Lake Lily Hit by Fish Kill

CAPE MAY POINT – Public works employees removed hundreds of pounds of dead fish from Lake Lily Mon.,July 12.
Francine Nietubicz, chairwoman of the Lake Lily Committee, said the cause of the fish kill has not been determined but she suspects a high water temperature caused depletion of oxygen in the fresh water lake. The current ocean temperature off Cape May is 79 degrees. She said she suspects the water temperature in the lake is even higher.
Nietubicz said she talked with several lake consultants and the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) who concurred with the theory of a lack of oxygen in the lake due to hot weather. Water samples have been collected and will be evaluated. DEP is sending a representative to look at the lake.
Residents first became aware of a problem Sun., July 11 when flocks of seagulls descended on the lake. Nietubicz said the gulls were eating fish from just below the surface. Fish began floating on the lake by evening.
She said she was astonished by the number of dead fish in the lake.
“I saw bass that were probably 18 inches long,” said Nietubicz.
About five years ago, the lake committee had Lake Lily stocked with bass, sunnies and blue gill. The lake was treated with an herbicide on May 20 but Nietubicz said she sees no connection with that and the fish kill. She said she called two lake consultants who confirmed the herbicide would not have caused the fish kill.
“It’s disturbing, the lake committee has worked really hard and the lake was looking fabulous this summer compared to last year,” she said.
Nietubicz said she wonders if all the fish in the lake are dead. She said public works saw live minnows swimming in the lake as they removed dead fish.
Dead fish range in size from two inches to two feet, said Nietubicz.
The committee also placed a biological product in the lake to reduce nitrates. The lake has suffered from algae blooms for the last several years. Nietubicz said the biological product did not cause the die-off of fish.
“It is also possible something came out of the storm drains after the rain,” she said.
A total of 27 storm drains empty into the lake. Fishing is not permitted in Lake Lily. The lake suffered a fish kill seven years ago which was due to a lack of oxygen.