As the ice continues to recede on shallow lakes and ponds, dead fish might be washing up on New Hampshire shorelines — and there might be more of them, state officials said, because of the long winter and late melting of ice this year. The Fish and Game Department and Department of Environmental Services said dead fish recently were discovered along the shore of Hopkinton Lake, also known as Elm Brook Pool, in Hopkinton. Officials said low oxygen levels develop in winter because ice and thick snow cover bodies of water, reducing the intensity of light and the ability of algae in the water to photosynthesize and produce oxygen. If oxygen levels get too low, a winter fish kill is possible. (AP)
Hopkinton, N.H.