Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) has confirmed a fish death incident at Lake Burrumbeet, 20 kilometers west of Ballarat.
EPA officers have attended the site and are taking water samples to confirm that the fish death incident has been caused by a natural drying event within the lake.
The prolonged period of below average rainfall across Victoria has resulted in significantly reduced water levels within Lake Burrumbeet and many other lakes in western Victoria. Drying is a natural process and in some cases lake beds can dry completely and remain so for long periods.
EPA has estimated that there are between 1,000 and 2,000 dead carp in the lake and around the foreshore; no other species of fish are known to be affected.
EPA is also working with the City of Ballarat, which has started work to remediate the foreshore and remove and dispose of dead carp that can be accessed.