Kills and Spills Team (KAST)

Thirty Years of Investigating Fish and Wildlife Kills and Pollution in Texas

Conclusion

Dissolved oxygen is critical for aquatic life, and anything that decreases dissolved oxygen is a concern. Human activities that inhibit normal circulation in a water body, such as construction of dead end canals, flow alterations, and reduced flow, have been responsible for a significant number of fish and wildlife kills in Texas. Natural causes such as freezes and toxic algal blooms are as significant a source of kills as human activities. Conservation of the state's fish and wildlife must take into account common causes of kills and spills and focus efforts on preventing these incidents.