Earlier this month, a fertilizer spill in Iowa killed hundreds of thousands of fish along a roughly 80-mile stretch of the East Nishnabotna River to the Missouri state line, state officials said.
On March 11, NEW Cooperative, Inc. of Red Oak reported a spill to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) on its property in Montgomery County.
Approximately 1,500 tons (equivalent to 265,000 gallons) of liquid nitrogen fertilizer (32% solution) was released into a drainage ditch that then flowed into the East Nishnabotna River.
The DNR said the spill was caused by an above-ground storage tank valve that was accidentally left open over the weekend.
According to DNR Fisheries staff, the fish kill affected all 79.8 miles of the East and Nishnabotna Rivers downstream of the spill, extending into the Missouri portion of the Nishnabotna River and ending near its confluence with the Missouri River. He said he did.
As of Thursday, a total of 749,242 fish were reported to have been killed, with the most affected fish species being minnows, shiners, dace and red sea bream at 707,871.
Ongoing research is being conducted to determine the effects of fertilizer releases on other aquatic organisms.
According to Iowa code, a permit is required to discharge pollutants into the river.
DNR is working with the Legal Department to determine the next course of action regarding enforcement and compensation for aquatic life loss.
Recent field surveys have shown that ammonia concentrations in the river are decreasing.
However, the DNR still recommends that individuals refrain from participating in recreational activities in the river and not collect or consume dead fish found in or around the river.
