about how we talk about mental health is so important. We can either perpetuate misinformation about already […]

Disease ravaging carp population at Tempe Town Lake