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    Complaint

    23666
    WPC
    12/13/2011
    Phone
    Fish Kill
    12/13/2011
    18-JUL-2019 08:47AM

    Location based on SITE_ID

    Site ID
    11134
    Site
    Belle Meade Country Club
    Location
    Belle Meade Blvd
    City
    Belle Meade
    Description
    -
    County
    Davidson
    EFO Name
    Nashville
    Site Owner
    Belle Meade Country Club

    Investigation Results

    Closed
    12/13/2011
    Belle Meade Country Club
    12/13/2011

    Complaint Description and Writeup

    Complaint: Jeff Brousal advised me that he received an anonymous call at 1000 HRS that dead fish were observed in Richland Creek across from the Belle Meade Tennis Club near the USGS flow gauging station. The anonymous caller stated that he saw floating dead fish ranging from 1-5 inches in length.- AMM *************************

    JRS : Investigated on-site and observed many dead Tilapia within Richland Creek at the Harding Road bridge. A few were 5-6 inches, most were small young. Kill appeared to have started 2+ days ago, based on number of partially eaten fish. No other spp. mortalities observed, and plenty of living native fish. *********************

    I met with Doug Ward (BMCC Golf Course Superintendant), and Phil Buma and Terry Franklin (City of Belle Meade MS4). Mr. Ward stated that the Richalnd Creek impoundment had been stocked with 3-400 adult Tilapia in early June by Southeast Pond Management. He said that someone with TWRA was contacted and said this was OK. This was done to control algae in the pond, and reportedly worked well. The Tilapia have obviously been reproducing abundantly, and he estimated that 90% were now dead. The very cold night on 12/10 was likely the trigger, as Tilapia are known to be intolerant to cold temps. ************************

    I advised Mr. Ward that TDEC would need to check with TWRA, and if this was going to be a continuing practice, we needed to devise some strategy to deal with an annual die-off, and the presence of a multitude of dead fish in Richland Creek that results.