Dead Fish Surface On Berkeley Lake

DENVER (CBS4)- The city partially drained Berkeley Lake for a renovation and construction project. The goal is to improve the north lakeshore, construct a retaining wall along Interstate 70 and create a berm to screen the view and buffer the noise. The project also seeks to improve fishing access and fish habitats.

Berkeley Park goers noticed something smelled fishy. Molly McMorrow, a dog walker who takes her clients for a stroll at the park on a daily basis, noticed several objects glistening in the water.

"It was horrible. It was just rotten fish," McMorrow said.

For days, an overwhelming pile of dead fish, mainly carpe, piled up along the shore. More bobbed around in the water.

"I don't understand why there are rotting, dead fish all over the place if it's supposed to be for the good of the fish," resident China Kent said.

The city initially planned to relocate the fish. Denver Parks and Recreation say they've been working with the Division of Wildlife, monitoring the oxygen levels as they drained the lake. A miscalculation caused hundreds of fish to die before that transport could happen.

"We overestimated the oxygen levels that were available to the fish," Parks and Recreation community relations Angela Casias said. "We intended to remove the fish that morning and unfortunately we came into a situation."

A company has been hired to clean up the dead fish. Parks and Recreation hopes to have all of the fish cleaned up by Friday.

The fish will be either buried in the park, or taken to an off-site disposal. Fish that are still alive will be transported to another lake. The city is determining which plan is best for the community and eco-system.

"The eco-system here is definitely not thriving," Kent said.