New Bern, N.C. — Authorities say nearly 2 million fish have been found washed up along a 10-mile stretch of the Neuse River.

The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources said Friday that about 1.9 million fish were found along 10 miles of the river's southern shore, from Black Beacon Point to Carolina Pines in Craven County.

Officials say the juvenile Atlantic Menhaden were between 2 and 6 inches long and did not have visible sores or lesions.

The Division of Water Quality says the fish got trapped in deeper, less-oxygenated water pulled upward by winds of about 10 to 25 miles an hour.

A year ago, state officials said more than 500,000 fish died in the Neuse River near New Bern because of a lack oxygen likely caused by hot, still conditions.