Overview
- Residents first noticed the die‑off on Monday, with dead fish lining roughly 3 kilometres of shoreline near homes.
- Barkandji River Rangers are coordinating cleanup with Central Darling Shire and NSW agencies, with water testing to follow.
- NSW fisheries authorities say no definitive cause has been confirmed and point to recent extreme temperatures and the sudden cool change as likely factors affecting water conditions.
- Water NSW issued a red alert for blue‑green algae in parts of Lake Menindee in January, indicating stressed water quality before the kill.
- The event extends a pattern of recurrent fish kills in the Menindee‑Darling system, including an estimated 30 million deaths in 2023, and residents report a strong odour in Sunset Strip.