A significant number of dead fish still remain in Butterfly Pond. (The Herald/ Joe King)

Knoxville City officials were forced to clean up a privately owned pond when thousands of dead fish surfaced to the top earlier this month.

“The city became involved because it became a community nuisance,” said David Brace, public service director for the city. “It became a health and safety issue.”

Brace said it took six workers with rakes and a vacuum truck to remove the carcasses from the Butterfly Pond in South Knoxville.

“We started in the afternoon of the second and finished the morning of the third,” he said. “The process took six hours, not including driving time. It was a nasty job and there was a strong stench.”

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