Several dead fish pop up in Scottsdale wash weeks after storms, floods

SCOTTSDALE, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) — It’s been weeks since several parts of Scottsdale flooded, including areas around Hayden and Jackrabbit roads. But for some reason, people in the neighborhood have just now noticed dead fish inside this wash. “You go ‘woah!’ It’s really strong and it smells like dead fish, like a fish market kind of thing,” said Diane Carroll, who came across the fish while riding her bike.

She says she makes this ride every day, but Tuesday was the first time she noticed them. “They’re just huge. There is a pond or something over here at Chaparral (Park) and I do see people fishing,” she said.

Experts say they are most likely carp, which can weigh up to 30 pounds. The Arizona Game and Fish Department says Chaparral Park is considered an open system, as it resides in the Indian Bend Wash, which is prone to flooding with heavy rains. They believe these few fish probably washed down the system with heavy rain flow and the puddle they ended up in dried up. “You can actually still smell some of the wet. You can see how tall the grass is. So you can still smell the water that’s still standing,” Carroll said.

Neighbors say the city did come out and clear debris from the wash after floods, but those fish were most likely missed because there was still a small amount of water.

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