Hundreds of dead fish surface in Brush Creek

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - It was a smelly start to the week near the Country Club Plaza after hundreds of dead fish surfaced due to poor water conditions.

People walking or jogging along the creek noticed the mess and the smell early in the day.

“There were a bunch of dead fish,” said one man who had been walking his dog. “It smelled fishy, like a dirty aquarium smell.”

The problem, according to the city and the Missouri Department of Conservation, was the low water levels in Brush Creek.

Bill Graham, a spokesperson for the MDC, said management biologists found several hundred dead fish between Roanoke Parkway and Jefferson Street. Most of the fish were sunfish and bluegill.

“The fish are dying due to low oxygen levels in the water,” Graham said in an email to KCTV5. “The low oxygen is caused by low to no water flowing in the concrete structure and warm water conditions. Some fish are alive and appear to be stressed, so more fish could die unless significant rains arrive to refresh water flow.”

The concrete basin of the creek has long been an ecological concern for local conservationists.

The concrete was poured in the 1930s, supposedly as part of a flood prevention plan. The contractor happened to be a concrete company owned by Tom “Boss” Pendergast, arguably the most influential local political figure at the time.

Logan Heley, Executive Director for the Heartland Conservation Alliance, said the concrete created a poor habitat for marine life.

On KCTV5 two years ago: Water testing underway at Brush Creek in KC to determine what killed 100+ fish

For him and other advocates the problems at Brush Creek emphasize the importance of properly managing development near waterways and preserving natural habitats along river banks.

“Most of our cities now understand you want a buffer from streamways,” Heley said. “When you work with nature and have nature-based solutions, that’s always best. That’s not what happened decades ago. We’re seeing those impacts today.”

Also on KCTV5.com: Thousands of fish die in ‘naturally-occurring fish kill’ at Olathe lake

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