Fish Kill in Chattahoochee River Sparks Investigation After May Storm

Fri, 22 May 2026 14:00:00 -0400

A significant fish kill in the Chattahoochee River has prompted a joint investigation by the City of Atlanta and state environmental agencies, with officials pointing to severe storm runoff from May 20 as the likely trigger.

Residents along the river south of Peachtree Creek began reporting dead fish on the morning of May 21 — bloated carcasses of bream, catfish, and shad collecting along muddy banks and pooling in shallow eddies. By midday, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources had dispatched field teams to collect water samples and document the extent of the die-off.

Peachtree-Creek on WACN 21 News

Fish Kill in Chattahoochee River Sparks Investigation After May Storm