BLADEN COUNTY, N.C. -- Buckets of dead fish were hauled out of White Lake Wednesday morning in Bladen County.

Officials tested them to determine what caused so many to die in recent weeks. Town officials said last week, the pH levels in the lake were registering at lethal levels for fish. This comes as alum treatments have been taking place at the lake to deal with algae and help reduce the pH levels.

The town does not think the treatments are related to the fish kill. Businesses in the area said they hope everything is cleared up soon and worry that the fish kill could negatively impact tourism.

"What I'm afraid of is in a couple weeks, the only thing left in people's memory is, 'Oh, White Lake is full of dead fish.' And we are going to have a picturesque white, sandy beach again and nobody is going to know it and it won’t get the attention needed to bring the tourists back," said David deAndrade, Marina Manager.

State officials have ordered the town to stop treating the lake while they determine exactly why the fish died.