Comment by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation on Susky Smallies

[Fishidiot]

For those of us interested in the problems with bass in the lower Susquehanna - here's the views of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation:

CBF - SMB Comments

 

[troutbert]

A few decades ago we weren't seeing these problems with the smallmouth. Now we are.

What changed?

They don't tackle that in the article.

 

[melvinp]

Not just the lower susky now!!!!!!!!!!!.Its already up stream.Not looking good.

 

[Fishidiot]

troutbert wrote:
A few decades ago we weren't seeing these problems with the smallmouth. Now we are.

What changed?

That's the million dollar question.

The river is generally cleaner than it was in the bass fishing heyday of the 1970s-90s. Something has changed in the lower river that continues to impact bass and it has not been definitively identified. The current theory is that a combination of low, warm water in summer with low DO levels combined with slightly higher levels of dissolved phosphorus may be the problem (or part of the problem).

More study is needed.

 

[afishinado]

Another article with info from the CBF on the subject of SMB:

http://cbf.typepad.com/bay_daily/2013/04/perfect-storm-of-pollution-and-parasites-threaten-popular-sportfish.html

 

[McSneek]

The cause: A "perfect storm" of high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus pollution, rising water temperatures believed to be at least partly due to global warming and a mix of chemicals from sewage plants, says the report, released Thursday by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.


Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/842213_Susquehanna-River-s-poor-health-is-killing-smallmouth-bass.html#ixzz2RZIqYHQc

 

[boychick]

Very sad state of affairs.

 

[afishinado]

Latest from the Commish....

HARRISBURG, Pa. (May 9) - Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved Pennsylvania’s 2012 Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report, as submitted by the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
The following statement can be attributed to John Arway, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC):

“The EPA’s endorsement of the DEP report is extremely disappointing since it delays action on beginning to develop a cleanup plan for the Susquehanna River for at least another two years. We continue to believe that ample scientific evidence exists to demonstrate that the river is sick and needs help sooner than later. Smallmouth bass are dying and it is imperative that we begin to take steps to clean up the river. This delay will result in another two years of inaction and will result in more bass dying leading to less recreational fishing and a continued economic impact to those who benefit from a healthy river.

“The recently published EPA National Rivers and Streams Assessment Survey found that over 55% of our nation’s streams and rivers do not support healthy populations of aquatic life. A total of 40% of our waters have been identified to have high levels of phosphorus and 27% have high levels of nitrogen. Four sampling sites of the national survey were located on the Susquehanna River and the two Pennsylvania sites rated poor for fish, periphyton, water quality and total phosphorus. Since EPA’s own data corroborated the PFBC’s findings that the river is of poor quality, we are surprised that EPA did not conclude that we need to list the river as impaired and develop a plan to fix it.

“Despite this setback, we will continue to work collaboratively with DEP and others to collect the necessary data to prove by whatever measurement necessary that the river is impaired. Our anglers and the smallmouth bass that remain in the river deserve our full attention while we continue to debate their fate.”

Media Contact
Eric Levis, Press Secretary
717.705.7806
elevis@pa.gov


Link to source: http://www.fish.state.pa.us/newsreleases/2013press/epa-statement.htm

 

[Fishidiot]

Thanks for the heads-up Afish. Arway's heart is in the right place and he pulled hard for a declaration of impairment.
With that said, I'm not surprised this turned out the way it did.

 

[TimMurphy]

troutbert wrote:
A few decades ago we weren't seeing these problems with the smallmouth. Now we are.

What changed?

They don't tackle that in the article.

Dear troutbert,

Figuring things out is easy.

High volume high production farming, both crop and livestock, and 200,000 + acres of cement, clay, and glass replacing 200,000 + acres of woodlots and small scale farm fields.

It was good while it lasted.

Tim Murphy

 

[LongWader]

I have seen the Monocacy river in Maryland basically die below the City of Frederick over the last 35 years due to farming practices, feed lots, high density housing developments, and the amount of water the City of Frederick takes from the river every year. It was once a unbelievably vibrant fishery. Now it is like a dead river until the Double Pipe feeds in and the Double Pipe is in bad shape. While Global warming has not been a factor since 1998 new housing developments and intensive farming practices have all taken their toll. Green house operations, some farms, and feed lots a long with the City of Frederick take huge amounts of water out of the river during the summer months when the flows tend to be low anyway and this has turned many of the river's beautiful boulder holes into dead pools that can barely support carp. The water they return to the river is so putrid that you would not want to be anywhere near it. I have seen huge die offs of largemouth, smallmouth, fresh water mussels, and even crayfish during the Spring and Summer months. I can't help, but wonder if the Susquehana river is just a larger example of this same sad situation.