Iowa DNR News

Environmental Services Division

 


For immediate release                                                                             April 15, 2009 


 

DNR INVESTIGATING DIKE PROBLEM AT DAIRY IN O'BRIEN COUNTY

 

MEDIA CONTACT: Ken Hessenius at (712) 260-0926 or (712) 262-4177 or [log in to unmask]

 

O'BRIEN COUNTY - The DNR is investigating a tile line breech in a dairy confinement located about two miles east of Granville in O'Brien County. 

 

Livestock producer Brian Roorda of Roorda Dairy discovered the leak from an earthen basin used for manure storage about 11:30 a.m. Wednesday. He traced the leak to a previously undiscovered tile line that lies beneath the basin's dike. 

 

It's unknown how much manure was released, but some manure flowed through a ditch to reach Mud Creek.  

 

Roorda acted quickly to build three temporary dams, stopping manure flow to the creek. The contained manure is being pumped back into the manure storage structure.

 

"Our first concern in this type of emergency is getting the flow to the creek stopped," said Ken Hessenius, supervisor of the DNR's Spencer field office.

 

The DNR is on site to provide technical assistance to the producer as he works to repair the dike. DNR staff will also test water quality in the creek. As of 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, there was no evidence of a fish kill.

 

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Karen Grimes

Communications Bureau

Iowa DNR

502 East Ninth Street

Des Moines, IA 50319-0034

(515) 281-5135

 



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