PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — The city of Port St. Lucie told WPTV staff they are putting together a public report that outlines exactly what killed the fish and ways they can prevent it in the future.
WPTV is following up on the dozens of dead fish in a Treasure Coast waterway.
WATCH BELOW: 'I think that we are going to have fish kills if we continue to do what we're doing,' Jim Moir tells WPTV
“I wouldn't let the kids touch the water and even go near it right now,” said Robert Cardenas, a neighbor who attended the city council meeting on Monday.
“There's vultures still picking up dead carcasses landing on a hill,” said Cardenas.
Vice Mayor Jolien Caraballo said the fish kill was unacceptable.
“It needs to be investigated,” said Caraballo.
On Tuesday, WPTV learned that investigation is moving forward— with a deep dive into what went wrong.
WATCH PREVIOUS COVERAGE BELOW: Neighbors react to fish kill in Treasure Coast waterway
“We're going to look into it,” said Port St. Lucie City manager, Jesus Merejo, during Monday’s city council meeting. “Whatever we can do as a city, we will do.”
Last week Aquatic Vegetation Control (AVC), a company contracted by the city to manage waterways chemically treated the canal.
Days later, the fish kill was discovered.
“If there's going to be any restocking," said Cardenas. ‘I'm sure it's going to take months for this canal to recover.”
The company said it responded quickly and found the dissolved oxygen levels were too low for aquatic life to survive.
They told WPTV the following in an email:
“These treatments are commonly used to control invasive and nuisance aquatic vegetation and are not toxic to fish when used properly.”
“I think that we are going to have fish kills if we continue to do what we're doing,” said Jim Moir, the Indian Riverkeeper.
Moir said cities and agencies should look at other ways to remove vegetation in waterways.
“They should rely on either natural herbivores, manatees and other animals that eat shoreline vegetation,” said Moir. “Or use mechanical harvesting.”
While Moir agrees the chemical treatment may not directly harm aquatic life, it has indirect consequences.
“The ecological damage is going all the way through the vegetation,” said Moir. “And into the other creatures that live in the in the muck, in the slime.”
AVC said the oxygen levels in the Elkcam Waterway are improving and they are now more closely monitoring oxygen levels in waterways throughout the city.
