Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) has confirmed a fish death incident at Lake Colac in the township of Colac.
EPA has estimated that there are currently between 200 – 300 dead carp in the lake and around the foreshore; no other species of fish are known to be affected.
EPA officers have attended the site and confirmed 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 Colac 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. The dead fish are expected to degrade naturally.