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An angler discovered dead fish Monday at Jersey Valley Lake, which is between Cashton and Westby, by an impoundment on the west branch of the Kickapoo River.
Dave Vetrano, fisheries supervisor with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources office in La Crosse, said he doesn't yet know how extensive the damage is. He is, however, worried about more fish kills in coming weeks as melting snow carries manure into local streams and lakes.
During inspections Wednes-day, Vetrano found dead fish and extremely dirty water in the 54-acre lake. The manure depletes oxygen in the water, essentially smothering the fish.
"We're not done yet," said Vetrano, who oversees
900 miles of classified trout streams in La Crosse, Vernon, Monroe and Crawford counties. "There's plenty of ice and snow" and it "depends on how the melts come."
The Vernon County kill is not an isolated incident. The DNR has reported five other manure-related incidents this year suspected to have been caused by winter-spreading of manure.
The agency urged livestock operators to avoid spreading manure until the snow has melted and the ground has thawed so the soil can absorb the manure.
Vetrano said no single source of the manure has been located. "I think it was just excessive runoff on a system that's got runoff on a lot of fields," he said.
"Probably no laws were broken, but there are some questions about judgment," said Vetrano. "The stars aligned in a really bad way."
Vetrano said none of the livestock operations in the watershed is large enough to require a DNR manure management plan, which specifies when and where they can spread.
Tests Wednesday by DNR fisheries staff "showed the highest recorded level of dissolved oxygen in the water was one part per million," the DNR statement said. "Trout generally need 5 parts per million of oxygen in water to survive. Warm water species usually need at least 3 parts per million oxygen for survival."
Vetrano said the lake is fed by runoff from a watershed covering about 12 square miles. It is located at the head waters of the West Fork of the Kickapoo River, which is a trout stream. Vetrano said no fish kill has been located in the trout stream. He said the water picks up some oxygen as it plunges over a dam spillway leaving the impoundment.
Roger Widner of Westby, a member of the West Fork Sports Club, which promotes trout stream development, said Thursday he checked below the dam and found no damage so far.
"This is the headwaters of one of the best trout-fishing streams in the Midwest," Widner said. "I hope the lake contains the spill."
Depending on the extent of the kill, Vetrano said it could take years for the lake to recover. It takes 10 years for a Wisconsin bluegill to reach 9 to 10 inches, he said.
If the lake needs restocking, "I've got no budget for that," he added.
Vetrano said the Vernon County Land Conservation Department is helping to investigate the fish kill.
DNR crews are also checking Sidie Hollow Lake and Rung Hollow Lake to see if there are problems in those locations, he said.
Reid Magney can be reached at (608) 791-8211 or rmagney@lacrossetribune.com.
