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Special Edition
August 17, 2011
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Dead Fish, Foamy Water from Pearl River Appear in Lake
August 17, 2011 - Scientists with the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation have confirmed that there is strong evidence that the polluted discharge from the Pearl River is within Lake Pontchartrain. The Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation was alerted to the observance of a fish kill and black water on the West Pearl River on Saturday, August 13th. News reports indicated that the fish kill could be the result of low oxygen levels caused by a release from the Temple-Inland paper mill in Bogalusa, LA.
On Monday, LPBF staff monitored the Pearl River and discovered that low oxygen water and dead fish extended at least a mile down river of Interstate 10 in the West Pearl River. This implied the water would soon reach Rigolets Pass. On Tuesday, August 16th, a ten mile long foam line was mapped stretching from Rigolets Pass to nearly Bayou Bonfouca. The white, frothy foam line had scattered dead catfish, and appeared to emanate from Rigolets Pass on an incoming tide. Oxygen levels in Lake Pontchartrain appeared normal. It is likely the foam and dead fish were carried by tides in normal lake water and may not indicate that significant polluted water has entered Lake Pontchartrain.
Go to LPBF's homepage for more details on this event.
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