EVANS, Ga. (AP) — Georgia Department of Natural Resources officials say low oxygen levels have likely led to a fish kill in a Savannah River tributary.
Regional fisheries supervisor Steve Schleiger told the Augusta Chronicle Tuesday (http://bit.ly/14yZszK ) that about 5,000 fish have died in Betty's Branch — which is near Riverside Park in Evans, northwest of Augusta.
Schleiger says Department of Natural Resources officials found low levels of oxygen in the water. He says a potential cause could be organic matter that was flushed into the stream during recent heavy rain.
Officials say the stream's oxygen levels have risen from 1 to 3 milligrams per liter. Schleiger says fish that are caught in the area are safe to eat and the fish kill appears to be over.
___
Information from: The Augusta Chronicle ,http://www.augustachronicle.com
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.