This story has been updated.
The City of Atlanta is investigating a fish kill in the South River due to a potential chemical release at a water reclamation center on Saturday, June 27.
This is the second fish kill since May 20, when severe flash floods caused an estimated 6 million gallons of sewage and stormwater to overflow into Peachtree Creek.
As a result, the Chattahoochee River experienced a severe drop in oxygen levels, and 44,500 fish were killed, according to a report from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
Now, days before a holiday weekend when rivers and lakes are heavily used for recreation, Atlanta’s Department of Watershed Management (DWM) is investigating the South River incident. The South River flows 60 miles southeast from metro Atlanta to Jackson Lake, where it becomes the Ocmulgee River. It is a headwater to the largest freshwater system in the state.
According to a statement from South River Watershed Alliance, the fish kill was reported to the State Department of Natural Resources by a resident who documented several species of minnow, sunfish, and catfish between the Moreland Avenue bridge and Constitution Lakes.
South River Watershed Alliance said the City of Atlanta has issued conflicting statements while the Environmental Protection Department and Department of Natural Resources have offered “virtually no information.”
In a preliminary report, Atlanta’s DWM said the spill “did not make its way to South River” and that the reported fish kill location is “upstream of the plant location.” But the fish kill reported is downstream of the facility and the USGS monitoring station.
Early results suggest chemicals may have reached the storm drains. The leak’s source, volume, and environmental impact are still being determined, the city said.
DWM has deployed crews to collect water quality samples and is coordinating closely with the Georgia Environmental Protection Division to support the ongoing investigation.
South River Watershed Alliance said two mulch fires in 2025 resulted in fish kill. “To date, the City of Atlanta has failed to take any action to require the owner to remediate the site,” according to the statement.
