America's Heatwave is Killing Fish

The ongoing summer heatwave that has gripped much of the nation the past two months, is now being blamed for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of fish.  July 2012 was the warmest month on record, and the heat has not only dried up rivers, but has also caused water temperatures to soar to nearly 100 degrees in some spots.

Iowa officials have reported that the water temperature reached 97 degrees two weeks ago, leading to the deaths of approximately 40,000 Shovelnose Sturgeon.  Meanwhile, in Illinois, the carcasses of dead fish caused an intake screen to clog near a power plan.  The plant was then forced to shut down one of it's generators.

Typically a single dry year isn't enough to hurt fish populations, and it is likely that stocks will rebound.  However, dry conditions have persisted in some states, such as Nebraska, leading officials to wonder if this is a trend.