I Called The Police... Then Caught an EXTREMELY RARE Fish!!!

[@PilzE.]

Your concern for the waters you fish is commendable, Nick. With there being little to no rainfall when you first noticed the dead fish, and little to no activity on your baits and lures, I wonder whether the issue was low oxygen levels. No movement, no aeration, no life? Just a hunch, brother. Keep up the great work, Nick, KZbin's most wholesome fishing channel!

[@junkinstein2856]

Was thinking same

[@dustinmason6152]

I had this thought as well and I totally agree. Lack of oxygen due to low water and no flow could have wiped out many of the species in this small creek.

[@LANCEtheBOIL]

​@@dustinmason6152yea but there are a lot of gar in that region and gar can live in a pile of wet paper towels

[@mrrockguy9311]

Gar and bowfin can breath air and also have relatively slow metabolisms so that doesn't explain why they were missing. Also a fish forgotten about for their ability to survive in some incredibly polluted and low-O2 environments are green sunfish and they were missing too.

[@PhillipRhodes]

Yep, I was thinking the same thing. Oxygen levels are a big one, and could vary a lot depending on how much water is flowing. If the water got stagnant for a while due to low rainfall, the Oxygen levels could have dropped and caused a fish kill.

[@keithb5434]

Thank you for doing this and highlighting the steps. I wish more people would report gross waterways. Lets all make out rivers clean its a win/win for us all. Better wild life and better fishing. Thanks for stepping up and reporting it. You have earned a fan for life mad respect.

[@bushfishncook2128]

Too bad the EPA usually does nothing about this stuff... I have been reporting creeks here in Australia along with a few others and in years nothing has been done... Some creeks are so bad that even turtles are dying in them, now one of the best creeks around is about to take all the runoff of a new airport nothing but rocks to filter the water... The way our waterways are treated is disgusting

[@KvngSOA]

Honestly it may have been bacteria or a disease especially if it was a certain fish like gar also u said the ph was off by a little with all the rain it could have brought it back to a livable pH level for said gar just some ideas also bro should do another catch and cook

[@scottmichael3745]

Agreed!

[@sutarnotarno9524]

P]⁹8

[@robwoodke6592]

I’m glad you didn’t find anything. I’m even more glad that a young Fisherman such as yourself took the initiative to test the water yourself when our government agencies seem to have dropped the ball.

[@LANCEtheBOIL]

relying on the government is like letting a 12 year old mentally challenged kid drive your brand new Hellcat

[@chris_2714]

Water quality expert here. Several things: First, pH is measured in pH units not parts per million (ppm). Second, holding time for chlorine is usually about 15-20 minutes. It dissipates way too rapidly, so basically you have to measure it in the field. Third, those home test kits are pretty coarse measurements. Good enough for home measurments but not so much for more detailed results. Fourth, when collecting samples you'll want to use appropriate bottles and use appropriate preservatives. Then keep them in a dark, cool place before testing. Best if you can have an accredited analytical lab run the tests (they will provide bottles, preservatives and chain of custody forms) but understandably that is the more expensive route. You did collect reference samples and downstream samples, so that was good. What I would do instead is phone EPA and request the results from the wastewater treatment plant effluent testing. At least here in Canada routine testing is required by companies of their effluent streams to ensure compliance with regulatory discharge limits. I imagine the US is similar. Nice fish too 😊

[@nesforce7712]

Do you think a PH of 9 is a bit strange? ive heard alkali water is supposed to be healthy. seems pretty high to me. Could that be from the water being stored in the plastic too long and causing issues w reading accuracy?

[@chris_2714]

@@nesforce7712 natural pH of water bodies and watercourses varies quite a bit. Around here, a pH of 9.0 wouldn't raise an eye. Places where you have a lot of runoff through peatlands (bogs) with the typical brown stained water, natural pH could be as low as 4.0. For this case, I would compare it to the background (i.e. lake) which had a pH of 7.5. While 9.0 is higher it's more a leading indicator that there are likely chemical differences between the two locations creating the pH difference. Rambling on here, but pH actually changes throughout the day in response to photosynthesis, so even the time of day can have some influence. pH change in bottles can also happen as chemical reactions don't stop. You'll usually see a difference between field and lab readings as a result. All this to say pH can and does vary

[@pigsandapples]

It's common for water pollutants to be let go in batches. i.e, not consistently. It's quite possible that you'd have to test the water more often to catch them releasing toxins into the stream. Keep up the good work!

[@Chaedron1]

Like you said, the recent rains probably diluted whatever was killing the fish and is likely gone or down to safe levels. But at least you were concerned enough to call. You might want to just keep an empty bottle in your car just in case you run across a similar situation so you can take samples immediately.

[@delconashvilleline]

That's awesome that you went out of your way to try to figure out what the issue was. Sometimes we as fisherman get bad reputations because a small group of us will leave trash behind but the true fisherman like yourself want to protect our fish and waterways. Way to lead by example!

[@dprid]

Many instances like this are actually caused by chemical spills, which result in a plug of polluted water flowed down the river. It can be gone inside a few hours, just leaving behind dead fish, and the source can be very difficult to track down. Regular culprits are farmers (slurry, milk, fertilisers, weed killers & pesticides), but almost any kind of industrial company can be working with chemicals that can destroy aquatic environments, some requiring very small amounts to do so. It can even be things like vehicle accidents that result in spills that end up in local streams, or even householders getting rid of toxic chemicals by pouring them into drains rather than disposing of them properly. The kit you bought is really for fish tanks & ornamental ponds that are effectively a self-contained environment - I literally bought the same kit last week for my 1200 gallon fish pond.

[@robertflint4115]

Awesome job Nick, actually glad you didn't find anything out of the "Basic" normal. I run the water treatment for a steel mill here in Ohio and we discharge into the Ohio river. We are very particular on what we put back into the river and are monitored closely by the EPA. What you tested for is basic (normal discharge ph is between 6.5 - 9.0). There is a number of other chemicals that could be in the water that your tests will not pick up. Might I suggest you run a "Minnow test". Gather larger water samples and use minnows to determine if the water will sustain a fish. Be sure to run a "control" test also. That is a good water source that the test minnows can live in. *This test will NOT tell you what's in the water, but it WILL tell you if something IS in the water. *Also, to everyone out there. KNOW your local game warden. Each county has one and they normally live local, know the area, are willing to meet you, and really care about the environment, that's why they chose this field to work in. They can cut through the "Red Tape" faster then you or I filling out complaint forms or calling people in offices that don't give a crap (is it 4 o'clock yet?) Anyhow Nick, been following you for over 2 years now and love the content. Still wishing for you to give away some of your secrets in a few tutorial videos (hint hint) Rock on Sir 🤘😎

[@noc1087]

Great comment!

[@618Fishing]

All great info and suggestions! I really appreciate the comment and your support for the channel!

[@nate9696]

I was looking for another guy in the comments that works in a lab/plant ;) I left a laundry list of hints or ideas for nick. I really think B.O.D. should be looked into but like u said it could have been one of a million things.

[@robertflint4115]

@@nate9696 The EPA does a "Minnow" test on us every 6 month. It's best test for determining if there is anything in the water. Then if it is determined there is, you can start testing for what. We use Chromium and other nasty chemicals so we are monitored closely.

[@nate9696]

@@robertflint4115 poor minnows lol never did that 4 wastewater

[@kennethbeyer6576]

In all honesty there's probably not much you can test for test point. Next time you run into the situation like, grab samples right away. Running water has a habit of cleaning itself out quickly. Also, you have a great following, if someone was to blame they would get on clean up fast.

[@AmeerTheFisherman]

Wow! This guy caught two Melanistic Gar within 2 months! That’s a species that most Gar anglers will never encounter!

[@jasperpatneaude2512]

That was really interesting to watch. Thanks for following up about the water and I’m really glad fish have returned to that creek and spillway!

[@mikepollock8295]

Not sure if they did anything but good to see most of the water samples are good! Thank you Nick for doing this episode and doing the water samples and caring for the environment as we need more people like you! Was great to see you catch some healthy looking fish and a rare one at that. Have a fun and safe weekend and take care Nick! See you next adventure!

[@edwardglysson6854]

Your posts are the only I seek out each week. Can’t wait for Thursdays. Very pleased you took steps to protect and figure out why there was such an extreme fish kill. Good for you. Issue may be that so many other contaminants than you tested for could be the problem. A water quality lab would be a good resource there but cost $$. pH could definitely be an issue and for the record that is a measure of acid/ base levels not parts per million. Thanks for your efforts and great videos. Good fishing.

[@suburbmom01]

Thank you for the update… I’m glad nothing sinister is going on in the water. Thank you for doing what you do and keep up the great work. Keep the videos coming 😃. Let’s keep the water and our environment clean folks.. for us and our future generations ❤

[@damienroser8004]

I used to test water quality daily at a catfish farm I used to work at in Florida and I'll bet you that creek being so slow and stagnant had a drastic drop in oxygen and that could create dead decaying fish that would raise the ammonia levels temporarily and kill the tougher fish that normally would survive low oxygen. I've seen whole ponds die off from this.

[@junkinstein2856]

Sounds about rite and plausible

[@dallastaylor6235]

It could have been very low D(dissolved oxygen) last time you were having said that, treatment plants strive to maintain excellent water quality, however, they are operated by human beings and specialized equipment and controllers and as such mishaps can take place but without testing the water during the event it's almost impossible to know one way or the other It's that you tgreat that you took the time to do some investigations yourself, Nicely done

[@tjh44961]

Nick, nice work on the water testing. The pH of the water at the spillway is much more alkaline than the other samples, which at 7.0 are just about neutral. My theory about that is that since there was very little water flowing on the spillway, the water is spending an extended amount of time in contact with the concrete. One of main ingredients in concrete is lime (calcium hydroxide) which is very alkaline. The longer the water is not flowing, or flowing very little, the more alkaline it will become.

[@618Fishing]

Very interesting and that makes sense! Thanks for watching!

[@FishingWithSails]

Awesome job and respect for caring for your local ecosystem! Two things I would've checked for would be oxygen levels in the water and also algal blooms. Too little or too much oxygen in contained bodies of water is toxic to marine life. Both can be invisible to our sight and smell but can wreak havoc on aquatic ecosystems.

[@YakShoreOutdoors]

The ph being higher under the spillway makes sense due to the material used on the spillway itself. Thank you for investigating it though. There are people doing this tests in our local lake for the same reason. As always, great video and thanks for sharing!

[@codyholloway90able]

Drought conditions + high temps = lower and warmer water levels. Which means lower oxygen saturation. In conditions like that fish head for deeper cooler pools and their metabolism slows WAY down. They become scarce and lethargic, just like in winter. There's nothing wrong with your stream. It's tough conditions for all of us in the area.

[@haydenmorrow6831]

You should check again after a couple weeks when you haven’t had rain like before to see if it was just the rain that cleared it up or if the treatment plant actually cleaned it up.

[@FloridaBoyGrizz]

Good for you man doing what the people that get paid to do don’t do. What a way to take care of your local water kuddos to you

[@dougidouglas3210]

In all the years of being a subscriber you always keep surprising as to how good of a person you are. I don't think the average person and have never seen another fishing youtuber would take their environment concerned to this level 🫡🫡🫡

[@TheFishinMortician]

Nice to see fish activity back! And always awesome to see anglers who care.

[@jthetreasurefiend201]

Great video Nick. The stagnant water was most likely the culprit. From lowering the oxygen to spiking the nitrates due to the fishkill, I believe once the flow was reintroduced, the waterway corrected the levels. Your heart is in the right place and I am glad to have you on KZbin being a model sportsman. Keep up the awesome content

[@oneofthosepeople2101]

People don’t realize that fisherman and hunters are huge conservationists. Keep up the great work sir!

[@Enigamis]

Thank you for going out to test the river. It's great to see folks being proactive when it comes to conserving nature.

[@Hezakiah4]

I caught that last vid. Very cool having this update. I live in Philly, so may as well say all the waters are poisoned. They say do not eat any bottom dwellers from neither the Delaware nor the Schuylkill River. Not a good sign for eating the top water that eat the bottom dwellers. The 2 closest state parks , Neshaminy State Park and Core Creek are both on the Neshaminy Water Shed and they say do not eat ANYTHING from those waters. Grew up in the Buffalo, NY area fishing Erie and the Niagara and remember the fish kills in the 60s. Philly tap water had over twice the Fed level Iodide 131 in it back in 2012 from cancer hospital sewage. It is an isotope that treats thyroid cancer. If I want a fish dinner, it's lakes more west of here or the Jersey or Delaware shore. I also have freshwater Pa, NJ, Del, and NY for road trips on the Glide.

[@618Fishing]

Very interesting, thanks for sharing!

[@alanshearing7515]

Will done Homes, a follow up test after no apparent action by the authorities a commendable action. Glad the spillway seems clear now and you was able to land some nice fish . Thanks for sharing Nick . Tight lines .

[@rickmatthews2553]

I always enjoy your videos, you going the extra mile shows your a stand up guy. I’m glad the water was good, but now I’m really curious what caused all death before. Thank you Nick v

[@changry1095]

Pretty cool of you to actually investigate and update us Nick. At least now the fish are dping ok. ❤

[@joeperkins4309]

Ive worked over 25 years as a licensed WWTP (Wastewater Treatment Plant) Operator and Water Pollution Control. The statement that they use ammonia as part of the treatment is incorrect! They remove ammonia through nitrification followed by denitrification of the urea that creates ammonia. Sorry Nick! I really like your videos, but that was an undereducated statement to make. EDIT: The most likely cause was the treatment plant temporarily quit dechlorinating the effluent for whatever reason, allowing a chlorine residual to reach the receiving stream. In this case the creek you were fishing. If they use UV light or ozone for disinfection this wouldnt be the case. Its important to note that under any circumstances the discharge waters from a treatment plant will never effect upstream waters as long as its not stagnant. This is not saying an effected fish wouldn't swim upstream.

[@jimlane6335]

Having spent much of my life with fresh water aquariums, including being a retailer in the pet trade, I can tell you that moving water oxygenates the water which also helps to purify it. Nitrates and nitrites consume ammonia, thereby removing them from the water. As for the chlorine, simply catching a gallon of tap water in a clean jug and letting it sit at room temperature for 12 hours or more and the chlorine will disappear. And even minute amounts of chlorine won't hurt fish, it's the high concentrations that cause problems.

[@nate9696]

I have been a lab manager for a drinking water plant for 17 years and it's interesting and cool that you did this. I have also been in wastewater lab b4 that for many years. 1. I don't get why the ph was different at the bottom of the spillway like that. Maybe aeration. 2. Not sure about your state but most if not all data labs get should be public knowledge under the laws and regulations of EPA. I would call the plant and ask to talk to the lab manager. 3. I am assuming the plant is a wastewater facility, if so I would test for BOD (biological oxygen demand) that is a huge teller of wastewater quality, you would probably have to have a contract/private lab test for it. 4. Most facilities don't treat with ammonia to my knowledge it's more of a by product of treatment of wastewater. 5. It would be VERY rare to find chlorine in nature as it's very susceptible to air and depletes extremely fast. 6. If you wanted to go further I suggest going to a CERTIFIED/LICENCED lab and have them collect the samples and test them, not a pool place lol. If the lab is certified they have to put their license number on the results and that gives you "legal" backing if needed. Hope this helps.

[@RCinginSC]

Considering the conditions of the water on you prior visit, (no flow, no new moving water) it sounds like a case of low oxygen levels. Now that water has been moving since the rain came, all seems to back in harmony. Great job following up on your valid concerns.

[@GunBudget54]

Gar can breathe air from lungs in low oxygen so even in low oxygen conditions Gar wouldn't be dead but every other fish other than Gar or Bowfin could be explained by low ox

[@RCinginSC]

@@GunBudget54 but with no other fish species for the gar to feed on, they'd move on as well.

[@GunBudget54]

Yes they would move on down the stream/River not die on the bank like he showed in the video.

[@Lilith-Rose]

Most mass die offs are related to a deoxygenation event but that wouldnt affect gar or bowfin as much so its almost certainly something to do with the plant. Unfortunately/fortunately incidents like this of contamination are usually very short term so unless you catch them and take samples at the time of release its very hard to prove or even detect anything. Best advice is to stay vigilant and perhaps even carry a couple of different test strips in the truck (aquarium test strips and the potable water test strips you used in the video) along with a few empty bottles

[@SolarRift222]

Thank you so much for going back. So many people would have just stopped with the call, well thats all I can do, but some times all it takes is a little evidence of an issue to get the right people in motion. Thank you for this.

[@stevesalvage1089]

Brilliant ! just to show anglers can protect the waters and benefit the fish , good for the environment, thanks nick to show this and how you did it , highest respect !!

[@robertmceuen3630]

Thanks Nick. You are a champion to fishing, conservation, and nature.

[@teagan_jensvold]

I just realized I have never seen you with out sun glasses on and i have been watching this Chanel for about 4 years😂

[@Fourofakind-22B]

That water can be tested by an actual water lab. They test drinking water for wells and other things. It’s a bit pricey, but they can find traces of many other dangerous chemicals in the water. Thank you for doing this. If citizens don’t stay vigilant there’s no telling what some of these Companies will do.

[@flyinbrianz22]

You have gone far beyond what anybody else would. I'm glad you didnt find anything bad but I would love to know what killed all those fish!

[@Unknownbrand]

Way to take the initiative Nick! Do any of those kits test for metals?

[@618Fishing]

That second kit tested for quite a few metals and they all came back clear/minimal. Thanks for watching!

[@nate9696]

Those kits are pretty basic when it comes to metals analysis. But yeah they looked fine.

[@robmangeri777]

This is pretty inspiring Nick! You skipped right past the silly politics and just took action! Nice work and congratulations on one of your favorite spots looking a lot better!!!

[@MegaYangman]

Nice to see the river clean and producing fish again!

[@thehairywoodsman5644]

the PH in the spillway water is so high because of the lime content of the concrete the spillway is built from.

[@caseyguccione5978]

I recently dealt with a fish kill situation for my work. Source was from livestock waste runoff. If there are large facilities that can runoff into the water, the bacteria and nitrate levels can spike and be lethal to fish. By the looks of those fish, it occurred a considerable time ago. Those events can occur and freshwater can flush the contaminants away in under a week. But the damage remains. E.Coli test 3 weeks ago could have told something.

[@manusb6441]

Hi Nick, I work in Water Treatment. I'm pretty sure it was caused due to high levels of nitrate in the water usually coming from broken sewage pipes or from farmer irrigation. Also if that water came from a treatment plant they might have had a spill or some kind of spike in their water quality so the water being released at the time could have been toxic but since sorted out as many plant runs many test and catch on to problems relatively quickly, and adjustments can be calculated and made. But all those water sample are typical of what you'd see in normal spillways. High pH in in stagnant water is caused by high Co2 dissolved in the water. Regards.

[@EsoxLVCIVS6776]

A pH of 9 could surely be caused by someone dumping a load of lime into the water and also pH would make any ammonia more toxic to fish?

[@justinalbertson1428]

Great job doing your own homework and sticking up for our water ways. I feel like the kinds of fish you caught are good at adapting and during the low water, the smart ones, found a hole and virtually hibernated. Good luck, tight lines!

[@raymundopelayo1]

I know you probably use a music service, but that is the intro for fishing with chris and I love it. you creek fisherman have my heart.

[@FastActionFishing]

Great scientific work. I spent 7 years water quality sampling for a government agency. It's interesting you were directed to EPA. EPA usually doesnt have the staff to handle instate items like complaints. I would direct you to call your states department of environmental protection agency who has local oversight for such issues. If you are aware of a WWTP upstream then they could get a visit from DEP who likely would ask questions and sample their outfall directly to see if it is meeting their permit limits. Sampling 2 or 3 weeks later would only gice you a snapahot of current conditions. The evidence of the dead fish clearly shows a catastrophic event. There are other indicators such as macro invertebrates, freshwater mussels/clams that could be checked to see if the water quality changed so do follow up. Just a note pH is not in ppm but is a measure of H and OH ion concentration and is a logarithmic scale. pH also has a 15 minute hold time so your results may not tell the real story. You should check pH out in the field. Other great parameters to test are temperature,dissolved oxygen and specific conductance. There are water quality meters you can rent and take with you to get those measurements as well. Any questions let me know.

[@618Fishing]

I appreciate the info!

[@bertpersons1663]

You are just such a genuine KIND,NICE person. I love watching your videos they seem to relax me, please don’t stop anytime soon!

[@lancestewart215]

This actually happened to one of my creeks when they had to lower the lake to repair the spillway. The lack of water flowing over the spillway caused a lack of oxygen plus the intense summer heat resulted in a massive fishkill. Place wasn’t the same for a few years but the fish rebounded. It sucks but the population will come back sooner than you think

[@tylerealey1921]

I’d be interested to the results of other places you’ve been. You’ll have to take test kits or sample cups with from now on. Great vid and thanks for the update!!!

[@zach_hewitt]

Good on you for following up, testing the water and sharing the results. Would have been interesting to compare samples from the first trip. Sidenote: Bourbon/whiskey on the shelf in the background?

[@surrelljr]

I like this channel and will continue to support it. I appreciate your concern for the environment on this episode, people need to report this stuff when it happens. I accidentally stumbled across this channel quite a while back, I think it was the fairly early days. You seemed a little depressed once in awhile however you seem to be in a more chipper mood as time went on. I especially liked the episodes about tiny creek fishing, I just have a lot of fun with that in my youth. Keep up the good work and I will continue watching.

[@user-qz3kz9wp4x]

Something important to remember is that the pH scale is logarithmic. It is a way to display a wide range of values in a compact way. Because the pH scale is logarithmic, a change of one pH unit corresponds to a ten-fold change. Acidosis and Alkalosis can occur with even a change of 0.1 pH in blood, resulting in rather profound health consequences, including seizures, heart arrhythmia, or even coma. Also, its super important with the water quality test strips to follow the instructions carefully, especially not shaking the strip.

[@CurtisWayne]

Didn’t catch any fish today? Call the EPA and blame the water. 😂

[@mjsbowl300]

Might want to check the dissolved oxygen content. That would be my only additional suggestion. Great video as always!

[@thisolesignguy2733]

Thanks for this! not alot of people go thought the care to keep an eye on our fish populations, so I commend you on this. As for the results, I'll bet it was a one time spill and has already washed downstream. I've seen this at a plant we use to have here, they would do a dump in the river and sometimes it would poison fish, but go away after a day or so. It wasn't caught for almost 10 years because they couldn't narrow down the culprit since it was so intermittent.

[@Steve-ev6vx]

Good news that there wasn't anything bad in the sample, might need to test again in a few weeks. Might also need to get a lab test run too to see if there is anything else in there. Caught my pb bluegill today! Haven't weighed it yet, but it's a two hander for sure. Got some big red ears two, but couldn't get the large mouth to bite anything.

[@paulhouston4162]

You could possibly do a soil sample in the areas affected. Heavy rains may have pushed what was bad down stream but traces could still be In the soil.

[@mz6267]

Nick, you could be looking at a seasonal algae bloom. The lack of rain/low water and high temperatures can cause algae to bloom. The algae uses up all the oxygen in the water and can kill off fish and other aquatic life. There’s a reservoir near my house that’s fed by streams that flow through farmland. These stream pick of tons of nutrients from the soil, fertilizer, and farm run-off, and feed it into the lake. In the heat of summer, algae blooms in the lake cause low oxygen levels and some algae give off toxins so the swimming area is closed and warnings are issued not to eat fish from the lake. I suspect you’re looking at a similar situation on a smaller scale.

[@JohnDeWeese-lq4pf]

Most still waters in hot summer lead to oxygen depletion which can belly-up fish in just an hour or less. It may show later as the aerobic bacteria deplete the rest of the oxygen. Freshwater influx (from rain will dissipate the CO2 build up, (OR you can have strong wind action to add air to water) which then repeats with a fish kill later on all over again. Catching a Gar, even a rare melanistic gar, due to a primitive swim bladder that is connected to the throat. Gar can fill this swim bladder with oxygen by sticking their snout out of the water. This gives them buoyancy and allows them to survive in waters with very low oxygen and even out of water for a few hours. I was surprised to see all those dead gar carcasses near the shore. It may have been a chemical spill, but it was something that dissipates quickly. Nice video. I once caught a ten inch amelanistic gar (not a true albino bc the eyes were not pink) but stunning still the same. I took him home, and kept him in a fifty gallon aquarium. I named him Johnny (for Blues Guitarist albino Johnny Winter a great Texan.) God bless!

[@Alancclive]

The only other parameter I can think of is either the water became unusually warm and deoxygenated or a chemical was released that also drastically reduced oxygen content

[@curtshelp6170]

I worked in water reclamation for 27 years and spikes can be very short from plant upset. You may have found something on the day of the event but plants test constantly and make adjustments to correct any anomalous results they find. Both the return of life to that stream and the confirmation from your testing suggest that possibility.

[@detroitdiy]

Great video Nick, thanks for going out of your way to test the water. Something is definitely going on there.

[@pt.eforestmanagementconsul5712]

Good to keep sample bottles in ur bag moving forward so you can sample the day you find future water quality issues

[@thesouthernsipper8401]

I don't know if you can test for it, but where I am a big issue this time of year particularly with low rainfall, is low oxygen. Good on you for testing that water.

[@joshwagner8468]

Just wanted to let you know you've taught me so much about fishing. Thanks for all the videos you put out for us 😊

[@briansaucy4871]

Great for your calling and testing it yourself. Thanks for your effort.

[@shel.b.1090]

FairPlay nick you really do educate and have become a real fish advocate ty xxxx

[@rubenaponte7569]

Thank you for going out of your way to check on the water quality. Currently working as an Environmental Engineer, happy to answer any questions.

[@dennykatz157]

Great work Nick! Thanks for bringing us along! Glad to see the fish are back!

[@RHill1997]

Hey I love your videos! Watch everyone as they come out! I actually work for Arizona game and Fish and stock waters around the Phoenix area. You checked off a lot of boxes but missed a critical point such as Dissolved Oxygen! When a water body becomes warm in the summer the water isn’t able to retain oxygen for the fish to breathe. So when it became stagnant the temps probably increased therefore not having as much dissolved oxygen. That and a ph of 9 is rather high. At that point we throw in a test net when stocking to see if they survive so you probably had stressed fish from low oxygen and high ph. You might have also had an algae bloom at the time which can raise the ph even higher. Could be a variety of things! If you ever want to come out to Arizona and do some fishing, hit me up! Thanks and keep up the great work!

[@racegoodrich2422]

If you run into this again, try a kit that includes a test for nitrates. The nitrate cycle is important for a waterway. I think it goes something like, Ammonia>nitrite>nitrate. If one of those chemicals is high in concentration it will let you know something is off in that ecosystem. If it was summertime when the fish were dying it could be a lack of oxygen. That doesnt fully explain the dead gar though.

[@overloadedoutdoors7582]

Nice work bud thanks for sharing the test results and procedure I work at a water treatment plant and we have to test the water constantly to make sure levels are in the legal range beautiful fish you caught

[@arcticram5375]

I keep and breed aquarium fish and the thing i notice affects them most is high nitrates, so i would recommend testing for that.

[@richdillon2157]

I know this a after thought, But you might want to go back to that same location and take Soil samples along the bank where you took the water samples. Reason being, If by chance there is something that was n the water, It would show up in the Soil to. The soil would keep the saturation of said contaminant longer than the water would. Water as you know washes away any contaminant and no longer hold it, If it is not still being dump in the creek. You did the right thing. Another after thought, You should of done the water samples the same day you were there fishing. Thanks for sharing, Enjoyed your video.

[@danielgoodwin4719]

It's amazing how the ministry not even in this case but in practically all cases never seem to do anything or even come and check we ran into a lot of situations like that here in Canada as well

[@honeycreekfishing]

Nice video, Nick. I’m wondering if the water was stagnant for a long period of time and the fish died from lack of oxygen when you went the first time.

[@618Fishing]

The lack of gar and bowfin (which can breath air) is what really threw me off on my last trip out there. Thanks for watching!

[@CastBlastCamp]

What a stand up guy! Nick actually did the cities job for em. Keep at it brother!

[@TaylorElizabeth-zi4gq]

Fisherman and scientist. 🤓🤓🤓 Great video baby!!! Glad you caught some monsters!

[@618Fishing]

Haha ayyyyy thanks for watching baby I love you!

[@reelingwithrobby]

FINALLY LAST THURSDAY WAS MISERABLE WITH NO 618 UPLOAD LETS GOOOOO

[@kaitaiadragon9518]

My 2cents based on aquarium knowledge and basic water chemistry. The lake will be more stable and neutral because of the large size and movement. The spillway will have higher ph because of the concrete leeching into it as it sits stiller for longer and those minerals are allowed to build up. The waterfall, if it comes through the plantlife and things for a while, will have a lower ph because of that organic matter breaking down and causing it to drop. As to what was happening before, lack of rain and water movement does all sorts of things to a system like that, and I'd assume the fish had migrated down stream where they could survive and ventured back up as the quality improved. The bodies you found could be fish who were already weakened by illness, age or genetics and the changing parameters effected them quicker and more harshly because of that, meaning they sadly died and washed up as the rest of the life moved downstream. Just a guess but is based on at least some kind of knowledge. Love the vids and love how much you care about the places you fish

[@618Fishing]

All very much so possibilities! Thanks for sharing and thanks for watching!

[@brianratchford5643]

Great job!!! Great video!!! I am sure when you contacted the EPA they contact that treatment plant. And what you did made a difference. They made a change to their chemical additives. Great job!!!

[@robstercraw13]

Another rad video! Especially since we have had so much rain and all my spots are impossible to fish! Glad you caught something! But I’d say go back when the rain stops. The pollution will back to where it was the first time you went out I’d imagine.

[@davidboyer3825]

Possibly water temperatures to hot and low oxygen. But now we know not to wait for the epa. Love the channel thanks for doing the test.

[@riverratfishing]

Appreciate your interest for our great environment. Nice video Nick. Those were some nice fish

[@privatepilot4064]

Have you ever caught a saltwater gar? They’re called Seagars. And they best when they’re smoked. 😉

[@isaachenshon7386]

Really cool of you to go through the whole process of trying to improve the place but even u urself said it with all the rain mixing with the spillway that the quality was better.. when the test water had diluted, ur gonna get diluted results, come back and restest when there hasnt been rain.

[@TheMinihockeystar]

The room you shot the water testing in looks like a cool spot, I love the plane photo

[@darkiee69]

What you should have teste the first time is total dissolved oxygen. The breakdown of organic compounds use a whole lot of oxygen.

[@jeffmarkov8387]

Nick, maybe that plant purges flow at predetermined intervals...? Randomly GO BACK and see. Get a temp job there, and ask random things about the waste flow schedules...

[@redneckmini14]

I'm surprised you didn't find anything unusual, but hopefully that means the EPA did investigate and solve the issue. Glad to see fish back in the spillway and creek. I might head out there next time I'm in the area to check it out myself. I would love to catch a bowfin out of there.

[@fishingfromsandiego]

It's really awesome that you took the time to do all that. My guess is that whatever is happening is not happening all the time. Maybe the toxic chemicals are only released once in a while.

[@vincentlaitphlang5971]

Thank you for being responsible to nature and fauna n flora around it. I would suggest a bloopers video of ur entire fishing journey next time 😊

[@hbkgoblue100]

I work at a wastewater treatment plant that discharges to the river. We monitor all those you checked for and dissolved oxygen. Being stagnant with no rain low DO seems like the most likely culprit. But people and places do illegally discharge unfortunately. The clean water act wasn't introduced until 1972. Up to that point there was not controls in place.

[@Mr688895]

Nice work and great video. Thank you for the concern and the process.