Officials investigating unusual fish kill in northeast Iowa

MARQUETTE, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Department of Natural Resource is so far at a loss as to what caused an unusual fish kill that left hundreds of trout dead in a northeastern Iowa creek.

The kill, affecting nearly 1,000 fish, was reported Saturday night on Bloody Run Creek near Marquette in Clayton County, the Des Moines Register reported. The department said a pollutant in the water likely caused the fish kill, but investigators have not been able to determine the cause.

“When it comes to game fish, trout are worth a lot of money,” DNR environmental specialist Brett Meyers said. “We stock these northeast Iowa streams (with trout), so there’s a lot of resources that go into that.”

Farmers and property owners have been interviewed to help determine if a chemical may have been discharged into the water. If a person or business is found responsible, criminal charges could be filed, Meyers said.

Investigators started out at a disadvantage because several hours passed between when the fish kill was reported and when officers arrived on the scene Sunday, Meyers said. That could have given a pollutant time to move downstream and escape detection.