What's that smell? Some possible explanations for foul odor over Indy – IndyStar

What’s that smell? Some possible explanations for foul odor over Indy  IndyStar

The air in Indianapolis stinks – at least according to social media posts and comments from residents across the city reporting a scent of manure or sewage Oct. 10. IndyStar's efforts to nail down whether it's a man-made or natural phenomenon have not yet been successful, but below are some possible explanations for the smell: At that time, Laura O’Brien, a spokesperson for the Citizen Energy Group, said the culprit could be the leaves falling from trees. Those leaves sometimes end up in rivers and streams with slowed flows because of lack of rain. "During dry periods, the low flow in our rivers and streams and the possibility of decaying organic material (leaves, etc.) could begin to generate an odor," she said of last October's smell.

Luckily, there's rain in the forecast soon. Showers are likely between 8 p.m. and midnight Oct. 10, according the National Weather Service in Indianapolis. Across Central Indiana, farmers are beginning to spread manure in preparation for the next growing season. Could that be the reason for the smell in Indianapolis? "Generally, in Indiana, the most practical time for land application (of animal manure as a plant nutrient resource) is late fall or early winter," according to the Cooperative Extension Service of Purdue University. Another culprit could be the ginkgo tree. The nonnative tree with