Iowa DNR reports unknown blue liquid near East Nishnabotna River • Iowa Capital Dispatch

A puddle of light blue liquid found in a bay near the eastern Nishnabotna River is currently being investigated by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

The DNR's Atlantic field office received reports of the liquid found near Oakland in Pottawattamie County on Aug. 22, a news release said. When the DNR was notified, the substance had not been found directly in the East Nishnabotna River, but officials said soil stains indicated the liquid, first observed on Aug. 11, had likely reached the river.

The accumulated water was found near a major sewer, the news release said, and Oakland City Council was notified. City and DNR staff placed booms and absorbent pads to prevent further spillage into the river.

The report comes months after a major fertilizer spill in the East Nishnabotna River that killed an estimated 750,000 fish, according to conservation officials in Iowa and Missouri. The spill involved 265,000 gallons of a urea ammonium nitrate solution, a fertilizer commonly referred to as UAN-32, that contaminated the East Nishnabotna and Nishnabotna rivers.

According to the DNR, no dead fish have been observed in the river since reports in August of a nearby, unidentified liquid.

Water samples of the substance were taken and sent to the state hygiene laboratory for analysis, but the state ministry has not yet determined what liquid it is.

The DNR urged anyone with information about the incident to contact the Atlantic Field Office at 712-243-1934.