Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Thursday (Today), said the DNR last Sunday investigated a fish kill on Purgatory Creek in northeast Carroll County after receiving a report of thousands of dead fish in the creek. The DNR found several species of dead fish, including minnows, sunfish and bullheads along approximately one and a quarter miles of the creek, extending northeast into Calhoun County. The fish appeared to have been dead several days.

Field tests showed normal dissolved oxygen levels and no ammonia in the stream. There were no unusual odors or visual signs of contamination. The DNR collected water samples from the creek for testing. Test results from the laboratory should be available in several weeks. However, the test results may not show a pollutant due to the time lapse and heavy rainfall in the area.

Anyone seeing evidence of a fish kill should call the DNR’s environmental hot line at 515-725-8694 immediately. The sooner the event is reported, the more likely a pollutant can be identified and traced to its source. The DNR will continue to investigate for the source of the fish kill.