Hundreds of dead fish found floating in popular metro Houston park, investigation underway

It’s a report that would puzzle any public official. State, county and city officials are working to determine what killed hundreds of fish at a popular Pasadena park.

The fish were found floating in Memorial Park’s Vince Bayou, just off Jackson Avenue.

SEE ALSO: Bird flu detected in Houston area wastewater

KPRC 2 contacted state authorities Monday after our newsroom received a tip from a viewer reporting the unbearable spectacle.

KPRC 2 reached out to Chris Jensen, spokesperson for Texas Parks & Wildlife’s Kills and Spills Team. Jensen noted in a statement: “This may be a low dissolved oxygen event. The fish all look like the same species of mullet.

“A mullet is a type of ray-finned fish, meaning its fins are webs of skin supported by bony spines,” according to the Marine Stewardship Council website.

Additionally, mullet has been a part of the human diet for thousands of years.

KPRC 2 photojournalist Patrick Hardesty relayed his observations of the dead fish to Jensen by phone and via several photos.

“There are currently no fish swallowing at the surface as the mullet are currently active and not showing stress. Hot weather and possibly low flow as well as bacterial degradation of organic matter and/or algal blooms due to nutrient loading (runoff) can consume oxygen locally,” Jensen wrote.

According to a Harris County Pollution Control spokesperson, county officials went to the park Monday to collect water samples to determine what killed the fish. The spokesperson said Pasadena Fire officials are assisting in the investigation.

Jensen also said there was no obvious chemical or sewage smell or strange appearance to the water.

SEE ALSO: Taste the Best of Houston: Food Network’s Top Food Picks in Texas

Anyone wishing to report a dead fish should call the Texas Parks and Wildlife 24-hour communications center at 512-389-4848.