Dead fish wash up in Guana Preserve as environmentalists call for St. Johns County commission to take action

Dead fish, including trophy-sized speckled sea trout and redfish, are washing up along the Guana Preserve, prompting environmentalists to call for an investigation and restoration plan.Floating fish in various stages of decay have been pushed to the preserve’s shoreline by the wind. The smell of decomposition is also noticeable along the water’s edge.“It’s pure death,” said Matt Chipperfield, a local fishing guide and environmentalist. “That is a speckled sea trout ... about a 27-inch fish.”Chipperfield said this is the second fish kill reported in the preserve this month. He believes stormwater pollution from nearby communities may be contributing to the problem.He said runoff from the Sawgrass community flows through storm drains, canals, ponds, golf courses and lawns into the watershed before reaching Guana Preserve, a nontidal body of water.According to Chipperfield, nutrients carried by the runoff may be contributing to an algae bloom and declining water quality. He cited a recent