Cooma Creek wildlife die-off prompts water testing

The Snowy Monaro Regional Council has initiated water sampling and testing following reports of dead fish and frogs in Cooma Creek. Council officers responded to reports received late on Tuesday, October 26, and located one dead fish, though no frogs were found during their initial search of the banks.

Council CEO Noreen Vu stated that it is too early to speculate on the cause of the deaths. Water samples have been sent to an authorized laboratory, with results expected within the next week. The council has ruled out a connection to a recent, localized sewer leak on Vale Street, stating there is no reason to believe the discharge entered the creek.

The incident has been reported to the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) and the Public Health Unit at NSW Health. At this stage, no specific source of contamination or cause for the wildlife deaths has been identified.