Drought suspected to be cause of hundreds of dead fish in Oceano creek

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Hundreds of dead fish have turned up at Arroyo Grande Creek in Oceano, the state Department of Fish and Game has confirmed after looking into the matter today.

The fish were identified as Sacramento suckers and their deaths are believed to part of a natural drought cycle.

A Fish and Game official went to the creek today � which is located within the Oceano Dunes state park � and identified the suckers and made a preliminary assessment of the reason for their death as drought conditions. The fish isn�t listed as endangered, the official told a Tribune photographer at the scene this morning.

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Dennis Michniuk, associate fishery biologist and Jason Chance, warden with California State Department of Fish and Game, responded to a report of dead fish in the Arroyo Grande Creek lagoon at the Oceano Dunes. The fish, West Sacramento Suckers, are not native to the area and will become meals for vultures. About 200 fish died as the creek dried up.

By David Middlecamp | The Tribune 2008

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Oceano resident Larry Bross discovered numerous vultures feeding on the fish Tuesday night and reported the deaths to Fish and Game. An official statement from the department is pending.

--Nick Wilson

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