[Mike]

http://www.channel3000.com/news/4576692/detail.html

Thousands Of Fish Dead In Starkweather Creek
POSTED: 7:41 pm CDT June 6, 2005
UPDATED: 9:41 pm CDT June 6, 2005

MADISON, Wis. — Thousands of dead pan fish washed up into
Starkweather Creek east of Madison Monday.

Wildlife officials blame the mess on a couple of naturally occurring
things — all happening at the same time, News 3 reported.

Every year around this time, a bacteria kills fish when water
temperatures start to warm up. Then heavy winds over this weekend
blew most of the dead fish on the lake to one area.

“It’s not an indication that something is wrong with the water
quality in the madison lakes,” said DNR Fish Manager Kurt Welke.

Welke said as the the water warms up the number of bacteria
skyrockets.

It happens just as fish are spawning so their immune systems are down
and they are vulnerable.

Once infected by columnaria bacteria fish can’t breathe and die.

The columnaria bacteria that killed the fish is a seasonal outbreak
that poses no threat to humans, officials said.

But boaters like Joe Thayer say they’ve never seen a fish kill this
bad before.

“There was a little bit of it last year but this year it’s twice as
bad,” said Thayer.

Starweather Creek is located east of Madison. Its watershed is much
of the eastern and northern areas of the City of Madison, as well as
some Town of Burke and Town of Madison lands, according to the
Friends of Starkweather Web site.

The stench of the rotting fish prompted hundreds of complaint calls
to the DNR.

Welke said clean-up will be a collaborative effort between the City
of Madison, Dane County and the DNR.