OK: Wildlife Experts Concerned By Contaminated Floodwaters

[rainbow4321]

http://kotv.com/news/local/story/?id=130983

Biologists say the massive flooding somewhat diluted the thousands of gallons of crude oil that invaded the wildlife’s habitat, lessening the impact. "The initial scare when you first hear about a spill is what got trapped in the immediate area," said Oklahoma Fisheries biologist Brent Gordon.

Gordon is even more concerned about the damage you don't see, like the long term effects on the lake downstream.

"The bigger fish are gonna kind of move out of the area, but the smaller and the catfish are spawning right now so those eggs are gonna get covered and probably won't hatch," said Gordon. He says those that have hatched won't survive the toxins, so it could wipe out a year's worth of fish.

Early estimates put the spill at about 42,000 gallons. To help you visualize it that's the size of an average city swimming pool full of oil. Biologists say it could take two to three years to see the full environmental impact of the spill.