The Daily Bucket is a regular feature of the Backyard Science group. It is a place to note any observations you have made of the world around you. Insects, weather, meteorites, climate, birds and/or flowers. All are worthy additions to the bucket. Please let us know what is going on around you in a comment. Include, as close as is comfortable for you, where you are located. Each note is a record that we can refer to in the future as we try to understand the patterns that are quietly unwinding around us.
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Castro Valley, CA
Continued below the orange Btfsplk
There was a massive fish kill in Mexico at the end of August. It occurred in Cajititlan Lagoon which is in Tlajomulco de Zuniga in western Jalisco State. It was the fourth “mysterious” mass death in Cajititlan Lagoon this year. At least one of the four die offs, though unexpected, was not exactly mysterious. It was caused by pollution, the illegal dumping of large quantities of molasses by a nearby company making livestock feed without a permit.
Current suspects include contamination from a nearby waste water treatment plant, which an environmental minister suspects of negligent operations. Another possible culprit is the wind. Nearby housing projects are accused of drawing off too much water resulting in water levels so low that strong winds can kick up enough sediment from the bottom to deprive the fish of oxygen. Another potential culprit is simply cyclical changes in water temperature causing a drop in the amount of dissolved oxygen.
Meanwhile, the locals have a broader and more likely correct explanation. Simply put, they hold that bad water management practices are driving more frequent die offs of aquatic life. That simple summary is instructive for all of us. CA is suffering statewide from a century of bad water management practices. Every lake I have hiked or driven near or over this year has been extremely low. Problems caused by bad water management practices will no doubt get more and more critical throughout the land as time progresses.
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Now It's Your Turn What have you noted happening in your area or travels? As usual post your observations as well as their general location in the comments.
Thank you.