Iowa DNR
Iowa DNR
Fish Kill DatabaseDB

Fish Kill Event - Unnamed Tributary to Mud Creek

near Lester, IA

Event ID
1021
Date of Kill
4/14/2021
Waterbody Type
River/Stream
Cause Origin
Anthropogenic
Cause
Animal Waste
Mode
Pumping Incident
Animal Waste Source
Land-Applied
Animal Type
Cattle (Dairy)
Approx Head
Unknown/Unspecified
Magnitude
7 (50,001 - 100,000 fish killed)
Estimated Fish Killed
96,168
Kill Length
13.66 miles
Valuation
$24,127.26
Investigation Expenses
$1,958.82
County
Lyon
ESD Field Office
FO 3
Fisheries Office
Spirit Lake Hatchery
LongDD
-96.31194
LatDD
43.47665
Created Date
9/29/2022 9:38:07 AM
Last Update
9/29/2022 10:28:09 AM
For more information about this fish kill event, contact the Field Office or Fisheries Office listed above.
Impacted Assessment Segments
Lat/Long uses WGS84 datum

Highlighted river segments indicate those impacted in part or whole by this fish kill event. It is not meant to represent the actual extent of the kill.

Onsite Comments

Manure from an irrigation unit flowed to the stream after it became stuck. Several hundred thousand gallons of liquid manure flowed through fields reaching a tributary of Mud Creek and then flowed into Mud Creek.

Bernie Baker of Rock Bottom Dairy reported spilling several hundred thousand gallons of manure today after an irrigation unit became stuck. The liquid manure flowed through fields, including some with cover crops or pasture, to reach a tributary of Mud Creek and then flowed into Mud Creek.

Slow flow rates are causing the manure-laden water to move slowly downstream. DNR recommends livestock producers who depend upon Mud Creek as a water source to check stream conditions for the next few days.

DNR staff found many dead fish, including bullheads, minnows and chubs, when they arrived about 3:20 p.m.

SpeciesNumber KilledValue
Minnow Shiner Dace Chub85,686$10,282.38
Suckers6871$10,193.39
Stoneroller157$18.79
Darters2860$2687.49
Common Carp80$33.80
Madtom/Stonecat162$80.21
Green Sunfish314$260.11
Smallmouth Bass38$571.08
Total96,168$24,127.26