Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Environmental Services Division
For Immediate Release
August 22, 2007
1. DNR investigates manure release in Taylor County
2. Manure release in Clayton County
3. DNR investigates Jackson County fish kill
4. Bypass reports continue following rainstorms
DNR INVESTIGATES MANURE RELEASE IN TAYLOR COUNTY
MEDIA CONTACT: Dan Olson or Alison Manz at (712) 243-1934.
SHARPSBURG - The DNR is investigating a manure release near Sharpsburg
in Taylor County.
A manure storage pit at a Whitestone Farms hog confinement southeast of
Sharpsburg overflowed Wednesday morning.
Initially, Whitestone reported to the DNR that the manure release had
not reached a water of the state. Upon investigation, DNR staff found
that manure had reached a dry creek bed which has the potential to flow
into a tributary of the One Hundred and Two River.
The storage pit is located underneath a hog confinement building.
Manure from these pits is usually land-applied in the spring and fall to
provide storage for summer and winter.
“We believe Whitestone Farms went into this summer without adequate
storage in its under-building pits,” said Dan Olson, an environmental
specialist in the DNR’s Atlantic field office. “This serves as a
reminder to producers to maintain adequate manure storage.”
Whitestone Farms is working with a neighboring landowner to construct a
dike to contain any further runoff from the site and a dam to prevent
rain from carrying manure in the dry creekbed further downstream. Field
conditions are too wet for the manure to be land-applied, so a
commercial manure applicator has pumped the excess manure to another
under-building storage pit to stop the overflow. DNR staff did not
observe any evidence of a fish kill.
Manure-contaminated soil will be excavated and land-applied when
conditions allow.
The DNR will continue to investigate and may consider enforcement
action.
Whitestone Farms is based in Burnsville, Minn.
# # #
MANURE RELEASE IN CLAYTON COUNTY
MEDIA CONTACT: Joe Sanfilippo or Amber Sauser (563) 927-2640.
FARMERSBURG - Heavy rainfall led to a manure storage basin overflowing
into Roberts Creek near Farmersburg.
The DNR investigated an anonymous complaint about manure in the Clayton
County creek Wednesday. DNR staff traced the manure back to a solids
settling structure on an open cattle feedlot with about 150 head of
cattle.
“Producers always need to be aware of the levels of their manure
storage, but especially now, with the amount of rain we’re
receiving,” said Amber Sauser, an environmental specialist in the
DNR’s Manchester field office.
An unknown amount of manure washed into Roberts Creek, which is a
tributary of the Turkey River. The producer has agreed to make long-term
improvements to his operation, to prevent future manure releases. DNR
staff did not observe any evidence of a fish kill.
# # #
DNR INVESTIGATES JACKSON COUNTY FISH KILL
MEDIA CONTACT: Clark Ott or Doug Hawker at (563) 927-2640.
BALDWIN - The DNR is investigating a fish kill near Baldwin in Jackson
County.
Wednesday morning, the DNR received a report of dead fish in Bear
Creek, located within Eden Valley Refuge. Upon investigation, DNR staff
found up to a hundred dead fish that appeared to have been dead one or
two days. Staff observed bullheads, carp and smallmouth bass.
The DNR has taken water samples and will continue to investigate.
# # #
BYPASS REPORTS CONTINUE FOLLOWING RAINSTORMS
NOTE TO EDITORS: This is an update to the bypass news releases that
were issued August 20 and 21 and earlier on Aug. 22.
MEDIA CONTACT: Kevin Baskins at (515) 281-8395.
DES MOINES - The following cities reported wastewater bypasses to the
DNR after heavy rainfall across northern Iowa the past four days:
Butler County
New Hartford: The City of New Hartford began bypassing wastewater to
Beaver Creek at noon Wednesday at a rate of 18,000 gallons per hour.
Hamilton County
Williams: The City of Williams bypassed 45,000 gallons of wastewater
from a lift station to a drainage ditch from 12:30 a.m. to 3 a.m.
Wednesday.
Winnebago County
Lake Mills: The City of Lake Mills bypassed 75,000 gallons of
wastewater from 10:15 p.m. Tuesday to midnight Wednesday. The city
bypassed from a lift station to a corn field.
Worth County
Kensett: The City of Kensett bypassed 3,000 gallons of wastewater to a
road ditch from 11 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Tuesday.
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