Fish Kill Event - McLoud Run
at Cedar Rapids
- Event ID
- 347
- Date of Kill
- 6/25/1997
- Waterbody Type
- River/Stream
- Cause Origin
- Anthropogenic
- Cause
- Chlorinated Water
- Mode
- Spill
- Magnitude
- 1 (1 - 100 fish killed)
- Estimated Fish Killed
- 23
- Kill Length
- not enumerated
- County
- Linn
- ESD Field Office
- FO 1
- Fisheries Office
- Lake Macbride Station
- LongDD
- -91.66533
- LatDD
- 42.00097
- Created Date
- 4/21/2000 12:00:00 AM
- Last Update
- 7/18/2019 2:10:18 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.
Wade and Martens counted 23 dead fish, including 19 white suckers, 2 carpsuckers, and 2 shiners. A few additional dead white suckers were observed at the J Avenue bridge, presumably washed downstream from near the storm sewer outlet. Investigators suspected selective toxicity to white suckers; follow-up confirmed that white suckers are sensitive to chlorine relative to other fish species. Definitive contamination source could not be determined. Neighbors in area, however, reported a water main break at 9:30 AM on June 26 and that Glass Rd had to be closed due to the break. Cedar Rapids Water Plant reported loss of 200,000 gallons of water with chlorine residual of 3.0 mg/l. Wade suspected seletive toxicity during investigation, and white suckers are especially sensitive to chlorine. In a June 30, 1997 letter from John North, Cedar Rapids Water Utility Director, the following information was provided: time of water line break: 11:00 AM, June 25; Location of break: 2210 Glass Road NE; water temp: 53F; amount of water lost: 0.3 to 0.6 million gallons; total chlorine: 3.0 mg/l; ammonia: 1.6 mg/l as N.