Fish Kill Reported in Portions of Turtle Creek Near HP, UP
Highland Park and University Park officials are asking anglers not to fish in nearby portions of Turtle Creek for now after a fish kill was reported Sept. 27.
The impacted area includes the fork of Turtle Creek on the western edge of Goar Park and runs south of the Williams Park Pond in the section of the creek that flows through Highland Park, officials say.
The city and town notified the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and Texas Parks and Wildlife (Kill and Spills Division) about the incident.
UPDATE 10-24: City of University Park officials say an analysis showed the presence of two solvents that exceeded EPA reporting limits for non-potable surface water. Acetone was noted in two locations, and Methyl ethyl ketone was noted in one location, city officials said. The presence of chemicals above EPA reporting limits was not shown in the third testing location.
Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), methyl ethyl ketone is a colorless, flammable liquid with a sharp odor used as a solvent and in the manufacture of synthetic rubber, paraffin wax, and to make other chemical products.
“These findings have been forwarded to both state agencies. The City continues to work cooperatively with these agencies on remediation efforts, and City staff continues to monitor aquatic life in Williams Pond and the originally impacted sections of Turtle Creek,” city officials say. “More testing is a possibility, in part because of additional concerns about ongoing water oxygenation levels.”
