Fish Kill Event - Ioway Creek
Stuart Smith Park, Ames
- Event ID
- 1050
- Date of Kill
- 7/9/2021
- Waterbody Type
- River/Stream
- Cause Origin
- Anthropogenic
- Cause
- Chlorinated Water
- Mode
- Discharge
- Magnitude
- 2 (101 - 1000 fish killed)
- Estimated Fish Killed
- 125
- Kill Length
- 0.60 miles
- County
- Story
- ESD Field Office
- FO 5
- Fisheries Office
- Boone Research Station
- LongDD
- -93.63114
- LatDD
- 42.01930
- Created Date
- 5/31/2024 9:34:19 AM
- Last Update
- 5/31/2024 9:34:19 AM
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.
The impacted area runs from a pedestrian bridge in Stuart Smith Park and continues south for roughly 1.0 to 1.5 miles. Live fish were observed at the Duff Avenue bridge. Numerous species and sizes of fish were affected. A concerned citizen first noticed dead fish around 10:00 am this morning and quickly notified the Field Office. The investigation into the cause of the kill is ongoing, but all evidence points to a water main break on South Riverside Drive that occurred between 3:30 am and 5:30 am last night. According to the City of Ames, an estimated 700,000 gallons of drinking water was discharged over a 2-hour period and entered a nearby storm sewer that leads directly to Ioway Creek. Drinking water contains chlorine and has a temperature of 55 degrees, both which can stress fish, especially during times of low flow.
Fisheries staff investigated the fish kill. It was a minor event (125 fish, 8 species) that extended for 0.6 miles, from the pedestrian bridge in Stuart Smith Park, downstream to the new S. Grand Ave. bridge. No dead fish were observed below the S. Grand Ave. bridge, or at the Duff Ave. bridge. Alternatively, staff noted live fish at both locations.