Large numbers of rainbow trout and fathead minnows have died in Monastery Lake over the past two weeks. New Mexico wildlife officials attributed the fish kill to unusually high water temperatures and low oxygen levels.
The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish said it investigated the lake on July 27 after staff discovered more than 100 dead fish along the shoreline. The fish kill, officials concluded, was due to elevated water temperatures coupled with depleted oxygen levels.
San Miguel County resident Teresa Bustillos said it broke her heart to see fish dying and decomposing in the lake. Together with her two sisters, she has been removing dead fish from the water and shoreline. Her family has collected 176 fish so far.
The sisters have been walking around the lake carrying buckets and trash bags to gather dead fish floating in the water. Bustillos said many of the fish have deteriorated into skin and skeletons, while others have red sores, white lesions, missing eyes or other signs of disease.
Bustillos said it is the first time she has seen the lake’s water temperature climb to 80 degrees. She said the lake has developed a foul odor from the decaying fish and believes surviving fish are becoming sick from bacteria linked with the fish kill.
Bustillos also said the Department of Game and Fish plans to hold a meeting in the coming days to discuss the possibility of closing the lake temporarily.
Until then, Bustillos said she plans to continue removing dead fish and warning visitors about the conditions at the lake.
