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Local News
Apr 30, 2026
Update: Manure Runoff Cause Of 'large' Fish Kill In Miami-Erie Canal
UPDATE: MANURE RUNOFF CAUSE OF 'LARGE' FISH KILL IN MIAMI-ERIE CANAL
NEW BREMEN, Ohio — The 'large' fish kill in the waters of the Miami-Erie Canal in New Bremen was caused by an agricultural runoff that leaked cow manure into the water, investigators have determined. State agencies are now working to trace the source of the runoff, according to Auglaize County EMA Director Troy Anderson.
Officials from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, and the Auglaize County Emergency Management Agency investigated the fish kill in the village on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning, following several residents' reports of large numbers of dead fish floating in the canal south of Plum Street earlier this week.
One New Bremen resident, who didn't want to be identified, said he stopped counting at 60, as he and his wife were walking along a path bordering the canal on Tuesday. He said there were dozens of dead carp and other species floating on the top, and others at the surface gasping for air. ODNR counted the dead fish, which is standard practice when investigating a large fish kill.
Water samples were collected and tested from several areas along the historic waterway on Wednesday, and initially, no contaminants were identified, leading investigators to believe the kill may have been a natural turnover brought on by recent heavy rainfall. Additional testing on Thursday morning indicated high ammonia levels, leading to the discovery of manure runoff as the cause.
Anderson said the runoff is believed to be unintentional; however, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Ohio Department of Agriculture will work to identify the source of the manure by walking the drainage tiles and confluences from nearby farm fields that empty into the canal to prevent future spillage.
