The local authorities who manage San Carlos Lake call it a “fisherman’s paradise.” Boasting 158 miles (254 kilometers) of shoreline, this stocked fishing spot was created by the construction of the Coolidge Dam along the Gila River in 1930. It’s one jewel in a public recreation complex that The New York Times once described as Arizona’s “man-made water wonderland.” But, for now, those days are gone. The San Carlos Recreation and Wildlife Department issued a warning Friday that the lake (really more of a reservoir) would be closed “until further notice” due to the mass die-off of essentially the entire body of water’s fish population. “Recent drought conditions, combined with water releases from the dam, have resulted in a major fish kill affecting approximately 100% of the fish population within the lake,” the department announced on Facebook. “Decomposing fish may pose health risks to individuals who enter the area or attempt to fish.”
As you can imagine, local TV news is on the case. Reporters at the Fox affiliate in Phoenix, a two-and-a-half-hour drive west, posted images of San Carlos Lake’s macabre shoreline strewn with decaying largemouth bass, flathead catfish, and black crappie.
