Light rail over Lake Washington appears to be killing fish

State of play: An estimated 2,000 fish have died near the bridge since early August, when Sound Transit first learned about the issue, Sound Transit spokesperson Rachelle Cunningham wrote in an email to Axios.

Zoom in: The fish deaths appeared to be concentrated near anode strings that hang from the bridge, Cunningham said.

• Those strings are part of a cathodic protection system that manages low-level electrical current from the bridge and the light rail system.
• Similar systems are used on bridges "both locally and throughout the world" without hurting fish populations, Cunningham wrote.
• Late last month, the agency raised several anode strings that had been touching the lake bottom, "which we believe addresses the issue," she added.

Yes, but: That was only a first step, the agency says.

• "We don't yet know why or how the cables touching the lakebed could have impacted the fish — that's still being investigated," Cunningham told Axios.
• The crossing poses no risk to the public, state transportation secretary Julie Meredith said Thursday, according to KOMO.

Context: Protecting fish from electrical current was among the technical requirements Sound Transit considered while designing the cross-lake light rail line, the Seattle Times reported.

• Sound Transit said in planning documents that stray current from light rail would not have a significant effect on fish, per the Times.
• The overwater route connecting Seattle and Bellevue opened in March.

What's next: Sound Transit is continuing to monitor the area around the bridge and hopes to "begin implementing a permanent solution" in the coming weeks, Cunningham wrote.