Fish kills in the Houston area are a common occurrence in the summer. Experts explain

Fish were found dead in a Pasadena park this week due to a natural phenomenon, according to city, county and state officials.

Monday evening, the Harris County Office of Pollution Control and the Pasadena Fire Department responded to a call from a resident who reported seeing dead fish surface near Vince Bayou.

According to a Harris County Pollution Control spokesperson, the resident was walking his dog in the park and saw dead fish floating in Vince Bayou, which borders Pasadena Memorial Park.

David Brannon, Pasadena Fire Marshal, confirmed that the fish died as a result of a natural event and that no pollutants were found.

Chris Jensen, a spokesman for Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Kills and Spills Team, said his department has been in contact with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality following the incident and is was no evidence of a chemical, oil or sewage spill.

Pasadena Parks and Recreation Director Jed Aplaca said “fish kills” like this occur when temperatures rise and dissolved oxygen levels decrease as warmer water contains less of oxygen.

A city spokesperson said the city had received two calls in recent days regarding the presence of dead fish, and the number of dead fish found could not be confirmed, but according to Brannon, as of Tuesday evening , only three had been found floating.

Jensen said all of the dead fish were of the mullet species, a type of ray-finned fish found in coastal waters.

Jensen added that based on site reports Monday, no live fish were observed sucking air from the water surface.

“This kind of thing especially happens at this time of year when it’s very hot and the flow is probably low,” Jensen said.

Other factors contributing to the event could be decomposition of materials by algae and bacteria, he said.

Jensen said his department is receiving several calls from different areas regarding similar fish kills and expects that to continue to happen as warm temperatures continue.