OUTAGAMIE COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) – DNR officials say last week’s manure spill in Dutchman Creek near Freedom has been contained.
Ag Runoff Specialist Ben Uvaas believes the issue that caused the estimated 20,000 gallon spill has been addressed, noting what Neighborhood Dairy has done following a valve malfunction caused manure to exit the farm’s runoff collection system.
“Basically, they went to a hardware store and bought a 22-degree elbow and a couple of feet of pipe extension. Now the elevation where that pipe comes out from that runoff control system is high enough up that manure can’t backflow through it ever again.”
While he believes the spill killed a high percentage of fish in a 1.5 mile stretch of the creek, Uvaas says the effects shouldn’t be long-lasting.
“Most of the time in these sorts of systems once the cleanup is complete and the water quality comes back to normal, the kind of fish and aquatic life that were there before begin to repopulate, rehabitat in those previously impacted areas.”
Uvaas evaluates how this spill compares to others in the past.
“The volume released is about average. The spill cleanup, containment, and response was very good. The impact to the affected part of the creek was pretty bad.”
Uvaas notes what generally happens when farms, such as this Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation, have spills.
“Go through the staff-enforcement program and often receive a formal written notice that the farm violated some requirement or prohibition of their permit.”
