Diluted pesticide spill in Lee County creek leads to fish kill

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is investigating a spill of pesticide rinsate that caused a fish kill in an unnamed creek near Houghton. 

Pesticide rinsate, a diluted mixture of pesticide created when storage tanks or spray equipment are washed, spilled on the ground at the Chem Gro cooperative in Houghton and flowed to a nearby storm drain, according to the DNR. 

The rinsate flowed through the storm drain to an unnamed creek south of Houghton. DNR staff observed white-colored water, with an ammonia smell, in the creek that eventually flows into Sugar Creek, according to Kurt Levetzow, the DNR field office supervisor. 

Staff at the co-op pumped water from the contaminated drainage way and flushed it, per DNR’s instructions. Chem Gro of Houghton declined to comment on the spill. 

When DNR returned to the unnamed creek on June 26, the day after the spill occurred, staff observed dead minnows and bullheads in the creek. Dead fish were observed in sections of the creek about three miles downstream of the spill.  

As of Monday afternoon, DNR did not have a finalized fish kill count from the fisheries department.