FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 22, 2025
Latisha Townsend – Communications Director, Supervisor Foley
(714) 559-8364 | Latisha.Townsend@ocgov.com
OC Vice Chair Katrina Foley Releases Statement on Large Fish Die-off at Laguna Niguel Regional Park
ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA — Today, Orange County Board of Supervisors Vice Chair Katrina Foley released a statement regarding significant fish die-off, primarily of bass, at Laguna Niguel Regional Park this week.
“Yesterday, local residents sent photos to my office of the large amounts of dead fish at the south end of the Laguna Niguel Regional Park Lake. Given that Laguna Niguel Lake is the only year-round freshwater fishing lake in South Orange County, I was deeply concerned and committed to finding the root cause,” said Vice Chair Katrina Foley. “Today, OC Parks informed me that the preliminary cause is most likely due to warm waters from recent heat waves, resulting in a drop in the level of oxygen dissolved in the water and causing some of the fish to asphyxiate.”
Added Foley, “The majority of fish at Laguna Niguel Regional Park are alive, including the catfish OC Parks stocks for recreational fishing. The lake remains open at the north end for fishing, and I’ve directed OC Parks to provide a full report for the community on the root cause of the die-off and steps to prevent similar incidents in the future. While we investigate whether there were external factors that could have led to this die-off, such as water quality anomalies, we encourage the community to keep our office informed of potential changes in the area.”
OC Parks continues working closely with lake management contractor, AquaTechnex, to investigate the cause. Their investigation will result in recommendations for swiftly resolving this situation and prevention methods for the future.
Learn more about Laguna Niguel Regional Park: www.ocparks.com/parks-trails/laguna-niguel-regional-park
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Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley was elected to the Board of Supervisors in 2022 to represent the newly established District 5, which includes the cities of Aliso Viejo, Costa Mesa, Dana Point, a large portion of Irvine, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Newport Beach, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, as well as the unincorporated areas of Coto de Caza, Emerald Bay, Ladera Ranch, Las Flores, Rancho Mission Viejo, Stonecliffe and Wagon Wheel. This is her second term on the Board of Supervisors, where she previously served District 2.
Vice Chair Foley’s 2025 Board appointments include:
Chair – Orange County Housing Finance Trust,
Orange County Audit Oversight Committee,
Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA),
Vice Chair – OCTA Legislative and Communications Committee, Regional Transportation Committee,
Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Agency,
Transportation Corridor Agency (TCA), TCA Joint Capital Improvements and Projects Committee,
San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) Community Engagement Panel,
Co-Chair – Spent Fuel Solutions Coalition,
Orange County Public Libraries Advisory Board, Coastal Greenbelt Authority,
Newport Bay and South Orange County Watershed Executive Committees,
Ocean Institute, Orange County Community Corrections
Partnership (OCCCP), Santa Ana River Flood Control Protection Agency,
and the Orange County Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council.
