The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is on the scene of a manure spill in Monroe County that has started to affect local waterways and wildlife. The spill was reported over the past weekend and DNR staff have been monitoring the situation closely.
An initial call to the DNR's Violation Hotline rang in the news on Saturday, May 17. Although the full extent of the manure spill is still unquantified, the consequences have rapidly begun to unfold in the surrounding environment. The DNR confirmed that the manure runoff, exacerbated by rainfall, originated southwest of the village of Norwalk and is slowly but steadily making its way down the watershed.
As a result of the spill, both Spring Valley Creek and Moore Creek, as well as the Kickapoo, are suffering from reduced water quality, with reported fish kills. The specific numbers and types of fish affected have not yet been established. The Wisconsin DNR stated that Spring Valley and Moore creeks were the sites where dead fish were observed.
The DNR's investigation into the incident continues as they assess the possible courses of action to effectively cleanup or mitigate the effects of the spill.
