Fish Kill Event - Mud Creek
West of Paullina
- Event ID
- 1056
- Date of Kill
- 7/18/2024
- Waterbody Type
- River/Stream
- Cause Origin
- Anthropogenic
- Cause
- Animal Waste
- Mode
- Runoff
- Animal Waste Source
- Land-Applied
- Animal Type
- Cattle (Dairy)
- Approx Head
- Unknown/Unspecified
- Magnitude
- 8 (100,001 - 500,000 fish killed)
- Estimated Fish Killed
- 107,373
- Kill Length
- not enumerated
- Valuation
- $27,913.04
- Investigation Expenses
- $2,878.03
- County
- O'Brien
- ESD Field Office
- FO 3
- Fisheries Office
- Spirit Lake Hatchery
- LongDD
- -95.77187
- LatDD
- 42.98844
- Created Date
- 7/23/2024 8:26:31 AM
- Last Update
- 10/30/2025 2:39:20 PM
Impacted Assessment Segments
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
Roora Dairy of Paullina was land applying manure in a field, which entered a blown-out tile that discharges to Mud Creek. Fish kill originated from manure entering a broken tile and then draining to Mud Creek. Dead fish were observed along 16,900 yards from the tile outlet (42.988447, -95.771877) to the confluence with Mill Creek (42.956489, -95.70631).
| Species | Number | Value |
| Minnows, Shiners, Dace, Chubs | 103,535 | $12,424.20 |
| Suckers | 1861 | $7801.66 |
| Darters | 139 | $107.03 |
| Common Carp | 223 | $27 |
| Carpsucker | 582 | $52.38 |
| Green Sunfish | 141 | $102.89 |
| Smallmouth Bass | 439 | $6585.00 |
| Bullhead | 453 | $812.88 |
| Total | 107,373 | $27.913.04 |