[Mike]

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?
newsid=14773597&BRD=1574&PAG=461&dept_id=532215&rfi=6

By: Burton Speakman, Courier staff06/29/2005

More than 300 dead fish were found Tuesday morning in Bear Creek near
the Bear Branch Lake and Reservoir in The Woodlands.

So far, investigators with the San Jacinto River Authority do not
know what caused the fish to die.
Birds had already begun to feed on the fish and the area smelled like
a seaport city later in the day after the fish had sat baking in the
sun.

The fish were lying in the shallow water of the creek heading to the
reservoir. As of press time, it was unknown if any fish in the
reservoir had been affected by whatever affected the fish in the
creek.
The dead fish are visible from the bridge crossing the creek on
Kuykendahl Road.

Woodlands resident Alan Franke was the first to report his observance
of the fish when driving to a job with his stepson around 9 a.m.
“We smelled them way before we saw them,” he said. “It smelled like
100 pounds of rotted cow guts.”

Franke said he was concerned because the water from the creek travels
clear through The Woodlands.
“A lot of kids play in that creek,” he said.
The incident should be investigated to determine what caused the fish
to die, Franke said.

At this time, the cause is unknown. Mary Connell, Community Relations
Manager for Community Associations of The Woodlands, said a parks
department employee checked out the site after the phenomenon was
reported, and immediately contacted the San Jacinto River Authority.
As of press time, the river authority was investigating the incident.
The Texas Department of Wildlife also has researchers who can
determine what could have killed the fish, but as of late Tuesday
they had not received any reports on the fish kill, according to the
local game warden’s office in La Porte.