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Over 2,000 Fish Relocated as Magic Kingdom’s Rivers of America Runs Dry
The Rivers of America at Magic Kingdom may be drained, but the story of its aquatic residents has a happy ending. As work continues on the transformation of Frontierland, crews safely relocated thousands of fish that once called the river home.
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According to Central Florida Tourism Oversight District Administrator Stephanie Kopelousos, the district’s fisheries management program oversaw the relocation. Roughly 2,000 fish were collected and moved to the nearby Seven Seas Lagoon. The breakdown included about 20% largemouth bass (also known as Florida bass), 10% miscellaneous species such as catfish, Seminole killifish, and mosquitofish, and a whopping 70% made up of other types of sunfish.
The draining of the river is part of the major project reshaping Magic Kingdom. Both the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island closed permanently in July to make way for a Cars-themed expansion in Frontierland. In recent weeks, guests have seen the riverbed drained, scaffolding installed, and even sections of the Liberty Square Riverboat track removed.
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While the iconic Liberty Belle riverboat is no longer circling the waters of Liberty Square, the vessel is being preserved backstage as crews push forward with construction.
For longtime Disney fans, the draining of Rivers of America marks the end of a classic corner of Magic Kingdom, one that evoked the slower, scenic days of steamboat travel. But with over 2,000 fish safely swimming in new waters, at least one piece of the river’s legacy lives on.
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