I had a conversation today with John Crabbe, owner of Estate Management Services, Inc. that treat our lake regarding the recent fish kill.

He told me that one likely explanation is fire ants. When we get a heavy rain, and of course we have, fire ants with nests close to the lake can get flooded out and will raft in the lake. When this happens, fish feed on the ants, which are toxic. The clearest indication is that the fish killed were all similar in size.

He ruled out lake temperature changes. I mentioned the recent potential contamination from herbicide which is conceivable. We need to be careful about what we put on our lawns. It is particularly important in heavy rains, but also important all the time.

Please let me now if you see any other signs of distress to our lake.

Bill Oakley,

Talahi Lake Board V.P.