Shenandoah and James
River Fish Disease and
Mortality Investigation
Spring 2010 Update As Of June 1
Angler reports of small numbers of dead and diseased smallmouth bass
began in the South Fork Shenandoah River in early April. DGIF verified that
light mortality and disease of smallmouth bass and sunfish was occurring
throughout the South Fork Shenandoah River from Port Republic to Front Royal.
DGIF also sampled throughout the North Fork Shenandoah and Main stem
Shenandoah River and did not observe any disease or fish mortality.
Things have been fairly quiet this spring on the Cowpasture, Jackson,
and upper James River. Angler reports of dead or diseased fish in these
rivers were almost non-existent this spring. DGIF sampled fish from various
locations in the upper James River, and at locations on the lower Jackson
and Cowpasture River. A few dead fish have been observed in the upper
James and Cowpasture by DEQ while taking water samples, and DGIF
observed a high percentage of the rock bass and a few smallmouth bass
with lesions or other signs of disease while collecting fish in late April.
The number of dead and diseased fish appears to be lower than previous years.
DGIF will continue to watch these rivers.
Click here for the entire report.
http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/fishing/fish-kill/
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Six years later, gender-bending fish in our water supply remain a mystery
By David A. Fahrenthold
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
KEARNEYSVILLE, W.VA. --
What's the problem with the Potomac River -- and could whatever it is spell problems for those of us who drink its water?
In 2003, scientists discovered something startling in the Potomac, from which at least 3 million Washington area residents get their drinking water: Male fish were growing eggs. But six years later, a government-led research effort still hasn't answered those two questions. Scientists say they still aren't sure which pollutants are altering the fish, or whether the discovery poses any threat to people's health.
The job is not easy: Scientists are looking for wisps of hormone-mimicking pollutants in the Potomac's vast, moving soup. Read More...
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Contact Information:
U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey
Office of Communication
119 National Center
Reston, VA 20192 |
Laura Robertson 
Phone: 304-724-4579
Diane Noserale
Phone: 703-648-4333
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Estrogen Linked to Lowered Immunity in Fish
Exposure to estrogen reduces production of immune-related proteins in fish. This suggests that certain compounds, known as endocrine disruptors, may make fish more susceptible to disease.
The research may provide new clues for why intersex fish, fish kills and fish lesions often occur together in the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers. The tests were conducted in a lab by scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey.
The study, led by USGS genomics researcher Dr. Laura Robertson, revealed that largemouth bass injected with estrogen produced lowered levels of hepcidin, an important iron-regulating hormone in mammals that is also found in fish and amphibians. This is the first published study demonstrating control of hepcidin by estrogen in any animal.
Besides being an important iron-regulating hormone, researchers also suspect that hepcidin may act as an antimicrobial peptide in mammals, fish and frogs. Antimicrobial peptides are the first line of defense against disease-causing bacteria and some fungi and viruses in vertebrate animals.
“Our research suggests that estrogen-mimicking compounds may make fish more susceptible to disease by blocking production of hepcidin and other immune-related proteins that help protect fish against disease-causing bacteria,” said Robertson.
USGS researchers Drs. Vicki Blazer and Luke Iwanowicz have previously found intersex occurring in fish in the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers. Intersex is primarily revealed in male fish that have immature female egg cells in their testes. Because other studies have shown that estrogen and estrogen-mimicking compounds can cause intersex, the co-occurrence of fish lesions, fish kills and intersex in these two rivers suggested to USGS scientists that estrogen-mimicking compounds could be involved in the fish lesions and fish kills in addition to being a possible cause of intersex traits.
That caused Robertson and her colleagues to investigate how estrogen could be affecting the immune system in these fish. The study showed that largemouth bass produced two different hepcidin proteins. Production of the first hepcidin protein was “turned down” by estrogen. Production of the second hepcidin protein by fish exposed to bacteria was blocked by estrogen. The fact that estrogen blocked production of hepcidins in fish exposed to bacteria gives more weight to the theory that estrogen or estrogen-mimicking chemicals could be making fish more susceptible to diseases, Robertson added.
Hepcidin could protect against bacterial infection in two ways. “First,” said Robertson, “hepcidin could be an antimicrobial peptide that actually kills pathogens. Or it could be more complex. To live, a microbe must have iron, so when a microbe invades a person or animal, that microbe must obtain iron from its host. To ‘fight’ the microbe, a host can ‘suck up iron’ and store it in places inaccessible to the microbe. In mammals, hepcidin is a key player in how the host takes up and stores iron.”
The study, Identification of centrarchid hepcidins and evidence that 17β-estradiol disrupts constitutive expression of hepcidin-1 and inducible expression of hepcidin-2 in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), was just published in the journal, Fish & Shellfish Immunology. The authors are USGS scientists Laura Robertson, Luke Iwanowicz and Jamie Marie Marranca.
USGS provides science for a changing world. For more information, visit www.usgs.gov.
Subscribe to USGS News Releases via our electronic mailing list or RSS feed.
**** www.usgs.gov ****
Links and contacts within this release are valid at the time of publication.
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Fall 2008 Fish Kill Investigation Summary by Don Kain, DEQ
October 27, 2008
Following
a meeting last week with a number of fish kill researchers and DEQ and
DGIF management, I developed the summary below. This summary has not
been reviewed by all researchers and may not accurately represent
individual researchers’ findings. Any errors or misrepresentations are
mine. Information should not be considered factual unless first
confirmed by the researcher who completed the work. We are still
working with partial datasets, so findings very well may change. The
purpose of this summary is to share in general terms what we believe we
know at this point and what we don’t know.
There is no Conclusion section. That will come later.
Water
Quality/Environmental Conditions. Two water quality studies were
conducted in spring 2008. DEQ monitored every 2 weeks from March-May at
multiple sites in the Shenandoah, James, Cowpasture, and several
reference streams for metals. Dr. Dan Downey of JMU conducted an
intensive study at 2 sites (South Fork Shenandoah and a heavily farmed
tributary, Cub Run) that evaluated multiple parameters
(physical/environmental conditions, metals, nutrients, organics, and
pesticides) at frequent time intervals before, during, and after storm
events. The JMU study was conducted during the period of March-May
2008. In past years, extensive sampling has been completed for
nutrients, including ammonia, at regularly scheduled times and during
storm events. Sediment samples have been evaluated for metals.
What we know: Fish
kills occur mostly during the spring months. They start when water
temperatures reach about 15°C (March-April) and end when temperatures
reach the low-mid 20s (mid-June).
Data have been collected that
show water temperatures in the river are about 3-6 °C warmer during
April/May in recent years than they were in the early 1990s.
Most fish kills consisted of adults of the Centrachidae family.
Some
Centrachids spawn in water temperatures between 16 °C and 25 °C. Fish
kills appear to be connected to spawning periods for many of the fish
species that have been affected.
High river flow events may be connected to the fish kills.
Sediment loads are very high during these high flow events.
Water
quality data from the above studies and from extensive sampling during
previous fish kill seasons have not identified any contaminants at
levels that exceed water quality criteria or known toxic thresholds.
pH varies greatly on a daily basis (as much as a full unit) and reaches values above 9.0 units during low flow periods.
Dissolved oxygen levels have been favorable for fish and aquatic life health throughout the fish kill season.
What we don’t know:Our
monitoring does not cover every possible water quality parameter,
although we feel we have covered the “most likely suspects.” Many
additional constituents were examined in the passive sampler work (see
below). We also have no way of measuring combined effects (additive,
synergistic, etc. properties) of multiple chemicals and stressors.
Passive Samplers.Passive
samplers (SPMD and POCIS) were placed at multiple sites in the
Shenandoah and Cowpasture Rivers in spring 2007 by The Friends of the
North Fork and DEQ. Additional samplers were deployed in spring 2008.
These samplers “accumulate” chemicals during a 4-6-week deployment
period and allow measurements of chemicals that are normally not
detected in conventional water samples. Nearly 200 parameters were
measured, as outlined below.
SHAPE \* MERGEFORMAT
We have data from the 2007 samplers, but not for 2008.
What we know:A wide range of chemicals were detected and quantified.
Samples from the Shenandoah were largely indicative of an agricultural area.
Samples from the Cowpasture had low numbers of “hits” (very high quality), yet still had fish kills.
No chemicals were found at levels equal to or above known water quality criteria at any sites.
No compound at any site exceeded minimum published lethal effect levels or minimum published benchmark screening criteria.
What we don’t know:Water quality causes cannot be completely ruled out because:
Not all chemicals were tested (there are many thousands out there).
Effect level data are not available or relevant for all chemicals.
Mixture effects and sublethal effects have not been addressed.
Benthic Invertebrates. Dr.
Reese Voshell of Virginia Tech led a multi-year study that evaluated
invertebrate communities in the N. and S. Forks of the Shenandoah and a
number of tributaries. Data analyses included comparisons with other
large river systems, historical comparisons in the Shenandoah River,
general evaluations of biological condition, and indications whether
areas with severe fish kills had corresponding impairments to the
benthic invertebrate communities.
What we know:Compared
to other large river sites (Susquehanna R. in PA and New R. in WV), the
large river sites in the Shenandoah had benthic communities of higher
quality than other large rivers.
The present biological condition of
the Shenandoah River, as indicated by the macroinvertebrates, is
somewhat better than it was in the 1960s.
None of the large river sites in the Shenandoah basin had evidence of significant reduction in biological condition.
Benthic invertebrates showed no spatial patterns that corresponded with areas of heavy fish kills.
Benthic
data provided no evidence that toxic substances (sediment metals,
chemicals in passive samplers) were present in amounts leading to
biological impairments.
In general, the composition of
macroinvertebrate communities in the large river sections appears to be
largely associated with nutrients.
Tributaries in the Shenandoah
system are often more degraded than the North and South Forks.
Macroinvertebrates in the tributaries demonstrate strong statistical
relationships to agricultural land use and nutrients.
Further degradation of tributaries is expected to eventually reduce biological conditions in the large river sections.
What we don’t know:Are fish kills caused by a factor that impacts only fish, and not other members of the aquatic community?
How
might relationships between fish and other organisms relate to the fish
kills? For example, some fish parasites, such as trematodes, use
invertebrates as intermediate hosts. Invertebrates serving as
intermediate hosts for different fish parasites is poorly understood.
Do invertebrates play a significant role?
What other players may be
factors? High nutrient concentrations increase densities of some
invertebrates (and, thus, parasitism rates?).
Fish Health Studies. A
number of fish health studies have been conducted during fish kills.
Dr. Vicki Blazer of USGS has examined a large number of fish from fish
kill sites in VA and WV for several years. In 2008, Dr. Blazer
continued her studies. Dr. Don Orth (VA Tech) and associates also
conducted extensive fish health evaluations at multiple sites in 2008.
Studies focused on fish kill areas in the Shenandoah, James, and
Cowpasture Rivers and included reference sites in the Rappahannock,
New, N. Fork Holston, Greenbrier, and Cheat Rivers. Fish were collected
before, during, and after fish kills. Specimens were examined
externally and internally for lesions, general health, condition, and
abnormalities to skin, gills, and internal organs. Parasites were
identified and quantified. Histopathology was conducted on gills and
internal organs. Blood chemistry was evaluated.
What we know:Gill pathology suggestive of environmental contaminants was present in some specimens.
Infectious agents (bacteria, parasites), resulting in gill damage, we also observed.
Internal organs had pathology (oxidative damage) indicative of contaminant damage.
Internal parasite damage was evident in a number of fish, as shown by inflammation and necrosis.
Fish from the Shenandoah and Cowpasture had a high incidence of intersex
Pathology suggests a wide variety of infectious agents (parasites, bacteria, viruses).
What we don’t know:We have several associations, but no direct cause-and-effect relationships.
Are
fish kills and reproductive issues linked? Do endocrine-disrupting
compounds impact immune responses and disease resistance?
Is pathology within individual organs a direct link to the fish kills? Is the timing the same?
Pathology
suggests contaminants, but which contaminants? Extensive water quality
has not identified any single chemical at toxic levels. Sublethal
levels are much more difficult to measure, as are effects of mixtures
of chemicals.
Bacteria and Viruses. Extensive work in
this area has been conducted during fish kill events. Dr. Steve Smith
from VA Tech conducted bacterial assays during the early fish kills on
the Forks of the Shenandoah. US Fish & Wildlife Service, Lamar, PA
disease lab has tested fish for several years using their standard
protocols. Cornell University (Dr. Paul Bowser) completed testing that
appeared to rule out largemouth bass virus (LMB-v) and viral
hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS-v) in 2007. In 2007 and 2008, Dr. Rocco
Cipriano of USGS conducted bacterial assays on a number of fish.
Examinations were primarily on “fish kill” specimens in 2007. In 2008,
Dr. Cipriano’s work examined specimens from fish kill and reference
sites before, during, and after fish kills in the Shenandoah, James,
Cowpasture, and reference rivers. Cultures were obtained from skin,
gills, and internal organs.
What we know:Early work
indicated that fish succumbing to fish kills hosted a diverse flora of
opportunistic pathogens (bacteria). These bacteria were not believed to
be direct causes of the fish kills, but were considered opportunists
that overwhelmed fish that had been stressed by an unknown factor.
Early work in 2007 found similar, diverse assemblages of bacteria, especially in the period leading up to fish kills.
During
fish kills in 2007, an obligate pathogen, Aeromonas salmonicida, was
found in high numbers in diseased fish, while densities of other,
opportunistic bacteria were greatly decreased.
In 2008, findings
were repeated: Pre-kill specimens had a diverse, opportunistic
bacterial flora, but no symptoms (and no observed Aeromonas
salmonicida). Once the fish kills (and symptoms, such as skin lesions)
began, the bacterial community shifted from the diverse, opportunistic
flora to one dominated by Aeromonas salmonicida.
Once fish kills
ended (mid-late June) the bacterial communities on fish from the rivers
having fish kills returned to the diverse, opportunistic assemblages
seen before the fish kills.
Specimens examined from reference
streams (those without fish kills) did not appear to host Aeromonas
salmonicida at any time, even during periods when fish kills were
occurring in other rivers.
Aeromonas salmonicida causes
furunculosis, a disease with symptoms consistent with those we have
observed in dead and dying fish in the Shenandoah, Cowpasture, and
James Rivers.
Aeromonas salmonicida is more well-known as a pathogen of cold or cool-water fish, such as trout.
Aeromonas salmonicida can be introduced to and maintained in waters in a number of ways:
From baitfish carried by fishermen
From cool water fish species (sculpins, darters) that have overlapping ranges with species such as smallmouth bass
From stocked fish
From invertebrate hosts
From natural cool-water refuge areas, such as springs
The
state trout hatchery that supplies most of the trout stocked in the
watersheds where fish kills have occurred was tested in spring 2008 for
Aeromonas salmonicida and it was not found. Trout from the receiving
waters from that hatchery were tested during the fish kill period and
were negative.
In the annual cycling of water temperatures, the
fish-kill rivers and most of their tributaries reach the temperature
for the upper limit of survival (22 °C) for Aeromonas salmonicida.
What we don’t know:Is
Aeromonas salmonicida a causative agent? It was not found in 100% of
the affected fish. More, definitive field and laboratory testing is
needed.
How did it get in these rivers? What is the source?
Does it need other environmental stressors to “push fish over the edge?”
Is
Aeromonas salmonicida over-summering in cold water refugia within the
rivers or their tributaries? Are there fish that are serving as
carriers? That is, how is it re-infecting fish each spring?
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From: "Kain,Donald"
Sent: Friday, May 29, 2009 3:14:04 PM
Subject: Spring 2009 Fish Kills
All:
Although they are occurring later than in past years, it appears that low to moderate-level fish kills are occurring once again in the upper North and South Forks of the Shenandoah River and in the upper James River. The incidence of lesions and mortality is closely linked to springtime water temperatures, as these problems are occurring within the same temperature ranges as past years.
Due to recent rainfall and high water, there seem to be fewer people on the rivers and, thus, fewer reports of problems from the public. During the past week, however, staff from DGIF, DEQ, and USGS have sampled within the Shenandoah basin and confirmed the presence of fish with lesions and dead fish. In the South Fork the problems seem to be mostly upstream of Elkton. In the North Fork, fish are being affected from the New Market area to reaches downstream of Woodstock. As in past years, smallmouth bass and sunfish are impacted, but a number of other species also seem to be affected. Also, we are seeing problems in some juvenile fish, but probably to a lesser degree than adults. Early spring fishing reports from the public have been good to excellent and continue to be quite good on the lower South Fork.
We have received very little information from the public on the upper James, but will be sampling multiple sites next week.
DEQ and DGIF put out a joint press release today to inform the public of the fish kills and to ask those who use the rivers to share any observations of problems. It can be found at http://www.deq.virginia.gov/lists/?action=show_list&id=1.
Weekly water sampling continues at 10 Shenandoah sites and 10 upper James sites. Fish were sampled in early spring during the pre-kill period; are now being sampled during the kill; and will be sampled again after kills end. It will probably be late summer or early fall before data are compiled and a summary of spring 2009 findings can be prepared.
Don
Don Kain
Water Monitoring & Assessment Mgr.
DEQ Valley Regional Office
P.O. Box 3000
Harrisonburg, VA 22801
540-574-7815
540-574-7878 (fax)
E-Mail donald.kain@deq.virginia.gov
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 21, 2009
Contact: Bill Hayden, DEQ
(804) 698-4447
william.hayden@deq.virginia.gov
Julia Dixon, DGIF
(804) 367-0991
julia.dixon@dgif.virginia.gov
VIRGINIA INVESTIGATORS PREPARE FOR POSSIBLE FISH KILLS
RICHMOND, VA. - The Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries are directing ongoing scientific studies this year in preparation for potential fish kills. Spring 2009 investigations will focus on weekly observations, continued fish health evaluations and in-depth study of possible bacterial causes of the kills.
Since 2004, unexplained fish kills have occurred in the Shenandoah River basin. During 2007 and 2008 similar events took place in the upper James and Cowpasture rivers. No kills have been observed in these rivers in 2009, though April and May are the most likely time for occurrences.
The kills are most severe among smallmouth bass and sunfish, but other types of fish also have been affected. Many of these fish develop skin lesions before dying. The fish kills have begun in the spring when water temperatures rise above the mid-50s and generally have run from early April until mid-May.
A detailed summary of findings through the 2008 fish kill season is available on the DEQ website at www.deq.virginia.gov. Fish health studies indicate that fish in the affected rivers are subjected to multiple stresses, and some damage occurs in skin, gills and internal organs. The fish being studied also contain a large number of parasites, but scientists have not been able to connect this condition directly to impairment or fish kills. Biological pathogens, or fish diseases, have received more attention in the past two years and suggest a strong relationship between certain fish bacteria and the springtime fish kills.
Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Fish Health Lab in Leestown, W. Va., recently have found a link between Aeromonas salmonicida – a bacterium found in the diseased river fish – and lesions and deaths of experimentally infected laboratory fish.
A significant focus of current investigations is to determine the source of this bacterium and how it is transmitted, and to determine why certain fish appear to be more susceptible than others. Scientists will continue to collect water and fish samples this spring from the Shenandoah and upper James rivers before, during, and after any disease or fish kill outbreaks.
State agencies and their partners have led multiple investigations into these fish kills. In 2005, DEQ and DGIF formed the Shenandoah River Fish Kill Task Force, which includes university and government scientists, environmental groups, fishing guides, and volunteer monitors – all with a common goal of finding the cause of the kills. This group has helped identify, conduct and evaluate research into possible causes of the fish kills.
Studies by state and federal scientists and university researchers have focused on water chemistry, fish diseases, and general health of fish and other aquatic life. Water quality studies have not identified any specific chemicals at levels that would be expected to cause the fish kills.
Investigators have credited the public with providing significant assistance in the investigation. Many of the outbreaks were reported by fishermen, landowners and other river users. Knowing the timing and location of these events allows scientists to concentrate on the areas where fish kills are active. This information also allows DEQ and DGIF to collect current information on locations and severity of fish kills, and to share this information with the public through periodic updates on the agency websites.
DEQ and DGIF ask the public to continue to report observations of diseased or dead fish. Key information includes types and numbers of fish, location, and any unusual circumstances. Digital photographs are particularly helpful. Anyone with information on dead or dying fish is encouraged to contact the DEQ regional office in Harrisonburg at (540) 574-7800 or toll-free in Virginia at 1-800-592-5482. Information and photos also can be emailed to DEQ at fishreports@deq.virginia.gov.
Bill Hayden
Public Affairs Director
Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
(804) 698-4447
Cell: (804) 305-2538
Fax: (804) 698-4346
wphayden@deq.virginia.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 13, 2008 Contact:
Bill Hayden, DEQ
(804) 698-4447
wphayden@deq.virginia.gov
Julia Dixon, DGIF (804) 367-0991 julia.dixon@dgif.virginia.gov
Fish Kills Have Developed More Slowly in 2008, Virginia Reports
RICHMOND, VA. - Fish kills are occurring in Virginia rivers again this year but have developed more slowly than in past years, according to ongoing studies by the Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. The severity of the kills in the Shenandoah River watershed may be more moderate this year, though fish kills in the upper James River watershed appear similar to those in 2007, the agencies reported today.
Fish kills and fish with lesions have been observed in the upper James River and some tributaries, including the Jackson and Cowpasture rivers. DGIF sampling on these rivers has confirmed recent anglers’ reports that 25 percent to 30 percent of fish have lesions.
There have been no problems reported on the mainstem Shenandoah River, though the upper North and South Forks of the Shenandoah have seen low numbers of affected fish this year. The sections of both forks that experienced kills in past years are reporting greatly improved catches this spring.
Though the fish kills each year apparently have followed the onset of warmer water temperatures during the spring, no cause for the fish deaths and lesions has been identified. The kills have not occurred after June in previous years. The Shenandoah River Fish Kill Task Force, chaired by DEQ and DGIF, began extensive investigations into the problem in 2005.
The number of kills began to increase this spring after stream temperatures rose in late May. Investigators have collected water and fish samples before and during the fish kills, and the same type of sampling has been conducted at other streams – in rivers with similar fish species but no fish kills. Laboratory processing of these samples may take several months.
Here is a summary of fish problems reported in 2008:
James River and tributaries
· The upper James River began showing signs of ailing fish in early April. Numbers of dead fish and fish with lesions – mostly smallmouth bass and sunfish – have increased since stream temperatures increased and stayed warm. Anglers are reporting that fishing remains slow, and many are seeing numerous dead fish on each trip. They also are seeing lesions regularly on the live fish they catch.
· For the first time, the Jackson River is experiencing fish kills. Anglers on the lower Jackson downstream of Covington are providing reports similar to those on the James. Fewer reports have been received from the Jackson than from the James, possibly because there are fewer fishermen on the Jackson.
· The Cowpasture River has generated fewer reports than last year, but the reports all include some lesions and dead fish.
· Craig Creek, a tributary of the James at Eagle Rock, has seen a small number of reports of dead fish and lesions. Fish kills have not been reported on this stream in past years.
Shenandoah River, and North and South Forks
· No problems have been reported this year on the mainstem Shenandoah River, downstream of Front Royal.
· Compared to past years, fairly low numbers of dead fish have been reported on the North and South Forks. Lesion rates of 10 percent to 20 percent have been reported in the past several weeks, primarily upstream of the Mount Jackson-Edinburg area on the North Fork and upstream of Elkton on the South Fork.
· Anglers on most sections of the Shenandoah are reporting excellent success and few fish with visible problems. In particular, the lower North Fork from Woodstock to the mouth is producing very good catches this year. The South Fork also is supporting excellent catches in areas that previously experienced fish kills. Sunfish and rock bass, whose numbers were reduced during the kills, appear to be recovering well.
To view the chart of reported fish kills click on the link here.... 2008 - Fish Kill Spreadsheet.pdf
DEQ and DGIF have set priorities for available funds and are coordinating a number of investigations this year. For example, studies in 2008 include sampling before, during and after fish kills in the rivers experiencing those problems. The investigation also is emphasizing rivers where fish kills have not occurred, expanded lists of chemical analyses with a focus on storm flows, and multiple fish health investigations.
The investigating agencies and the fish kill task force encourage the public to provide information on the location, number and type of fish found dead or sick in the Shenandoah and James river systems. Anyone with information is asked to call the DEQ regional office in Harrisonburg at (540) 574-7800, or toll-free in Virginia at 1-800-592-5482. Information also can be emailed to fishreports@deq.virginia.gov.
For Immediate Release
March 24, 2008
For further information, contact John Holmes at john.holmes@fnfsr.org or 703-963-1665
Friends of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River
FINDS EVIDENCE OF CHEMICALS THAT HARM FISH
The Friends of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River has found evidence of chemicals in the river that may be causing intersex traits in male smallmouth bass and contributing to recent fish kills. The 59 specific chemicals identified in a report released by Friends today include herbicides, insecticides, pharmaceuticals, PCBs, and other manmade compounds. According to Ron Falyar, president of Friends, "Some of the chemicals identified through a monitoring program launched by Friends in the spring of 2007 have likely contributed to harming smallmouth bass in the river."
Over the past four years, the North Fork has had unexplained major kills of smallmouth bass, sunfish and suckers. Tissue studies of dead and dying fish indicate that their immune systems had been compromised. In addition, researchers found that nearly all male smallmouth bass in the North Fork exhibit intersex traits, with males developing eggs in their testes. Intersex has been linked to certain manmade organic chemicals that disrupt the normal functions of the endocrine system which regulates hormones.
With the presence of manmade organic chemicals implicated in both the fish kills and the intersex phenomenon, Friends set out to measure the level of organics chemicals in the river. The sampling, which was done in the spring and early summer of 2007, occurred during a significant fish kill. Friends deployed samplers at two locations in the North Fork, one near Woodstock and one near Mt. Jackson. The samplers were then sent to the United States Geological Survey's Columbia Environmental Research Center for analysis. A grant from the Virginia Environmental Endowment and a matching grant from an anonymous foundation allowed Friends to pay for the chemical analyses.
While human health considerations were outside the scope of the Friends study, we believe that any potential risk that these chemicals pose may extend to the drinking water supplies in the Valley. Recent studies have shown that trace organics of the kind that the study found are going through water treatment systems and are present in public drinking water supplies for many US cities.
For further information on the results of the trace organics projects conducted by the Friends of the North Fork, please contact John Holmes, chair of the Friends Science Committee, at john.holmes@fnfsr.org or 703 963-1665.
click here for a full copy of the report.
Figuring out the fish kills
By: Lindsay Gibson
08/07/2007
Herman Lloyd on the Shenandoah with his day's catch in the 1950s.
Photos courtesy/Herman Lloyd
"We literally made our food budget with catfish
and trout and bass," says Herman Lloyd, reflecting
on life in Clarke County during the 1940s and 50s.
"In those days I was a school teacher making very
little, and...that's the way I went to the market,"
adds Lloyd, a former president of the Clarke County
Historical Association. "I would go home from work
up through the mountains and fish the trout streams."
Despite a miniscule annual salary of $2,000, Lloyd
managed to avoid starving because "the river was full of fish."
The past three years, however, have forced many longtime residents of Clarke County to question the Shenandoah's ability to sustain a healthy and diverse fish population.
John Holmes, who owns a cottage near Woodstock, describes himself as "one of the early observers" of the current wave of fish kills, which first surfaced in the spring of 2004 in the Shenandoah's North Fork.
For Holmes, life on the river has changed drastically since that time. "Five years ago, when I went down to the river...you'd see fish darting all over the place. It was just a matter of how big they were or how many you caught."
Today, though, "it's a different river. The fish just aren't there." Holmes has become heavily involved with the citizens' group Friends of the North Fork, but this commitment has also increased his contact with the kills. "Every spring, because I'm a monitor, I have to watch the fish die," often "covered with fungus."
"Before this happened," he continued, "I would fish every day of the summer. I would stand in the river, and my dog would stand in the river with me. Now I think twice about that."
The kills have also affected his long-term plans, he says: "I bought my house in Woodstock with an eye to retiring there. I've had to put all of that on hold."
Despite optimistic reports about spawning in past years, Holmes points out that "for the first time, it's now showing up in the James River." The situation, he feels, "is not getting better-it's getting worse."
For people who do not live on the river, however, "it's hard to know what's happening unless you're really tuned in," he says.
What, then, is happening? Since the massive fish kill in 2005 eliminated an estimated 80 percent of adult smallmouth bass and redbreast sunfish in the Shenandoah's South Fork, pressure on scientists to discover the source of the kills has mounted.
Steve Reeser, a district fisheries biologist with the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and co-founder of the Fish Kill Task Force, has been working on the fish kills since the very beginning. "We still have not found the smoking gun," he says, "the definitive cause or causes."
What makes it so difficult to shed light on the problems in the Shenandoah, he says, is that "they're not your classic fish kills."
Generally, fish kills fall into one of two broad categories: either "some sort of pollutant or toxic spill...from an effluent pipe," which kills indiscriminately and can usually be traced back to the source, or "some sort of disease outbreak," which tends to affect only "one species or one age class of fish" is at work.
The kills have taken a toll on multiple, but not all, species of fish, and while they have shown highly publicized lesions, "the pathogens that are causing the lesions and killing these fish-many of them have always been there," says Reeser.
Other natural stressors that could be contributing to the fish kills include "temperature increases in the spring, spawning in the spring, [and] increased turbidity."
These factors, however, have always been present. "These fish are being stressed by something else, and in this weaker state they're becoming susceptible" to preexisting disease-causing agents in their environment, Reeser believes.
"The $64,000 question," he says, is "What's this other stressor that's tipping them over the edge?"
"We've grouped two main theories of cause," he says.
A biological agent, such as a virus, may be responsible for weakening the resistance of the fish. "We still haven't been able to take that off the table," says Reeser. "How we've seen these fish kills move from river to river-that's sometimes how pathogens move."
This insight, however, only raises additional questions. "Are we dealing with a new pathogen that's evolved here? That's not a simple thing to determine," says Reeser. "We're looking at known viruses and pathogens," as well as using "the latest techniques to look for new viruses."
Chemical contaminants are the other broad category of potential causes. "You may have a certain chemical or compound that is found other places, too, not just in the Shenandoah," Reeser explains, "but here we have certain conditions [such as pH or temperature] that make the chemical more toxic."
"A lot of chemicals by themselves are fine," he adds, "but if you mix them all together, you can have some synergistic effects." In other words, "whenever a chemical is tested vigorously for years and years" and determined safe, testing processes often do not account for other chemicals which may be present within the watershed.
Or, as Reeser simplifies the issue, "they've never taken all those pharmaceuticals and all those chemicals and mixed them all together in a big tub," which is what happens when chemicals are used in homes, agriculture and development, and then washed into the waterways.
Another promising clue is that the kills occur "following major runoff events, rain events, mainly in the spring," suggesting a connection with non-point source pollution, says Reeser.
According to a report by professor Greg Garman of Virginia Commonwealth University's Center for Environmental Studies and Dr. Donald Orth of Virginia Tech's Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, Reeser's opinions reflect the most up-to-date findings.
The report, submitted to Virginia's Department of Environmental Quality in January 2007, lists more than 20 potential causes for the fish kills.
Garman and Orth designate three theories as high priorities for future investigation:
1.) "Cumulative...effects of primarily agricultural chemicals and additives,"
2.) "immunosuppression in affected fishes, leading to infection by...opportunistic biological pathogen(s)," and
3.) "direct effects by unknown biological pathogen(s)."
In other words, either chemical compounds have built up past the threshold of tolerance for fish; or some agent, whether biological or chemical, has weakened the immune systems of the fish, which are being killed by secondary diseases (similar to the effects of HIV in humans); or a new disease is responsible for harming the fish directly.
Whatever the cause, Steve Reeser believes that "these fish kills are probably not going to go away" on their own. He points to concerned citizens as a "very helpful" force in "letting us understand the temporal and spatial extent" of the kills.
With future involvement of scientists, government officials and citizen volunteers, he hopes that we can alleviate the "black eye" that the fish kills have given to the Shenandoah's image.
Contact the reporter at lggibs@wm.edu.
©Times Community Newspapers 2007
Northern Virginia Daily
March 26, 2007
By Robert King
Daily Staff Writer
A local environmental group has placed monitors in parts of the Shenandoah River in an attempt to gather information about recurring fish kills.
Friends of the North Fork recently deployed eight monitors throughout parts of the river near Woodstock and Mt. Jackson.
The monitors are used to measure and obtain samples of trace organic chemicals, which the group will send to a laboratory to analyze.
The group hopes that the samples will be helpful in an ongoing investigation into a series of fish kills that have baffled scientists.
In spring 2004, officials first noticed large numbers of dead fish in the river. The kills have occurred every spring since then and usually affect two species, the red-breasted sunfish and adult smallmouth bass.
A state task force is trying to determine the cause of the fish kills.
The monitors would help the task force in examining trace organic chemicals, which may have played a part in the kills.
“The initial work on [dead, infected] fish indicate that their immune system has been compromised and a lot of the male bass are showing [an] inter-sex phenomenon,” said John Holmes, chairman of the group’s science committee and a member of the state task force. “The biologists think that may be related to exposure to organic chemicals but we don’t have data that they could look [at] and say here is the kind of chemicals that we are looking for.”
The group hopes the monitors would provide that data.
The eight monitors were assembled into four paired modules, with the modules split between the two locations in the river, Holmes wrote in an e-mail.
The modules will stay in place for six weeks, gathering trace organics. Then the group will pull them out of the river and freeze the samples. Once the samples are frozen, they will be shipped to a federal lab for analysis, Holmes said.
Four of the monitors are set up to retrieve non-polar samples and another four will retrieve polar samples.
“Polar means molecules charged on one end and not on the other,” Holmes said. “You need one device for each type because one device will not attract both.”
The group recently received additional funding from the Virginia Environmental Endowment for the monitors. The total budget for the project is more than $50,000.
A majority of the project’s expenses are for the laboratory analysis, Holmes said.
Friends of the North Fork is undertaking other measures to help officials investigate the fish kills.
The group is sampling water quality every two weeks “and take samples whenever there is a storm event because one of the issues is whether storms release pollution from the land,” Holmes said.
Group members are also keeping their eyes peeled for any dead fish.
“If any of our people are out and in the field and see dead fish or sick fish then they report that to the state and then the state sends out a team to collect the fish and the samples,” Holmes added.
Friends of the North Fork isn’t the only group that has been enlisted to help state officials obtain samples. Members of the task force have said that they would also rely on fishermen to notify them of any fish kills.
Holmes said that he hopes the data from the monitors will play a part in finding a culprit for the kills.
“This is one piece of that puzzle,” he said.
R Contact Robert King at rking@nvdaily.com
OUTDOORS:
Searching for answers to the North Fork Fish Kills
by: Lee Graves at the Richmond Times-Dispatch
Write Lee Graves at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, 300 E. Franklin St., Richmond, VA 23219, call (804) 649-6579 or e-mail outdoors @timesdispatch.com
John Holmes has a simple philosophy when it comes to gathering information.
"One set of data is better than none."
That outlook is propelling a proposal that could shed one more ray of light on why smallmouth bass and other species turned belly up in the North Fork of the Shenandoah River this year and in 2004.
Those fish kills are of more than casual concern to Holmes, Bud Griswold and Jack Lorenz. All live outside Woodstock on the North Fork. All are members of the Friends of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River. And Holmes and Griswold are members of a task force formed in the wake of the most devastating of several kills, a jolt in 2005 that wiped out 80 percent of the adult smallmouth bass and redbreast sunfish on the South Fork of the Shenandoah.
There is no single smoking gun in these kills, or at least none that scientists have identified. That leaves a cloudy picture with numerous possibilities. Multiple stressors in the water leave the fish's immune system so weakened that any one of a number of hazards - pollutants, bacteria, fatigue from spawning - could prove fatal, many believe.
"It's a perfect storm of environmental hazards for fish," Griswold said.
Researchers also have found fish with characteristics of both sexes. Some male smallmouth bass had immature eggs in their testes. They say there's no correlation between these "intersex" smallies and the fish kills.
Exploring one trail brought the three men to Richmond recently. They hope to raise funds and awareness for a study that capitalizes on some cutting-edge technology.
Volunteers with the Friends group already take samples regularly to monitor water quality. Now, they want to see what's in the water another way.
They propose using two types of sampling devices that would be planted in the water for four to eight weeks. One features semi-permeable membranes that mimic the fatty tissue of fish and would measure what might be absorbed by fish in the river. Another also focuses on organic absorption but targets respiratory exposure.
Between the two, scientists could detect everything from herbicides and pesticides to hormones and illicit drugs that get dumped in the water, including "estrogenic compounds" that might be skewing sexual development.
A federal lab in Missouri would conduct the analysis. That's the most costly part of the proposal, which would total an estimated $50,000. They are seeking a grant through the Virginia Environmental Endowment.
Funds are key to solving the riddle of what's killing the fish. Last month, Gov. Tim Kaine freed up $150,000 in emergency funds to continue research in the short term. Holmes said the task force, which is led jointly by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and the state Department of Environmental Quality, needs $420,000 to sustain work in the coming year.
"We don't know what we will get out of the state legislature," Holmes said.
The men are concerned about long-term funding. Their project will be independent of the task force but will provide data that will benefit the research in Virginia and elsewhere.
"As nongovernment folks, there's a certain niche we can fill that they can't," Griswold said.
"Our only objective is to see how much more of the task force's work can be done," Holmes said.
The three bring some hefty credentials to the effort. Lorenz is a former executive director of the Izaak Walton League of America, an award-winning conservationist and a longtime outdoors writer. Holmes is an environmental engineer with a consulting business, and Griswold is a retired fisheries biologist who worked for the government and as a university professor.
They also are avid anglers, and the fate of the North Fork goes beyond science into the realm of days on the water with tight lines and high hopes.
"I've fished in 48 of the 50 states," Lorenz said. "And of all those places, the North Fork of the Shenandoah is where I picked to come fish when I retired."
Contact Lee Graves at outdoors@timesdispatch.com or (804) 649-6579.
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