Drought hurting Black River fish population, AGFC says

Drought hurting Black River fish population, AGFC says

POCAHONTAS, Ark. (KAIT) - Weeks of drought and heat have pushed local rivers to a breaking point, and fish are dying as a result, according to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

Micah Tindall, district three fishery supervisor for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, said fish deaths and reports of rivers turning black and brown are natural occurrences.

“This does happen, it’s a naturally occurring thing,” Tindall said. “It just seems to show up every so often, and, of course, as you mentioned, gains lots of social media traction.”

Tindall said a “perfect storm” of weather and river conditions this year helped drive the fish kills and the viral pictures and video of discolored water.

He explained that after a dry spell, a change such as a downpour can affect a river in two ways. First, rainfall can stir up sediment that has settled at the bottom of the riverbed, which can change the water’s color to those black or brown colors.

“That’s kind of why it becomes that, we call it like a tea color, Tindall said. ”It’s more of like a tannic acid color.”

Second, it can flush dry material, like crop stubbles and loose dirt and gra...