Dunkard Creek Fish Kill

[lowbidder]

Most of you have probably never heard of this creek, but it's one of the few waters in my area that hold musky. It appears that extremely heavy concentrations of salt in the water caused the kill. Rumors have it that fracking water was the culprit, but don't know for sure yet. Something to keep an eye on. Here is the best article I could find so far...

Warning: Some of these pictures may upset you. :mad:

http://www.greenespeak.com/

[H2O wolf]

It was indeed a decent fishery. I'm still in a bit of shock over it. Here's some more info...

http://www.huntingpa.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1333365&fpart=1

http://www.newseum.org/media/dfp/pdf15/WV_DP.pdf

[Red Childress]

Does the DCNR know the extent of the fish kill yet??

That situation (toxic spills/fish kills) is something that is always in the back of my mind when I (occasionally) flirt with the notion of trying to become a full-time guide. With United Refining Co. (along with tons of smaller oil operations) in my backyard, all it would take is one big spill for me to be unemployed.

[lowbidder]

All I've heard are rumors, but some articles have quoted people as saying hundreds of fish have been documented. Most of the creek is very rural and hard to get to, so I'm sure the numbers are higher. Most of the pictures are showing musky.

[H2O wolf]

I have a reliable source who lives next to the stream and fishes there often who is saying that there are not any survirors. I'm sure there are a handful of fish that went into some feeders but they are small feeders and large numbers of fish cannot survive there very long. Several factors include... the lack of rain to flush the tainted water, the pollution is believed to have started at the beginning of the stream, and they have not stopped it from flowing into the stream yet.

I fished there a decent amount the past three years and am really bumbed about this. It was a great place to fish.

[H2O wolf]

Here are some updates...

http://www.fish.state.pa.us/newsreleases/2009/091809_Dunkard_Creek.pdf



By: HOLLY K. HILDRETH
Greene County Messenger

MT. MORRIS - As Dunkard Creek's remaining aquatic life struggle to survive, government agencies in Pennsylvania and West Virginia are searching to pinpoint the pollution source that destroyed what the Pennsylvania Fish Commission calls a diverse community of fish and mussels.

Officials are investigating the deaths of aquatic life ranging from muskies, carp and bass to various species of mussels, which was originally reported on Sept. 8 in Pennsylvania.

Kathy Kosco, spokewoman for the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) said Wednesday the current hypothesis is that the pollution is originating out of a CONSOL Energy Inc. mine outlet, at Blacksville No. 2 Mine, but results are still inconclusive.

"As a government agency, we have to ensure that we have all of the data to confirm that it's the source," Kosco said. "We're talking to CONSOL, and they're fully cooperating."

She added that the mine is active, and CONSOL is working with the West Virginia DEP to determine whether or not what the agency suspects may be happening is the definite cause.

"Until we can get some more information from (CONSOL), it's premature that they are definitely the source," Kosco said. "There are other factors, too, and we're having a tough time explaining what might have happened."

Tom Hoffman, senior vice president of CONSOL, said Thursday that CONSOL is working with state officials to determine the cause of the fish kill, but at this time results are still inconclusive. He said that the site in question is a permitted discharge site. It is not unplanned, nor is it illegal. Hoffman added that there are perplexing issues, such as the scope of the fish kill, that make both the state and the company question whether the mine discharge site is the culprit or if the fish kills were caused by a combination of factors.

Hoffman said CONSOL was informed of the problem early this month, which indicates the complexity of the problem, as weeks later no one has developed a conclusive answer.

"People are sampling to unravel the cause of the fish kill," he said.

The West Virginia DEP began its investigation Sept. 3 when dead fish were reported in Dunkard Creek, near Blacksville. Dunkard Creek flows through northern West Virginia into Pennsylvania where it meanders through Greene County on its way to the Monongahela River.

According to published reports, the West Virginia DEP reported that about 60 fish had died. But local residents disagreed, saying that number was greatly underestimated.

Allen Tennant of Pentress, W.Va., lives next to the creek and said there were hundreds of dead fish, from small mouth bass to suckers and carp, floating in the Dunkard Creek during the week of Sept. 3. He said he never before had seen the water be rust colored as it is and he has lived beside the creek for 40 years.

Across the Mason-Dixon Line in Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania DEP and state Fish and Boat Commission, along with other government agencies, are looking for their own answers as to what caused one of the state's largest fish kills in recent history.

According to Helen Humphreys, spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania DEP, the West Virginia DEP reported the problem Sept. 8. Humphreys said Wednesday that the Pennsylvania DEP is waiting for Dunkard Creek water quality results.

"At this point, we can't draw any conclusions," Humphrey's said. "I don't think people should go near the water. We don't really know what's killing the fish."

She added that the Pennsylvania DEP believes the high total dissolved solids (TDS) may have killed the aquatic life, but the Pennsylvania DEP does not know that for certain. She said the West Virginia DEP has provided a substantial amount of information, and there are a lot of efforts to coordinate the investigation.

"I feel like someone has torn my heart out," said Bryan Mcie of Mount Morris. "I grew up fishing, and it's something that I love."

Mcie lives about a mile away from Dunkard Creek, where he used to take two of his three boys fishing. Now, Mcie said the creek is a murky color, like milky coffee or tea, and the fish and mussels are either dead or dying. Mcie's oldest son, 10-year-old Cameron Mcie, said the dead fish make him sick.

"I used go down there and fish, and now I can can't," Cameron Mcie said. "That's where I caught my first muskie. They fight really hard, and it almost broke the line."

He added that he would have to take his youngest brother, who is only 10 months old, somewhere else to learn how to fish.

On Sept. 8, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission sent biologists to Dunkard Creek to begin assessing the damage.

Chris Urban, a biologist who studies aquatic life and chief of the natural diversity section of the Fish and Boat Commission, said biologists have tracked damage from Brave to the Monongahela River.

"We are watching, looking for dead fish and mussels," Urban said. "Mussels are indicators of something happening."

Fresh water mussels are sensitive to pollution, and they're the first aquatic species to detect the toxin. In Pennsylvania, the Fish and Boat Commission has jurisdiction over all aquatic life. Dunkard Creek was home to seven or eight species of fresh-water mussels, one of which is endangered and another, the Fish and Boat Commission is proposing adding it to the endangered species list.

"We've been monitoring whatever life we see, not just fish and mussels," he said. "Mud puppies are a salamander that lives under the water, and we've found a lot of those dead."

Urban said he and other biologists have been looking for frogs, snakes and turtles and have not seen many of those species. In highly toxic areas, Urban said they have not found frogs, dead or alive, and although they might be affected, biologists have not seen any floating in the water. With the vegetation along the creek bank, he said it would be difficult to find the dead reptiles. He added that frogs, turtles and snakes might leave the creek to escape the toxins and die on shore.

The biologists chose eight 100-meter sampling regions from down below Mount Morris, all the way up toward Brave where they survey the aquatic-life graveyard. The biologists try to determine how many of each species have been killed. A monetary value is assessed to each of the fish and other aquatic life affected by the pollution. At this time, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is still assessing the damages and loss of life.

As for Dunkard Creek's recovery, Urban said the severity of the pollution would determine how long it will take for the creek's aquatic life to return.

"Given this level of death, it could take years, possibly decades to recover," Urban said. "I love aquatic life, too, and this needs to be stop

[Red Childress]

CONSOL is a giant in the mining industry. At one time, that company used to own a huge portion of mineral rights in my hometown area and created a very messy battle between union and non-union labor forces during the late-80's and early-90's. They "bought out" many of our largest mining operations, dissolved the costly union labor force, and hired non-union guys.

Many of my classmates' fathers were caught in the middle of this and had to strike OR face the consequences of becoming a scab. I think most of the Virginia State Police lived in my town for many months policing the violence created between the union and "scab" workforce. Some guys with 25-28 years of union service, lost their jobs/retirement during that messy situation because they refused to cross the line.

Ever since the larger mining forces left my hometown, fishing and wildlife has rebounded and created some excellent smallmouth fishing as well as trophy turkey/deer hunting.

I have not seen the rivers and streams run "black or yellow" since they pulled out over a decade ago. There are actually some very nice weedbeds growing along the river now with some 3-5 pound smallmouth. A far cry from only being able to catch catfish and carp when I was growing up there.

[McDunnoftheAllegheny]

They should've know better, I frac wells for a living and I make sure containment is priority it's common sense. Ignorance at it's finest.

[Red Childress]

Hey RiverRunt,

I did get a copy of your post before it was deleted and I agree with what you said. CONSOL was not soley responsible for the eco-damage in my town but a combination of hasty coal removal by many different companies and the "turn the other cheek" mentality of the VDNR when inspecting pollution levels. I have heard of payouts being made to the Safety inspectors to look the other way during those crazy "if it is black we can sell it" coal boom days of the 70's and 80's.

CONSOL did help keep my town afloat economically as they extracted the last of the big coal deposits in my hometown area.

I hope you do not mind me referencing your deleted post while I further explained my previous post. :)

[RiverRunt]

Dear Board,

I am hoping Consol Energy is not responsible for this fish kill. They try to do things right. They spend tens, if not hundreds of millions of dollars each year on environmental considerations.

Excuse my bias, I have been an employee for 28+ years.

http://www.consolenergy.com/Powering/Environment.aspx

[Red Childress]

Completely understood..... I was in no way trying to single out CONSOL.........just simply telling my story of how mining impacted my area both positively and negatively.