Lake Alert - Recent Catfish Loss on Lake Bowen

1:30PM EST

Tuesday, April 12, 2023

Dear Neighbors,

It came to our attention Tuesday, April 11, that catfish had begun floating to the surface on Lake Bowen in relatively small numbers and in a confined area of the lake.   We immediately contacted the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) for their guidance with this most recent event.

This morning, while staff continued to patrol the lake, we observed that additional catfish loss had occurred.  This recent event appears to have impacted only catfish and at this time there is no visual indication that any other species of fish are affected. 

Spartanburg Water has requested that SCDNR perform an investigation into the cause of the fish loss.

Representatives from SCDNR are currently on site at Lake Bowen, and have requested the assistance of our Spartanburg Water Lake Wardens to transport SCDNR team members in our boats.  SCDNR staff will be performing their investigation in the area where the negative impact occurred in order to try to determine if a natural or man-made event negatively impacted the fish.

There have been no additional algaecide treatments performed on Lake Bowen since Thursday March 30 and none are currently planned.  Our team will continue to monitor the situation and communicate with SCDNR accordingly.

We remain committed to the health and wellbeing of our reservoirs, and to providing safe and reliable drinking water services to our community.

Most sincerely,

Guy Boyle

Chief Executive Officer

Spartanburg Water