A small fish kill in a Fairfield park appears to be from natural spawning stress. A report of dead fish in the Waterworks Park pond earlier this week was reported to the DNR. Upon investigation, the DNR found several dozen dead bluegills but saw other live fish in the pond. The DNR reports that the dead fish were breeding male bluegills, which points to spawning stress as the cause of the kill. Vance Polton with DNR Fisheries says “When bluegills die from stress during spawning, the vast majority are males.” He says “they refuse to abandon the nest, which is built in shallow water where the temperature gets the highest.” Polton says “after laying eggs, females go out to deep water where it would be cooler.” Water samples showed normal water chemistry.