Title
Multidisciplinary Surface Water Monitoring And Assessment of the Susquehanna River
Start Date
12-11-2014 2:15 PM
End Date
12-11-2014 3:00 PM
Description
Wide-scale, disease-related mortality of young-of-year (YOY) smallmouth bass (SMB) was first documented in 2005 and again annually at varying degrees between 2006 and 2013 at West Branch Susquehanna, Susquehanna, and Juniata River locations. Since 2010, bacterial infections resulting in lesions have also been documented in a number of other warm-water streams in the Susquehanna River Basin. Also, fish pathology studies conducted by the US Geological Survey (USGS) detected intersex conditions among SMB in the Susquehanna River Basin. In order to investigate and associate potential sources and causes of the observed SMB population conditions, staff from the Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Water Quality Standards (DWQS) implemented a complex, multi-year survey using a wide array of methods to examine both natural and anthropogenic stressors and possible causal links to the diseased fish. The study design incorporates sampling multiple stations on the Susquehanna and Juniata mainstems, critical tributaries, and several other locations across the state and the collection of inorganic water chemistry; continuous instream monitoring (CIM) for physical chemistry; biology (benthic macroinvertebrates, fish, mollusks, and periphyton); nutrients and fatty acid analysis (algae and SMB); fish histo-pathology; storm event sampling; sediment and organic water (grab and passive sampling) for pharmaceuticals, antibiotics, hormones, organic wastewater compounds, and pesticides; and flow. This study began in 2012 by piloting some of the protocols and river station/reach reconnaissance. In addition to DWQS staff, USGS, Susquehanna River Basin Commission, and Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission are assisting with field data collection. The full-fledged study continued through the spring and summer of 2014 and will continue through 2015. This presentation will summarize t he findings of the 2012 and 2013 sampling seasons and progress made in 2014.
Type
Presentation
Session
Water Quality Assessments and Treatment Technologies
Language
eng
Multidisciplinary Surface Water Monitoring And Assessment of the Susquehanna River
Elaine Langone Center, Terrace Room
Wide-scale, disease-related mortality of young-of-year (YOY) smallmouth bass (SMB) was first documented in 2005 and again annually at varying degrees between 2006 and 2013 at West Branch Susquehanna, Susquehanna, and Juniata River locations. Since 2010, bacterial infections resulting in lesions have also been documented in a number of other warm-water streams in the Susquehanna River Basin. Also, fish pathology studies conducted by the US Geological Survey (USGS) detected intersex conditions among SMB in the Susquehanna River Basin. In order to investigate and associate potential sources and causes of the observed SMB population conditions, staff from the Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Water Quality Standards (DWQS) implemented a complex, multi-year survey using a wide array of methods to examine both natural and anthropogenic stressors and possible causal links to the diseased fish. The study design incorporates sampling multiple stations on the Susquehanna and Juniata mainstems, critical tributaries, and several other locations across the state and the collection of inorganic water chemistry; continuous instream monitoring (CIM) for physical chemistry; biology (benthic macroinvertebrates, fish, mollusks, and periphyton); nutrients and fatty acid analysis (algae and SMB); fish histo-pathology; storm event sampling; sediment and organic water (grab and passive sampling) for pharmaceuticals, antibiotics, hormones, organic wastewater compounds, and pesticides; and flow. This study began in 2012 by piloting some of the protocols and river station/reach reconnaissance. In addition to DWQS staff, USGS, Susquehanna River Basin Commission, and Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission are assisting with field data collection. The full-fledged study continued through the spring and summer of 2014 and will continue through 2015. This presentation will summarize t he findings of the 2012 and 2013 sampling seasons and progress made in 2014.