'Thousands' of dead fish found in major river - and experts are still searching for the cause
manchestereveningnews.co.ukThousands of dead fish were found after a Cheshire river was polluted, the Environment Agency (EA) has confirmed. The organisation was alerted after white foam was spotted on the water's surface between Macclesfield and Prestbury.
As reported earlier this week by Cheshire Live, an investigation was launched and the EA were at the scene on Monday (February 27).
Officers, fisheries and ecology specialists have since been trying to determine the source of the pollution. In an update issued on social media today (Wednesday), the EA said more than 100 dead brown trout were removed from the river and 'thousands more smaller dead fish' were identified. READ MORE: More than a dozen GP surgeries in Greater Manchester are 'inadequate' or 'require improvement' - see if yours is on the list Water samples also confirmed that the pollutant was a 'foaming agent' but further lab results are needed before they can narrow down a source.
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency North West tweeted: "Thanks again to everyone who has helped with our investigation to find out what caused the pollution on the Bollin, the river is now looking much better. "We’ve been monitoring the river and examining the drainage system all week, with a round-up of actions in this thread . "We’ve traced the pollution back to an area south of Macclesfield town centre.
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