Fish virus could be headed this way

A virus that has killed thousands of carp in Lake Mohave and Lake Havasu is expected to reach the Parker Strip and Lake Moovalya, although wildlife officials don't know just when. The Koi Herpes Virus is harmless to humans. However, it has led to thousands of dead carp floating to the surface and washing up on the shores Lake Mohave and Lake Havasu.

There have been so many fish dying that clean-up efforts have been difficult. Large numbers of dead fish have been reported on beaches and in popular areas of both lakes. The clean-up effort has been conducted through cooperative efforts involving local, state, federal and tribal agencies, as well as private individuals,

Mitch Thorson, fisheries biologist for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, said that so far, there have been no reports of KHV-infected fish south of Parker Dam. However, he said they expect the virus will eventually make its way south of the dam.

"There's really no way to stop it," he said.

Spokespersons for Buckskin Mountain State Park and La Paz County Park told the Pioneer they have not seen any more dead fish than they usually do.

If persons living or working along the river see large numbers of dead carp, they should report their findings to the Arizona Game & Fish Department, Thorson said.

As for clean-up efforts, KHV is harmless to humans, but Andy Clark, regional fisheries manager for Arizona Game & Fish in Kingman, said there are other items of concern with dead fish. These include parasites, bacteria, and other viruses.

"People don't need to be messing with or eating or letting their dogs eat rotting fish," Clark said. "If you're going to handle them, put gloves on and clean them up just like any other dead fish."

Kirk Koch, program manager for the Bureau of Land Management's Lake Havasu Fisheries Improvement Program, noted dead and rotting fish are part of the natural order, and other species and the rest of the environment could benefit from this.

"The carp belong to nature, and there are a lot of elements of our ecosystem that would benefit from this," Koch said.

Reporter Tony Waggoner contributed to this story

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