The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is investigating two separate instances of manure that spilled from transport tankers, neither of which resulted in a fish kill.
DNR said in a news release that manure spills were reported Tuesday in Davis County near Lake Wapello State Park and Monday in Crawford County near Denison. According to the release, clean-up efforts were underway and the spills were contained.
DNR staff responded Tuesday to the incident in Crawford County, where a manure tanker had rolled down an embankment and into a streambed north of Denison near 240th Street the night before.
A bolt broke on the manure tanker hitch, causing it to travel down the embankment and spill an estimated 750 gallons of manure into Buffalo Creek, according to the release.
When staff arrived at the site, the creek had been dammed to stop manure from traveling downstream and bales had been set out to soak up the manure. DNR said “quick actions taken by the applicators” to construct the dam prevented the spill from spreading.
DNR said no dead fish were observed and cleanup efforts were underway, with crews on site pumping manure and contaminated water out of the creek. The release said soil in the area will be excavated “as needed.”
The manure came from the confinement operation owned by Jerrod Johannsen – Johannsen #2, in Crawford County. DNR said enforcement action for the facility will be evaluated following the spill investigation.
Spill outside of Lake Wapello State Park
DNR received notice Tuesday that a semi tanker hauling manure had overturned near the entrance of Lake Wapello State Park on Eagle Boulevard.
An estimated 6,000 to 6,500 gallons of manure spilled from the tanker into a road ditch, according to a DNR news release. Park staff constructed a dam in the ditch to stop the manure from entering PeeDee Creek.
The department said the manure was being pumped from the ditch into another manure tanker to be used for land application.
There were no impacts to PeeDee Creek or to Lake Wapello State Park and no dead fish were observed in the creek, according to DNR.
The manure was being hauled by Bontrager Hauling, LLC, according to DNR.
