"The Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks takes all threats to the environment very seriously. The ministry’s role is to assess spills and threats to the natural environment and ensure environmental impacts are properly addressed.
On April 14th, a local resident contacted the ministry’s Owen Sound District office to inform staff about dead fish in the Pottawatomi River in the City of Owen Sound.
Ministry environmental officers attended the scene to determine whether the fish kill could be attributed to a spill, release or discharge of a pollutant into the water. Officers did not find any signs of contamination within the river, nor were there other dead fish observed upriver or downriver. No other animals, such as water fowl, were found deceased or observed to be in distress.
On April 15, 2020, ministry staff conducted further assessment of the Pottawatomi River. No additional fish were observed dead or dying and there were no other characteristics or evidence of contamination apparent or identifiable to suggest that a specific pollutant was the cause and/or present. This incident is not expected to impact Owen Sound’s drinking water wells or system.
Water samples collected at the scene have been sent to the ministry lab for analysis. At this time we don’t anticipate that any pollutants will be found.
The ministry will continue to monitor the Pottawatomi River and notified the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and Grey Sauble Conservation Authority of the fish kill."
source: statement from Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks
