Chlorinated Water Causes Fish Kill in Iowa Stream

A broken water main in Cedar Rapids has led to the death of approximately 1,250 fish in McLoud Run, Iowa's only urban trout stream, after chlorinated drinking water was released into the creek. This incident marks the second fish kill in the stream this year, following an earlier event in January that killed hundreds of fish. DNR fisheries technician Chris Mack reported that the majority of the dead fish were white suckers, with only about 30 percent being trout. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) plans to restock the stream with brown trout in November despite this setback, which is part of a larger trend as McLoud Run has experienced 13 fish kills since 1997. The city is implementing sensor technology to help prevent future incidents and has already dispensed dechlorination tablets to mitigate the effects of the chlorine spill. Previous contaminations have been attributed to various chemicals, highlighting ongoing environmental challenges in the area.