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California IN BRIEF : LAKE ELSINORE : Ducks, 25 Tons of Fish Die From Surge in Algae Caused by Heat

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From Times Staff and Wire Reports

Algae that thrive in hot weather have killed 20 tons to 25 tons of carp, bass and catfish in 3,000-acre Lake Elsinore, said Jack Fry, spokesman for Lake Elsinore Recreation Area. “When it heats up the water, there is an overexcess of algae that blooms, and at night it takes the oxygen out of the water and the fish die,” Fry said. He said he has asked the state to treat the water. “We’ve had to turn away hundreds of boaters and campers” since fish began to die Thursday, Fry said. “They just can’t stand the stench.” Ducks were also dying at Lake Elsinore, about 55 miles southeast of Los Angeles. Fry said some simply bogged down and drowned in the spreading scum. Thermometers topped 107 degrees Monday in nearby Riverside, setting the second record in two days.

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