Hot, dry conditions are making it tough on the fish in northeast Iowa streams. Iowa Department of Natural Resources spokesman Kevin Baskins says field officers are on the scene of a handful of fish kills this morning. He says the Manchester field office has reported four kills this morning. Baskins says the reports have just come in and he doesn’t have the exact locations yet. Baskins says record low water levels and the heat leave open several possibilities for fish kills.Some of the dead fish moved up river as the streams went down and got trapped — while the normal process of algae dieing off uses up what little oxygen is left in the streams. He says there’s also a lot of areas where cattle graze along the streams and any rain can push contaminants into the water. Baskins says things could get worse before they get better.He says a run of cool days would improve the situation.Rain would help too, but he says rain can also flush contaminants into the water. Baskins says many of the fish killed are small chubs and minnows. He says none of the northeast Iowa’s trout streams have been impact thus far. There were heat-related fish kills reported in Fenchel Creek near Backbone State Park in Clayton County Tuesday. There were two other kills reported in Winneshiek County and on in Madison County.
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