SPENCER – An 18-mile fish kill on Stony Creek in Osceola and Clay Counties has been traced back to an egg layer facility.
A tank that contained egg washing liquid at Sunrise Farms near May City in Osceola County was dumped into a corn field and flowed into Stony Creek. The amount of liquid released has not yet been determined.
The fish kill, which included minnows and chubs as well as a few larger fish, extended 18.2 miles and killed a total of 163,001 fish valued at $25,806. Environmental specialists from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) were able to detect high ammonia levels along several sampling points on the stream during the investigation. The fish kill was originally reported by a local resident near Everly on Monday morning.
The fish kill remains under investigation by the DNR and the appropriate enforcement actions are under consideration.