Virginia Faces Fish Kills, Massive Algal Blooms That Threaten Bay Health

Reports of widespread fish kills are surfacing on the Eastern Shore of Virginia this week as officials continue to track harmful algal blooms, or “red tide,” in area waterways.

The specific cause of the most recent kills in at least seven area creeks was not immediately known, though they came amid reports of a massive algal bloom along the Eastern Shore this week. Public officials had also been tracking a bloom initially detected near the Lafayette River during the summer.

The kills come as the Trump Administration is rolling back a 2009 Executive Order that has been foundational for Chesapeake Bay cleanup efforts, jeopardizing decades of Bay restoration progress.

Algal blooms occur when nitrogen and phosphorus pollution help fuel explosive algae growth—especially during the hottest months. Some species of algae produce toxins, threatening the health of people, pets, fish, and shellfish. When algae in the blooms die and break down, they create oxygen-depleted dead zones in the water where aquatic life cannot survive.

One of the best ways to cut nitrogen and phosphorus pollution is to increase state and federal investments in programs that reduce pollution in agriculture, stormwater, and wastewater. The Trump Administration’s move puts at risk progress partners have made on Bay clean-up, and is a discouraging signal about the federal government’s future involvement in helping cut pollution in the Bay.

There is scientific consensus that algal blooms are getting worse, affecting lakes, rivers, and coastal waters throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Climate change exacerbates the problem with more heat waves, as well as more intense storms that wash polluted runoff into waterways.

Chesapeake Bay Foundation Virginia Executive Director Chris Moore issued the following statement:

“These late season algae blooms and fish kills are a disheartening reminder that we have much more work to do in order to ensure a healthy Chesapeake Bay. We are closely monitoring the situation. These events highlight the need to strongly invest in reducing pollution that can harm area fish and wildlife.”

“To truly tackle pollution in the Bay, we need coordination, collaboration, and support across federal, state, and local levels. The Trump Administration’s recent executive order makes this more difficult. Moving in the wrong direction at the federal level is not going to help head off or mitigate fish kills in the future.”