Hundreds of fish turn up dead at Centerville park after pond ‘turns over’

CENTERVILLE — Hundreds of fish turned up dead at Stubbs Park in Centerville over the weekend.

Over 300 pounds of fish were found dead at one of the four ponds located at Stubbs Park, according to a spokesperson for the city.

Centerville’s Public Works crews worked with the city’s contractor over the last 24 hours and determined that the pond “turned over” or “flipped.”

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“Essentially, the warm water on top rolls to the bottom of the pond and the colder water comes to the surface,” the spokesperson said. “When this happens, the oxygen in the water is briefly depleted, which kills the fish.”

A state wildlife officer said there is no signs of anything dumped in the water, or that the pond was treated.

“It’s pretty common this time of year. We have hot, dry summers. You know, it becomes more and more common, especially in late July and August. So we’re kind of at the beginning of when it’s going to be more common. But yeah, it happens,” Trent Weaver, Ohio Department of Natural Resources state wildlife officer said.

Centerville said an improvement project planned for Stubbs Park next year will deepen the pond, which will dramatically decrease the chances of something like this happening again.

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Hundreds of fish turn up dead at Centerville park Hundreds of fish turned up dead at Stubbs Park in Centerville over the weekend. (Photo by: Lauren Queen)

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