Dead fish found after pond dewatered at Seminole County construction site

Hundreds of dead fish and several turtles were discovered in early January after a pond on a property approved for development was drained, county officials and residents said. The pond, near the intersection of State Road 46 and Harvest Time Drive, was emptied under an approved construction permit that included dewatering, officials confirmed.

A community member who stopped at the site on New Year’s Day reported a strong smell and large numbers of dead fish. Julia Nikulina said she noticed scavenging vultures and was shocked by the scene. "The smell was overwhelming. It was horrible," she said. "It was sad, and I was shocked that happened right in the middle of everything and nobody tried to stop it or do something about it."

Neighbors described lingering odors from decaying fish that have been difficult to tolerate. "I’m speechless. No words for that one," said Sergio Wilcox, who lives nearby.

Seminole County provided a copy of the approved permit for the project and said the water from the pond drains into the county stormwater system and ultimately flows to the St. Johns River. The permit references a study that describes the pond as having "low ecological quality." County officials also said the developers received approval from the St. Johns River Water Management District and that there had been "considerable coordination with the owner and contractor about the dewatering."

The county suggested the fish kill was likely the result of a combination of low water levels and cold weather conditions the prior week. Plans for the property show the construction of an auto collision center, and county officials said the developer intends to construct another pond elsewhere on the parcel.

Residents who remember thicker vegetation and more wildlife at the site said the loss of habitat has been striking. One told reporters ducks and other birds used to frequent the pond and that vegetation appeared to have been removed before the drainage.

The event underscores tensions that often accompany local development near waterways, where planning and regulatory approvals can still leave residents concerned about ecological outcomes and quality of life. The St. Johns River is a regional resource whose health matters to communities throughout Seminole County and beyond, and incidents that send runoff or organic material into stormwater systems can have downstream effects.

News 6 reached out to the project applicant for comment but had not received a response as of the original publication on January 5. County officials said follow-up coordination had taken place with the property owner and contractor in the days after the pond was drained.