Fish Kill Event - Big Hollow Creek
From discharge at Big Hollow Lake
- Event ID
- 919
- Date of Kill
- 11/3/2014
- Waterbody Type
- River/Stream
- Cause Origin
- Anthropogenic
- Cause
- Other Chemical/Pollutant
- Mode
- Discharge
- Magnitude
- 2 (101 - 1000 fish killed)
- Estimated Fish Killed
- 252
- Kill Length
- 2.00 miles
- Valuation
- $459.94
- County
- Des Moines
- ESD Field Office
- FO 6
- Fisheries Office
- Lake Darling State Park
- LongDD
- -91.23979
- LatDD
- 40.94095
- Created Date
- 11/2/2016 11:01:00 AM
- Last Update
- 2/7/2019 2:43:04 PM
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 DNR investigated white material in Flint Creek north of Burlington Tuesday through Thursday this week. A DNR investigator found a white material flowing from Big Hollow Creek into Flint Creek, and several locations with dead and dying fish, but was unable to find the source of the pollutant before nightfall Tuesday. Investigators returned Wednesday to trace the white material to a pool below the Des Moines County Conservation Board’s Big Hollow Lake. Field tests showed extremely low dissolved oxygen levels in the pool, along with dead fish. DNR determined a discharge from the lake caused the fish kill after a county conservation board employee opened an overflow gate on the lake about 3 p.m. Monday. Lake water discharged for about 10.5 hours, lowering the 178-acre lake by approximately one foot and releasing low oxygen sediment into Big Hollow Creek. The white color is likely gypsum clay from the bottom sediments in Big Hollow Lake. White sediment traveled about 19 miles downstream, but the fish kill was limited to the first two miles in Big Hollow Creek directly below the lake. DNR fisheries staff counted 252 dead fish Thursday, mostly minnows and Johnny darters, followed by green sunfish and a few sport fish. The DNR will continue to monitor the situation and consider appropriate enforcement action, including fish restitution and investigation costs totaling $459.94. Segment is delineated 305b segment IA 02-ICD-0027_0 and above into undelineated portion leading to Big Hollow Lake.