LOUISA COUNTY, Iowa — The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says they are investigating a hog manure spill into a Louisa County creek following a pumping incident.

According to the Iowa DNR, the DNR Washington Field Office was notified of a manure pill into a road ditch near Q Avenue and 65th Street in Louisa County. Catnip Ridge, a certified mature applicator business, had been working in the area and notified them of the spill.

Upon investigation, Iowa DNR staff found that an iron fence post went unnoticed in the tall vegetation when applicators were deploying an umbilical line. During pumping, the line wore on the fence post, causing a tear which released mature into the ditch, which then flowed into a tributary of Roff Creek.

The Iowa DNR says it is unknown how much manure was released during the incident. The applicator crew took immediate action once the tear was noticed. Pumping ceased, the line was clamped, and several dams were placed to contain the manure. Catnip Ridge crews headed downstream to a nearby creek and plugged the culvert.

The Iowa DNR says fresh water was added to the creek’s tributary due to low flow to assist in flushing out the creek and from pumping out manure. The Iowa DNR says the initial water quality testing showed ammonia levels of 2.0 parts-per-million (ppm). Thursday evening, no dead fish were observed and cleanup efforts continued.

On Friday morning, DNR field staff wound manure still moving through the affected section of the tributary and observed a small number of dead fish. The Iowa DNR says the plugged culvert has prevented manure from spread downstream.

Cleanup efforts are still underway and DNR staff will continue to monitor the creek. The incident remains under investigation. The Iowa DNR will determine if further enforcement action is warranted.

To report a release after hours, please call the DNR’s emergency spill line at (515) 725-8694. Quick reporting can help DNR staff identify the cause of an incident. The DNR website has more information about spill reporting requirements.