(Spencer)– The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is investigating a series of fish kills in northwest Iowa.
Barb Lynch of the Spencer environmental field office says recent heavy rains have washed manure from feedlots into streams. She says that caused big changes in temperature. And she says the ammonia has depleted oxygen from the waterways. Lynch says water quality has improved with the dry conditions of the past several days.
Fish kills were reported earlier in the week on a tributary of Otter Creek north of Ashton and on the Rock River north of Rock Valley.
On Thursday, Lynch says hundreds of minnows and chubs were found dead in the Floyd River north of Hospers and some larger game fish were reported dead in Silver Creek, east of Ayrshire.
Lynch says the fish kill near Ashton was traced to a 1,200 head open feedlot. She says Wednesday’s fish kill on the Rock River could be traced to four open feedlots just upstream from where 40 to 50 carp, quillback and suckers were found dead.
