The lack of rain and hot weather isn’t just affecting crops and vegetation, its also taking its toll on stream flow.

Iowa DNR Fisheries Management Technician, Vance Polton says two Rivers in our area have seen a dramatic drop in the water it moves. Currently the Iowa River is running, on average, 10% of its normal flow. While the Skunk River has seen a 75% drop.

Polton shares low flow coupled with water temperatures in the low 90’s can cause very low oxygen levels which result in fish kills. Temperatures in both the Iowa and Skunk River are in the upper 80’s.