Ohio Department of Natural Resources officials say that the long periods of heavy ice and snow cover over the winter may have resulted in fish kills in the state’s ponds and lakes.
Fish are killed during the winter when persistent ice forms a surface barrier that prevents circulation of oxygen and blocks sunlight. If it goes on long enough, the oxygen fish need to survive may be depleted and they suffocate as a result.
The agency says “winterkills” are expected to be revealed as winter snow and ice give way to spring. It’s more common in shallow ponds, and Ohio’s northern counties are most susceptible to it because of colder temperatures and more snow.
Some fish die-offs are expected in Ohio’s larger lakes also.