Neighbors want something done about hundreds of dead fish in a retention pond in the Glenora Subdivision in Martinez.

“Everywhere across the pond, you see nothing but dead fish and a smell that would just strangle you," said Lenard Weathersbee, resident.

It's what Weathersbee sees and smells every time he walks onto his front porch. Less than 25 feet away are hundreds of dead fish floating in a pond.

Weathersbee said, "When I walked around the pond on Saturday, it still had the film on top, which has been there for the last four weeks."

"Having a yard and a pool and everything we got as far as what we got, you just can't enjoy it because the smell just overtakes you," said Weathersbee.

Weathersbee says it's not just outside, the smell is slowly leaking into his house.

Ed Bettross works for the Department of Natural Resources in Thomson. He deals with fish kills in Georgia. NBC Augusta showed him the video of this retention pond to get his opinion.

"By looking at the video that I've seen, the pond is covered with a large amount of vegetation on the surface and this vegetation is blocking the sunlight and it's also blocking the production of oxygen," said Bettross.

Bettross said that could be the reason for the hundreds of fish dying in the pond. But because of recent changes within the Department of Natural Resources, they only deal with public fish kills and this one is on private property.

"If they would call us, we could definitely help them the best we can over the phone, we'd take their information and discuss recommendations with them but we're unable to visit the pond directly,” said Bettross.

The property owner was there when NBC Augusta arrived Monday morning. He refused to comment on camera, but said the pond is the county's responsibility.

NBC Augusta spoke with Bill Clayton, Director of Columbia County Water Utilities and he said that it is a private pond and not the county's responsibility.

The county did take some water samples Monday and expect to have the results in a few days.