FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) - State wildlife officials say more than 5,600 fish in the Big Thompson River have died as a result of a chemical runoff from a bridge reconstruction project.
The Coloradoan reports (https://noconow.co/1VTEY59 ) that Colorado Parks and Wildlife announced Tuesday that the fish died March 7 in an 8-mile section of the Big Thompson from Drake to West Loveland. The fish included rainbow and brown trout, suckers and dace.
The agency says site conditions at the Storm Mountain Road Bridge and other factors caused chemicals to spill into the stream, killing the fish.
Trout Unlimited issued a statement saying the spill is a blow to the river and sets back restoration efforts for the wild trout population.
The bridge project is part of the state’s reconstruction plan following the September 2013 floods.
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Information from: Fort Collins Coloradoan, https://www.coloradoan.com
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