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Environmental crews removed dead fish from a pond at the Lantana development.

LANTANA — A pond was part of the lure for new residents of the Lantana subdivision in Denton County. But homeowners who grew accustomed to watching graceful water fowl are instead dealing with a foul smell.

Hundreds of dead fish appeared in the pond, inviting unwelcome dinner guests to James Cook's backyard.

"It was the most awful stench that you can imagine," Cook said. "We normally can sit out here on a clear day and see beautiful water fowl — geese and ducks flying through. Now we are blessed with buzzards; vultures coming through trying to pick up dead remnants of fish."

The problem is being blamed on a construction accident. A water line was ruptured, and powdery white lime was washed from the road into the pond.

The mineral killed the fish and force environmental crews to do some dirty work.

"At first we only saw a couple of small fish, and it wasn't that bad," said Lantana community manager Bruce Crawford. "We had no idea what was causing it."

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Lantana resident James Cook said he wasn't sure he could ever cook seafood on his new grill.

Crawford said it would take the crews up to four hours to collect the dead fish for appropriate disposal.

Cook just hopes the first cookout he has planned for his home of one month won't be spoiled.

"Here is where we are going to have all our fun and entertainment on Memorial Day weekend," he said, pointing to his brand-new grill. "Get it all fired up and ready to go, and then you come out here and the great smell of dead fish — right where I am supposed to be cooking hamburgers!"

With a sense of humor stronger than any aroma of decaying fish flesh, Cook said he didn't know if he'd ever be able to cook seafood on that new grill.

E-mail ddenmon@wfaa.com