Aug 30, 2010 By Rebekah Sungala 2 min read

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said more than 1,000 trout being raised in the Youghiogheny River were killed when a piece of equipment malfunctioned. Jeff Hawk, public affairs officer with the Army Corps of Engineers, said an investigation into what killed between 1,100 and 1,200 trout was launched Friday after a fisherman notified officials that he saw dead fish floating in and around the rearing pens.

The rearing pens are owned and operated by the Chestnut Ridge Chapter of Trout Unlimited and are located belong the Youghiogheny River Lake Dam and adjacent to a privately-operated hydropower facility.

Hawk said the fisherman reported seeing no dead fish in net pens around noon Friday while fishing in the area, but reported they were dead when he passed by the pens later in the day.

Officials with the Army Corps of Engineers took initial water samples and walked the riverbank, noting that no other problems to the fish population in the lake or downstream of the dam were observed or reported.

On Saturday, officials were able to determine that piece of equipment supplying oxygen to the rearing pens was not working and that the problem had killed the fish.

According to Hawk, a piece of equipment used by the hydropower facility and the oxygenator for the trout rearing pens had been on the same breaker.

The piece of equipment for the hydropower facility is believed to have tripped the breaker, resulting in a lack of oxygen to the rearing pens.

Hawk said officials with the Army Corps of Engineers, Trout Unlimited and the hydropower plant met Saturday and have determined the oxygenator for the trout rearing pens will be put on its own breaker to prevent further issues.

Plans call for the trout to be restocked, Hawk said.

Tom Shetterly, a member of the Chestnut Ridge Chapter of Trout Unlimited, said between 400 and 500 trout are still alive.

Trout Unlimited released about 2,500 trout from the pens last week, he reported.