Iowa DNR News
Environmental Services Division
 
For immediate release                                                                                   Oct. 9, 2007 
 
1.      Manure from hog confinement enters Ingham Lake 
2.      Hog manure caused fish kill near Wapello
 
 
MANURE FROM HOG CONFINEMENT ENTERS INGHAM LAKE
 
MEDIA CONTACT: Jeff Prier at (712) 262-4177.
 
WALLINGFORD — A water line break at a hog confinement has led to manure reaching Ingham Lake in Emmet County.
 
The manure release at the 450-head hog confinement near Wallingford was discovered Tuesday morning and reported to the DNR around 8:30 a.m. A line that delivers well water to hogs for watering broke, sending manure out from an under-building storage pit.
 
Before the owners were able to create a dam to hold manure on site, several hundred gallons of manure flowed along a road for several hundred yards before entering the lake. DNR Wildlife staff trenched the road edge to divert more manure from entering the lake.
 
The confinement building is owned by Mark Olson, while Keith Richards owns the hogs. The owners will work to clean up the spilled manure.
 
The DNR has not observed any dead fish and will continue to investigate. High water levels should help dilute the manure that reached the lake.
 
The DNR may consider enforcement action.
 
Writer: Jessie Brown
 
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HOG MANURE CAUSED FISH KILL NEAR WAPELLO 
 
MEDIA CONTACT: Dennis Ostwinkle or Russell Royce at (319) 653-2135. 
 
WAPELLO – The DNR found that ammonia from liquid hog manure is the likely cause of a fish kill in Otter Creek near Morning Sun, west of Wapello. 
 
The source of the manure was a hog confinement building owned by Doug Harris of Morning Sun. Manure from one of the under-building pits overflowed into a nearby field. The liquids ran into an underground tile line, and then flowed down ditches about one-fourth mile to Otter Creek. 
 
“This is one of those unfortunate incidents that might have been prevented if Mr. Harris had called the DNR as soon as he discovered the problem at 8 a.m. on Saturday,” said Russell Royce of the Washington DNR field office. 
 
Royce said blocking the tile line and a road ditch on Saturday would certainly have limited the extent of the fish kill. 
 
When the DNR was notified on Monday, Harris was required to block a road ditch to prevent additional manure from reaching the stream. Manure trapped in the road ditch must be pumped into a nearby field. 
 
At least five miles of the stream appear to have been affected. 
 
Manure releases should be reported to the DNR within six hours after the onset of the spill or its discovery. The spills should be called in to the 24-hour spill line at 1-515-281-8694.
 
The DNR conducted a count of fish killed on Monday and Tuesday. 
 
More than 9,000 fish were killed, mostly minnows, green sunfish and darters. Other fish killed included white suckers, bullheads, large-mouth bass, bluegills, carp and bullheads. The fish were valued at $3,850.74.
 
DNR staff members will continue to investigate and will take appropriate legal action, including requiring fish restitution.
 
Writer: Karen Grimes
 
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