Wildlife officials are blaming high temperatures for a large number of fish deaths in a Monterey County lake over the weekend.
The dead fish were found at Lake San Antonio, which is located about 20 miles inland from the Pacific Coast, Monterey County spokesperson Maia Carroll said.
County officials notified the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, which attributed the event to the extreme temperature change during a weekend heat wave that caused the water to be depleted of oxygen.
Temperatures near the lake reached a high of 114 degrees on Saturday and 106 degrees on Sunday, with a red flag warning and excessive heat advisory in effect. The mercury topped 111 degrees Monday and is forecasted to remain at triple digits through at least Thursday.
Carroll said in an email that there is not believed to be any risk to people or pets.
Fishing at the lake is still allowed, but anglers are advised not to interact with the dead fish.
Monterey County is not the only place in Northern California coping with fish die-offs during the ongoing heat wave. A similar scene played out at Lake Elizabeth in Fremont, where officials estimated more than 1,000 fish died over the Independence Day holiday due to low oxygen levels in the water.
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