Flooding in the Atlanta region in late May led to stormwater flowing into Peachtree Creek and then Chattahoochee River in Georgia. The water was believed to be highly polluted, contributing to a large number of fish dying in the river.
ATLANTA, Georgia – Flooding in Atlanta, Georgia, in late May helped lead to a high number of fish kill in the Chattahoochee River downstream of Peachtree Creek, officials say.
On May 20, Atlanta and surrounding areas experienced heavy excessive rain after months of extremely dry conditions.
Flooding impacted major roadways, leading to water rescues and flooded cars.
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Over the next day, a large amount of polluted stormwater swept into Peachtree Creek, which then traveled downstream into the Chattahoochee River, according to Chattahoochee Riverkeeper (CRK).
Flooding in the Chattahoochee River on May 22, 2026.
(Chattahoochee Riverkeeper via Storyful / FOX Weather)
On May 22, the Riverkeeper discovered an “unprecedented” number of dead fish in the river, south of Peachtree Creek.
Video from CRK showed the dead fish floating in several places along the river.
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The Riverkeeper said the Chattahoochee River has seen near-historic low flow over the last several months due to the drought conditions across Georgia and the Southeast.
A dead fish on the bank of the Chattahoochee River in Georgia.
(Chattahoochee Riverkeeper via Storyful / FOX Weather)
CRK said they believe several factors led to the high number of dead fish in the river downstream of Peachtree Creek.
The agency said stormwater would’ve been at a warmer temperature than the creek’s typical temperature, which can harm the natural environment.
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Additionally, CRK said a discharge of untreated sewer water mixed with the stormwater that flowed into Peachtree Creek.
Several dead fish caught on a branch in the Chattahoochee River following flooding.
(Chattahoochee Riverkeeper via Storyful / FOX Weather)
CRK said it believes the low river flows combined with the highly polluted water and the sewer water create the conditions that led to the fish kill.
“For decades, CRK has consistently advocated for higher river flow levels to ensure public health and safety downstream,” Chattahoochee Riverkeeper said. “Warmer temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, high pollutant loads, overwhelmed infrastructure and inadequate minimum flows stressed the river to the point of breaking with an unprecedented fish kill as evidence.”
The Chattahoochee RIverkeeper collecting a water sample from the river on May 22, 2026.
(Chattahoochee Riverkeeper via Storyful / FOX Weather)
Clips from CRK showed them collecting samples of the water from Chattahoochee River following the flood event.
CRK said the fish kill didn’t impact the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. The incident is being investigated.
