Manure runoff from a western Wisconsin farm amid last week’s heavy rains caused a mile-long fish kill in a Class 2 trout stream, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources announced April 21.
The impacted stream is Danuser Creek in Buffalo County, near the village of Waumandee, about a dozen miles from the Mississippi River.
An angler reached out to a local conservation warden April 19 regarding dead fish in the stream. DNR staff visited the site and found a drainage point where recently applied manure was running off of farm fields.
Much about the incident is still being investigated, including who is responsible, a DNR spokesperson said. Preliminary information indicates that manure was spread twice in the last week and that the farm is not considered a concentrated animal feeding operation, or CAFO. CAFOs house 1,000 or more animal units and are subject to regulation of manure spreading practices.
It is unknown how much manure was discharged, the DNR spokesperson said, but at least one mile of stream was impacted.
Western Wisconsin is highly regarded for its trout fishing. A Class 2 trout stream is healthy enough to promote some natural reproduction of trout but also gets stocked with fish to promote more fishing.
Danuser Creek is expected to be stocked this year with yearling brook trout. It was stocked with 660 of the fish in 2024.
The DNR asks farmers to avoid spreading manure during or after heavy rain events, which can cause runoff into nearby water bodies. Maps of potential runoff risk from the Wisconsin Manure Management Advisory System show at least a moderate risk of runoff in some parts of Buffalo County last week.
Madeline Heim covers public health and environment issues for the Journal Sentinel. Contact: mheim@usatodayco.com.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Manure runoff killed fish in western Wisconsin trout stream, DNR says
Reporting by Madeline Heim, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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