SANTA ROSA COUNTY, Fla. -- Fish in the Blackwater River might seem normal. But seeing the fish gutted and filleted is raising a red flag for residents in Santa Rosa County.
You can smell them before you can see them. People say they've seen waste in the river before, but it's never been this bad.
"This is the best place," resident and Army veteran Raymond Barnes said. "I love it."
The stillness of the Blackwater River is a serene escape for Santa Rosa County residents. Barnes says sitting by the water soothes his PTSD. This time it wasn't so relaxing.
"You can smell it," Barnes said. "It was a stench in the water."
Images sent to WEAR News Monday show dozens of dead fish floating at the surface. The pileup is at the entrance of the Bagdad Mill Kayak Launch.
"All this gut, filleted mullet, this gotta be a local business," Dean Peregrin said.
The mullet remains in the water, decomposing beneath the ripples. Fish guts and silver scales are spread across the shoreline.
Even a severed fish head sits in the parking lot surrounded by flies. The fish do not appear to be dead by natural causes.
One question still remains: how did they get here in the first place?
"That was uncalled for," said Barnes "Whoever did that was just...they weren't considerate at all about the environment at all."
It's unclear how long the fish have been in the river. Locals say the first sightings were over the weekend.
"It's just not environmentally safe," Barnes said.
Florida's "Litter Law" prohibits dumping waste in any freshwater river. Any person found in violation of the law could be fined or face felony charges.
"That's not the proper disposal for any type of refuse, other than the water and nature," Barnes said. "Anything else you're not supposed to put in there."
WEAR News contacted staff with Santa Rosa County for more information. They said the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission manages any reports like these.
The station is still waiting to hear back if FWC is actively investigating this case.