A Texas lake that turned blood-red this summer may not be a sign of the End Times, but probably is the end of a popular fishing and recreation spot.
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A drought has left the OC Fisher Reservoir in San Angelo State Park in West Texas almost entirely dry. The water that is left is stagnant, full of dead fish — and a deep, opaque red. The color has some apocalypse believers suggesting that OC Fisher is an early sign of the end of the world, but Texas Parks and Wildlife Inland Fisheries officials say the bloody look is the result ofChromatiaceae bacteria, which thrive in oxygen-deprived water. "It's just heartbreaking," said Charles Cruz, a fish and wildlife technician with Texas Parks and Wildlife in San Angelo, Tex. |
Of course, those crazy end of the world believers are interpreting this frightening occurrence as a sign that the apocalypse is near. But the real reason the OC Fisher Reservoir in San Angelo State Park turned to "blood" and all the fish died has a much more rational explanation than a
biblical plague (albeit no less disturbing) ...
It shouldn't come as a shock that ever since the lake turned, Doomsday fanatics -- like Indiana preacherPaul Begley -- were quick to declare it evidence of the apocalypse and even quoted directly from the Biblical book of Revelation:
The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead person, and every living thing in the sea died ... The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood.
Unfortunately for Begley and his followers, the real cause is much less exciting. According to officials from Texas Parks and Wildlife Inland Fisheries, the bloody color is the result of Chromatiaceae bacteria, which thrives in oxygen-depleted water and often takes on an opaque red hue. Texas is experiencing asevere drought this summer, which in turn is causing water levels throughout the state to drop. What likely happened here is that the fish began to die as the lake dried up; the decomposing fish reduced the oxygen levels in the water leading to a rapid increase of this Chromatiaceae bacteria.
Of course, the fact that the red color isn't a sign of the end of the world is little consolation to those for whom the reservoir was a popular fishing and recreation spot. And the disturbing (not to mention heartbreaking) part is that as the drought continues, several other reservoirs throughout the state could meet a similar deadly fate.
A lake and popular fishing spot in West Texas has turned blood-red this summer as you can see from the images here.
Image via YouTube.com
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MoreBlood red reservoir
Texas is experiencing major drought this summer, with 75 percent of the state's area in an "exceptional" drought, the highest level, according to the National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC). The state had hoped for some relief from Tropical Storm Don last week, but the system fizzled and brought only an inch or two of rain to areas near the coast.
The drought has taken its toll on a number of reservoirs in West Texas, Cruz told LiveScience. OC Fisher has never been completely full, Cruz said, but it was stocked with catfish, bass, sunfish and other popular targets for fishermen.
"We surveyed the lake, I believe it was last year, and we had a pretty good fish population out there," Cruz said. "It was pretty sickening going out there, watching lake levels just drop and drop and drop and seeing these nice trophy-sized bass just floating dead."
End times predictions
As of last week, all that remained of the lake was a small pond a few feet deep, Cruz said. There were thousands of dead fish, he said, but no sign of life.
Pictures of this blood-red pool circulated online in fishing forums and caught the notice of Indiana preacher Paul Begley, who said in a YouTube video that the lake might be evidence of the apocalypse as predicted by the Biblical book of Revelation. [End of the World? Top Doomsday Fears]
"The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead person, and every living thing in the sea died," the passage Begley cited reads. "The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood."
Begley may not have any more luck at predicting the end of the world than did Harold Camping, the radio preacher who set the date for May 21, 2011. But for as long as the drought persists, the OC Fisher reservoir is a reservoir no longer.
"I don't know what's left in there now. We haven't been back," Cruz said. "But I would guess it's probably pretty much gone already."
You can follow LiveScience senior writer Stephanie Pappas on Twitter @sipappas. Follow LiveScience for the latest in science news and discoveries on Twitter @livescience and on Facebook.
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