Fish Kill Event - Unnamed Tributary to Paint Creek
SE of Waukon
- Event ID
- 999
- Date of Kill
- 7/20/2020
- Waterbody Type
- River/Stream
- Cause Origin
- Anthropogenic
- Cause
- Wastewater
- Mode
- Discharge
- Magnitude
- 2 (101 - 1000 fish killed)
- Estimated Fish Killed
- 151
- Kill Length
- 1.00 miles
- Valuation
- $15.87
- Investigation Expenses
- $958.45
- County
- Allamakee
- ESD Field Office
- FO 1
- Fisheries Office
- Decorah State Hatchery
- LongDD
- -91.45575
- LatDD
- 43.25329
- Created Date
- 8/10/2020 1:41:58 PM
- Last Update
- 8/10/2020 2:02:30 PM
Fisheries contacted by local resident July 20. Staff began determination of kill extent.Effluent from the wastewater treatment plant extendedan additional 2.4 miles below the end of the kill zone and into the main stem of Paint Creek. The water cleared enough for the team tobegin fish counts by 3:57pm. Staff counted and measured all dead fish over a one-mile distance to the source.Went back to kill area on 7/21/2020 to make sure they found the true end of the kill due to poor water clarity dayof investigation and impact of the effluent after entering Paint Creek. The effluent from the sewage treatment plant traveled/affectedan additional 2.4 miles downstream of kill area.
According to Manchester ESD, the Waukon Wastewater Treatment Plant reported that Aveeka Nutra Processing spilled 76,000pounds of yeast, which would normally go into a lagoon then to the head of the wastewater treatment plant. However, the lagoonpump failed after a power loss, allowing the untreated yeast from Aveeka to go directly into the creek. The influx of yeastoverwhelmed the treatment plant’s capacity causing an ongoing release of partially treated wastewater. It is unclear how muchmaterial went directly into the creek and how much got diverted.