As reported on Monday, a Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Department staff member discovered a sizable fish kill Sunday morning during his routine morning activities at Gateway Island. The Gateway Island pond is behind Murfreesboro Medical Clinic.

Based on information currently available, it appears that a temporary water quality episode possibly related to a seasonal change and/or rapid water quality change coupled with fish overpopulation, lead to the fish kill.

The fish appear to be goldfish and similar recreational or hobby fish commonly kept in aquariums and backyard landscape ponds. In the past, these types of hobby fish have been released into the Gateway Island pond by the public. As with backyard ponds and aquariums, goldfish and similar fish species can reproduce rapidly and lead to overpopulation of the water system making the population more susceptible to disease and population stress or other environmental stresses like rapid changes in water quality such as oxygen levels or temperature.

This kill is like an event that occurred in 2011 when a fish kill occurred and appeared related to unseasonable hot summer temperatures, fish overpopulation, and a temporary water quality episode.