Maryland manure-lagoon overflow kills nearly 11,000 fish across 25 species, officials say

An overflow from a manure lagoon at Kilby Farms in Cecil County, Maryland, has killed nearly 11,000 fish across 25 species in Basin Run, according to the Maryland Department of the Environment. The incident, which came to light in early October 2026, marks a far larger fish kill than a similar event at the same farm in 2025. State officials say the discharge occurred as the dairy already faces a lawsuit and a civil-contempt request over alleged repeated violations of a 2025 settlement aimed at stopping pollution in the waterway, as per reports.A creek choked with dead fishBasin Run is a small but ecologically important stream in northeast Maryland. It flows west through Cecil County before emptying into the Susquehanna River and, ultimately, the Chesapeake Bay. The creek is known locally for its population of wild trout and has long been a favourite spot for fishing and outdoor recreation.This week, however, the stream was lined with dead fish for more than four miles, from Kilby Farms downstream to Octoraro Creek. Chris Thomas, a neighbour who grew up on Basin Run and still lives alongside it, described the scene as worse than anything he had seen before, as per The Banner. He tol...