Iowa DNR News
Environmental Services Division
 
For immediate release                                                                             Sept. 18, 2008 
 
1. DNR investigates fertilizer spill, fish kill near Minnesota border
2. Northeast Iowa fish kill had more than one source
 
 
DNR INVESTIGATES FERTILIZER SPILL, FISH KILL NEAR MINNESOTA BORDER
 
MEDIA CONTACT: Cindy Garza or Al Tompkins or at (641) 424-4073 or  [log in to unmask]
 
RAKE—The DNR investigated a fertilizer spill in Winnebago County that led to a fish kill in Minnesota Wednesday. 
 
The spill occurred while the Farmers Cooperative Company in Rake filled a 500,000-gallon tank with liquid fertilizer. They had pumped about 220,000 gallons into the tank by Wednesday morning when they discovered a leak in the bottom of the tank. 
 
The liquid fertilizer saturated the pea rock under the tank and began boiling up around its edges. An unknown amount of fertilizer flowed into tile inlets, then traveled underground to a drainage ditch. 
 
DNR environmental specialists followed the flow to the north where it entered Drainage Ditch 64 and flowed into Minnesota. They found a white precipitate on the stream bottom and elevated ammonia levels, but did not see any dead fish in Iowa. They found the white precipitate, elevated ammonia levels and dead fish after the ditch entered Minnesota. 
 
Investigators found elevated ammonia levels for about two miles downstream in Minnesota. 
 
“This is one of those situations where regular inspections might have caught the structural failure of the tank earlier,” said Cindy Garza of the Mason City DNR field office. 
 
Garza added that the coop constructed three dams to prevent the spread of contamination and o prevent water quality impacts on the Blue Earth River in Minnesota. 
 
DNR staff is working with the coop and Minnesota Department of Agriculture to pump up water in the ditch and land apply it. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is conducting a fish count. The coop will also be cleaning up liquid fertilizer and contaminated soil around the storage tank.  
 
The Iowa DNR is continuing to investigate the spill. 
 
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NORTHEAST IOWA FISH KILL HAD MORE THAN ONE SOURCE
 
MEDIA CONTACTS: Tom McCarthy at (563) 927-2640 or [log in to unmask]
 
MANCHESTER – A fish kill in northeast Iowa on the North Fork of the Maquoketa River has more than one source said DNR investigators.
 
The investigation began Tuesday and found two separate fish kills along stretches of the river near Luxemburg and New Vienna. DNR investigators have identified manure as the most likely cause of both, and think heavy rainfalls washed pollutants into the stream after rains last week. 
 
The DNR fisheries section has done a preliminary estimate that indicates 25,727 fish were killed in an area that covered 6.42 miles.  They estimate 16,263 fish were killed in the upstream areae and 9,464 fish were killed in the downstream area.
 
Dead fish included white sucker, creek chub, Johnny darter, blacknose dace, southern redbelly dace, central stoneroller and common shiner, but no game fish.
 
People who find dead fish should call the DNR’s hotline immediately at (515) 281-8694. The DNR spill line is available 24-hours a day, seven days a week. 
 
The DNR will continue to investigate. 
 
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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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