Dunkard Creek Aquatic Life Kills September, 2009 ORSANCO Technical Committee Meeting October 20, 2009

West Virginia Fork Pennsylvania Fork Range Run Mason-Dixon Park Miracle Run Blacksville #2 St. Leo

Draft Timeline of Dunkard Creek Fish Kill Investigation

Data Sources WVDEP – Division of Mining and Reclamation – Division of Water and Waste Management Environmental Enforcement Watershed Assessment WVDNR PA Fish and Boat Commission PADEP USEPA Dischargers – NPDES Requirements – Special Studies WVU, RAIN, USGS, Watershed Associations, Interest Groups, others?

Data Great Deal Collected Not all results in/entered/qc’d... Many, many pollutants analyzed for... Most Investigators Analyzing pH, Conductivity, Sulfate, Chloride, TDS, nutrients and metals Organics have also been analyzed This is a developing topic, cooperators seeing things for the 1 st time; much more coordination required

WVDEP Pre-TMDL Development Monitoring – July 2005 thru June 2006 v. Recent Data WV & PA DEP data - DRAFT Location pHConductivitySulfateChloride AvgMaxrecentAvgMaxrecentAvgMaxrecentAvgMaxrecent South Fork/West Virginia Fork ,81512,776 9, ,370 1,7665,0663, ,0821,300 West Virginia Fork/Dunkard mp 2.7 (Wana) ,9006,805 3, , ,4831, West Virginia Fork/Dunkard mp ,9046, *- 33, ,192 1, , * Pennsylvania Fork/Dunkard Creek near mouth to 16 Miracle Run near mouth ,7293, ,3401, Dunkard Mason Dixon Park ,

Uncorrected data

Prymnesium parvum is a haptophyte, belonging to Haptophyta (=Prymnesiophyta). The species is of concern because of its ability to produce a toxin. It is a flagellated alga that is normally found suspended in the water column. It was first identified in North America in 1985 and it is not known if it was introduced artificially (e.g., an invasive species or missed in previous surveys). Toxin production mainly kills fish and appears to have little effect on cattle or humans. This distinguishes it from red tide, which are algal bloom whose toxins lead to harmful effects in people. Although no harmful effects are known, it is recommended not to consume dead or dying fish exposed to a P. parvum bloom.haptophyteHaptophytaNorth Americared tide

P. parvum grows grows in a salinity range of 0.1%-10% with an optimum at 0.3-6% although strains collected in different places appear to have different salinity tolerances. The alga produces dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) and other unknown polyols, likely as an adaptation to osmoregulation. The environment must be between 2 and 30° C for P. parvum to live. Growth at a pH as low as of 5.8 has been observed, but cells typically prefer higher pH ranges.salinitydimethylsulfoniopropionateDMSPpolyolsosmoregulationpH.1-10% = ,000 ppm..3% - 6% = 3000 – 60,000 ppm Ocean water 35,000 ppm = 3.5% salt = 35 PSU practical salinity unit

“You can clearly see the two flagella, haptonema (extra flagella like structure) and refractile bodies (spheres) within cells. All characteristic of Prymnesium parvum”

Wisconsin Information – Prymnesium parvum

Prymnesium Parvum Cells/mL WANA 345,320 MDP 242,300 WTL 304,600 UMR 102,200 DBP UBD 460 Oklahoma – kills 50k+

USGS Notes on Fish Histology “A preliminary assessment is there certainly seems to be a toxic response. The livers and the gills appear the most severely affected. Gills have lifting of the epithelium, thickening of the epithelium over on the secondary lamellae, in areas leading to fusion. There is proliferation of the mucous cells and some species have inflammation in the gills as well. “

Golden Algae Photo’s courtesy of WVDEP’s Mike Carico/Brad Swiger

Photo – WVDEP Jeff Bailey DOH Garage 9/18/09

Looking Forward... Much more information to be gathered Much more data analysis Much more coordination Load reductions Restoration