By HOWARD PANKRATZ, DANIEL PETTY and BRUCE FINLEY
DENVER — A major fish kill that occurred in Cherry Creek in downtown Denver today was a “natural occurring event,” according to Jennifer Churchill of the Colorado Division of Wildlife.
The fish that died were young gizzard shad, which are extremely susceptible to cooler temperatures, said Churchill. Cooler temperatures associated with an approaching winter storm, plus lower waters in Cherry Creek, caused the young fish to die, said Churchill.
“They are notorious for being done in by cooler temperatures,” said Churchill.
Meghan Hughes, spokeswoman for the Denver Environmental Health Department, said the number of fish that have died are “between the upper hundreds to a few thousand.”