Giant Liquid Manure Spill Causes Massive Fish Kill

Three million gallons of liquid manure, an amount roughly equivalent to the water in six Olympic-size swimming pools, gushed from an earthen reservoir at one of the largest dairy farms in upstate New York, contaminating the nearby Black River.

The spill happened in early August at Marks Farm in Lowville, NY. It is unknown why the storage pit failed, but so much manure escaped that the contamination grew to roughly a fourth the size of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. As the manure traveled the river's northwest current through several Adirondack towns along approximately 20 river miles, it sapped the water of oxygen and poisoned the fish with ammonia. Hours later, fish began to bloat and float to the surface.  

The water was gradually diluted via upstream dam releases and some timely rain, but not soon enough to save the estimated 200,000 to 250,000 fish that were killed. All recreation on the river was temporarily halted as the spill made its way to Carthage, NY. At Carthage, after encountering a dam, the river picked up speed going over a waterfall and through rapids, adding much-needed oxygen to the water. As of mid-August, dissolved oxygen levels were near normal throughout the river system and it appeared that downstream Watertown and Lake Ontario were spared the negative effects of the spill. Investigation into the cause of the spill is ongoing, and raises questions as to whether or not current regulations are stringent enough to prevent such spills from occurring at large farms in the future. New York DEC has issued a Notice of Violations against the facility.

http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/press/pressrel/2005/2005101.html