By Kim Hilsenbeck.

Covering 120 counties in central and west Texas, Alan Butler is one of only five members of the Kills and Spills Team. So we really had to ask, you do what?

“We manage the fish and wildlife resources of the state and ensure the habitat is conducive to those species,” Butler said in a recent interview.

We met up with Butler, a pollution biologist for the Texas Parks & Wildlife agency, at a fish hatchery in San Marcos where he explained his job in plain English.

It turns out, his team is responsible for the environmental response and restoration from a natural or man made disaster that results in the killing of fish and wildlife in or around bodies of water, including stream, creeks, rivers, lakes and coastal waters. When a

kill is reported, biologists like Butler get busy collecting evidence to determine what went wrong. He said there are several reasons for involvement by the Kills and Spills Team. “You may have hot temperatures, too much algae or natural disasters that result in fish kills,” Butler said. And then there are the man-made events, such as crude oil spills, the release of toxic chemicals and fertilizers, or oilfield saltwater brine (by-product of drilling or “fracking”) spills. Butler’s team also investigates habitat alterations such as dam maintenance and the creation of dead-end canals.

Another issue on his list is sewage pollution leaks, such as when partially treated effluent water was discharged into Plum Creek from the wasterwater plant in Kyle in Nov. 2012. “The week before Thanksgiving, the plant had an upset in the discharge into Plum Creek,” he said. “They had sludge that was 6-8 feet deep in some areas and almost a half-mile long.” Under Texas code 66003, which authorizes his agency to protect the state’s resources, Butler said, “We determine if there is a responsible party involved and seek compensation for lost resources if so.” What’s the going rate for dead fish? “We assess the total value of the resources,” Butler said. “It’s not a penalty or fine.” The Kills and Spills Team utilizes a system of weights and measurements to score the kills and determine the value of the resource. “For example, a 24-inch large-mouth bass is worth $148. We look at the ecological, economic and recreational value of the resource,” he said.  But to know how many fish died in a particular incident, Butler and his colleagues in other districts must collect, identify, weigh and measure them.  What is he currently working on? “We had several fish kills in the past few weeks, from sewage leaks and line breaks in the San Antonio and Killeen areas,” Butler said.  With so much territory to cover, how can he know about every spill or other disruptive event?  Butler said he and his team “depend heavily on reports of pollution.” This means they rely on private landowners, companies, and the public to contact the Kills and Spills team. He displayed a flyer about just that – reporting spills and other fisheries issues – that he distributes to water companies, construction and maintenance firms, environmental firms and any other entity that may be involved in a project that could have a potential to harm the natural fish and wildlife in Texas.

So if you see anything or know of any spills that could harm the state’s fish and wildlife resources, contact the Kills and Spills team.

To Report a problem

To report a potential issue, contact the Kills and Spills Team, District 1 at (512) 389-8612.

If possible, please note the location, date and time, water color, clarity and any odor, number, size and species of affected organisms, recent weather condition and behavior of animals or organisms.  Include whether plants or other organisms are affected.