Still fishing for clues
In July the Department of Natural Resources reported dozens of shovelnose sturgeon had died and others showed signs of illness in the Wabash River from Carrollton Bridge north of Pittsburg to Attica. Several tests were performed on specimens in the Animal & Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at Purdue University while DNR Fish and Wildlife researchers from across the state consulted and searched the river for clues. Recently the DNR released a statement which stated although tests were inconclusive, low oxygen counts in the water, low water levels and heat may have contributed to the fishes' demise. Similar unexplained mass sturgeon deaths, sometimes numbering in the thousands, have been reported in Iowa for the past several years. Photo provided