Water in an unnamed tributary of Elk Run Creek in Carroll County, where a manure spill occurred Oct. 13, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Iowa DNR)
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is investigating roughly 5,000 gallons of hog manure spilled in Carroll County.
The manure, from a hog confinement site, was being applied to a field Monday evening when a leak occurred in a hose and caused the manure to flow onto the field and into an unnamed tributary of Elk Run Creek.
Kaitlynne Henriksen, an environmental specialist with DNR, said the B&B Custom Pumping team, the manure applicators, “responded very quickly” to the leak and placed dams in the creek that stopped the manure from traveling downstream.
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Henriksen said the tributary was relatively dry when the spill occurred which meant the field application team was able to put dams in place before the manure traveled too far.
Henriksen said the water downstream of the dam appeared clear and she observed swimming fish. DNR is waiting for results from the State Hygienic Laboratory to ensure samples taken below the dam don’t show signs of pollutants. As of Wednesday, Henriksen said no dead fish had been observed.
The applicator company continues to pump water from the creek to ensure it is clean before removing any of the dams, according to Henriksen.
She said the crew’s pump shut off automatically when it detected the leak in the hose, but the manure already in the hoses spilled onto the field. Henriksen said it was “unfortunate” that the leak occurred while the team was uphill from the creek.
“They were really great at responding right away and they did as much as they could, given the situation,” Henriksen said.
According to a news release from DNR, the incident remains under investigation as the department determines whether further enforcement action is needed.
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