Fish kill at Tischer Creek believed to have not occurred naturally

A fish kill found earlier this month in northern Minnesota is not likely to have occurred naturally, triggering an investigation into what happened.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) are investigating the incident, which happened in Duluth’s Tischer Creek and killed more than 1,000 fish, including hundreds of brook trout.

The fish kill was found on Aug. 1, which was after a release of somewhere between 400,000-500,000 gallons of water from a reservoir owned by the City of Duluth. While the cause hasn’t been determined, the MPCA said evidence indicates it didn’t happen naturally.

The MPCA said it has no evidence which indicates nearby construction had contributed to the fish kill.   

Both agencies collected fish and water samples, which are being analyzed to help determine the cause.

Anyone who sees dead fish in a lake or river is asked to call the Minnesota Duty Officer at 800-422-0798.