Deadly virus causes city to drain five fish ponds at Boise Depot | Boise, Garden City, Mountain Home | Idaho Statesman
At about 7 p.m. Tuesday, Boise employees and volunteers from the Idaho Water Garden and Koi Society will drain and disinfect the five ponds at Platt Gardens at the Boise Depot in response to a deadly virus that has killed about 80 koi, Parks and Rec officials said on Tuesday.
Idaho Department of Fish and Game staff identified suspicious signs on dead and dying fish.
Samples were sent to the University of Arkansas for a specific genetic test that confirmed koi herpes virus or KHV.
The virus is highly contagious in ornamental koi and goldfish but is not known to infect other fish and is not a threat to humans or other animals, according to Phil Mamer, a veterinarian at IDFG Eagle Fish Health Laboratory.
Fish that survive a KHV outbreak become long-term carriers of the virus. During the drawdown, any remaining fish will be removed and euthanized to stop the spread of disease. The Koi Society plans to replace the fish, eventually, but it doesn't have a timeline, according to Amy Stahl, spokeswoman for Boise Parks and Rec.
The source of the virus is unknown. It could be the result of the unauthorized introduction of goldfish or other pet fish into the pond, Mamer said in a statement.
The work is being done at night at the request of the Bench Sewer District to limit the impact on the sewer system. The ponds will be sterilized while crews check pipes and do repairs.
The cleanup project, which is expected to be finished early Wednesday morning, is estimated to cost $10,000 with funding provided by the City of Boise.
The koi and plants at the Platt Gardens ponds are maintained by the local Idaho Water Garden and Koi Society.
“The members of the Idaho Water Garden and Koi Society are all sad at what has happened to the Koi at the Depot Ponds,” Fred Elsey, club vice president, said in a statement.
The ponds were built at Platt Gardens in the 1920s by Union Pacific. They were last cleaned in 2006.
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