William G. Kimmel

Macroinvertebrate community structure and detritus processing rates in two southwestern Pennsylvania streams acidified by atmospheric deposition

A one-year study of benthic macroinvertebrate communities and leaf litter decomposition rates was conducted on Wildcat and McGinnis Runs, two headwater tributaries of Rolling Rock Creek in southwestern Pennsylvania. Previous studies have shown these two streams to be affected by acidic runoff following periods of precipitation and snow-melt. The more highly buffered waters of Wildcat Run support wild fish populations while McGinnis Run lacks native fish fauna. Five benthic macroinvertebrate samples were taken from riffle areas in each stream using a Surber sampler during the spring, summer, fall, and winter seasons. Thirty 10-g packs of white ash (Fraxinus americana) leaves were placed in each stream on October 7, 1982, and sampled over a 5-month period to determine per cent weight loss. The benthic macroinvertebrate community of McGinnis Run was found to be depressed compared to that of Wildcat Run in terms of density, diversity, and total taxa. The overall rate of leaf-litter decomposition was also slower in McGinnis Run.

Efficiency and Selectivity of Gill Nets for Assessing Fish Community Composition of Large Rivers

Abstract To evaluate the efficiency and selectivity of gill netting for assessing fish biodiversity in the upper Ohio River system, we compared the efficiency of five gill-net types for sampling large-bodied fishes (adult total length greater than 250 mm) during fall 2001 and spring and fall 2002. Mesh sizes ranged from 3.8 cm to 14 cm (bar measure). We set the gill nets in selected pools of the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio rivers 186 times over three seasons for a total of 1,644 net-hours. Nets were attached to a variety of structures, including trees and rootwads, bridge pylons, lock and dam chambers, and channel marker buoys. Nets were fished from late evening to first light, and all fish captured were identified, enumerated, and released. A total of 823 individuals representing 30 species or hybrids were captured. All net types captured common carp Cyprinus carpio and flathead catfish Pylodictis olivaris, but we captured a significantly greater diversity of fishes in graded-mesh gill nets with sma...

Episodic Acidification and Changes in Fish Diversity in Pennsylvania Headwater Streams

Abstract Current water chemistry and fish communities in 70 Pennsylvania streams were compared with historical records to determine whether fish species richness had declined and, if so, the possible role of acidification. First-, second-, and third-order streams were selected, and stream sites sampled during the 1961–1971 survey were resampled during May and June 1994 in the Appalachian Plateaus province and during June 1995 in the Valley and Ridge province. Streamflow was measured and a habitat assessment was completed at each site. Dominant bedrock types influencing the stream sampling site were determined for the Appalachian Plateaus streams. Episodic water chemistry was collected for 39 of the 50 Appalachian Plateaus streams and 14 of the 20 Valley and Ridge streams during the winter and spring of 1996. Thirty-eight (76%) streams of the Appalachian Plateaus province and 13 (65%) streams in the Valley and Ridge province had a loss of fish species since the 1961–1971 sampling period. Habitat scores wer...

Ichthyofauna of the Monongahela River Basin in Pennsylvania: A Contemporary Evaluation

ABSTRACT By the 1900s, the ichthyofauna of Pennsylvanias Monongahela River basin was decimated by a combination of discharges from industrial, coal extraction, and municipal sources. Over the past half-century, water quality improvements resulting fiom federal and state mandates have initiated a continuing recovery of fish populations throughout the mainstem. We compiled the results of recent (2003–06) collections from the river and its tributary network by a number of state, federal, and academic agencies employing a variety of gear. The combined sampling methods yielded 32,999 fishes on the mainstem, representing 14 families and 64 species/hybrids, while 6,825 fishes representing 10 families and 51 species/hybrids were captured from the tributaries. Tributary species richness ranged from 24 to 0 concomitant with declining water quality. Members of the families Ictaluridae and Cyprinidae dominated mainstream communities, while the Percidae and Cyprinidae were prevalent in its tributaries. Twenty-two species were captured only from the Monongahela mainstem, while 11 were unique to its tributaries and 39 were cosmopolitan. Overall, the Monongahela Basin ichthyofaunal complement currently numbers 75 species/hybrids.

Development and Application of an Index of Biotic Integrity for Fish Communities of Wadeable Monongahela River Tributaries

ABSTRACT We developed an index of biotic integrity (IBI) to assess the health of fish communities inhabiting low-order tributaries of the Monongahela River in Pennsylvania. Environmental stressors observed were urbanization, agriculture, raw and treated sewage discharges, net alkaline mine drainage, and acid mine drainage (AMD). Species richness ranged from zero in streams impacted by AMD and/or untreated sewage to 24 in our reference stream. Our IBI classified the majority (>90%) of streams in this region as significantly stressed, receiving qualitative evaluations of “fair” to “very poor.” Moreover, of the 4,090 fishes collected, only four species representing 2% of the total number collected were classified as intolerant to pollution.

Pumping Alkaline Groundwater to Restore a Put-and-Take Trout Fishery in a Stream Acidified by Atmospheric Deposition

Abstract The purpose of this study was to pump alkaline groundwater into Linn Run in southwestern Pennsylvania to neutralize acidity, reduce dissolved aluminum concentrations, and protect stocked brown trout Salmo trutta and brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis during the springs of 1985 and 1986. A regression model was used to estimate the groundwater volume needed to maintain predetermined stream pH levels for a given streamflow. Equal numbers of brook and brown trout were stocked in a treatment stream section influenced by the wells and a naturally alkaline downstream reference section before and during the fishing season each year. Groundwater addition increased mean stream pH from 4.9 upstream of the wells to 6.0 in the treatment section and reduced mean dissolved aluminum from 0.36 mg/L to 0.03 mg/L above and below the wells, respectively. A large runoffepisode following the 1985 preseason stocking overwhelmed the capacity of the wells to neutralize Linn Run, causing at least 25% mortality and reducing...

Fish Assemblage Connectivity in the Monongahela River Basin

Abstract Tributary and mainstem corridors represent important fish-connectivity avenues in large riverscapes. We evaluated the connectivity of 40 Monongahela River tributaries in southwestern Pennsylvania and their respective mainstem junctions using a variety of gears. Twelve tributaries were so fragmented by physical and water-quality impediments, comparisons could not be made. Among the 28 remaining tributaries, classified as adventitious (lst–3rd order) or ordered (4th–5th order), we evaluated fish communities using the Jaccard coefficient of similarity, a cluster analysis, and a Venn diagram. Adventitious tributaries shared 82% of their total faunal complement with ordered tributaries and 29% with the mainstem, while 70% of the ordered ichthyofauna was common to the mainstem. The ichthyofauna of the adventitious tributary network was more distinct and isolated from the mainstem than that of ordered tributaries. In fragmented riverscapes such as this, islands (tributaries) of biodiversity may warrant special protection.

Movement and Habitat Use of Stocked Juvenile Paddlefish in the Ohio River System, Pennsylvania

Abstract In 2002 and 2003 we released a total of 66 hatchery-reared, juvenile paddlefish Polyodon spathula (249–318 mm eye-to-fork length) in Pennsylvanias upper Ohio River system and tracked them with radiotelemetry in two different pools of the Ohio and Allegheny rivers to determine (1) poststocking survival, (2) whether release site influences survival, (3) dispersal distance and direction of movement, and (4) habitat selection. Survival was fair (mean = 78% in 2002 and 67% in 2003) for 0.23–0.43-kg paddlefish after 9 weeks. In 2003, fish stocked in the upstream half of the pool had a greater survival (100%) after 63 d than those stocked in the downstream half (44%). Within 4 d of stocking, 77% of juvenile paddlefish were located in tailwaters, and fish found these habitats regardless of stocking location. Habitat measurements at all postdispersal locations had median depths of 5.2 and 6.1 m in 2002 and 2003, respectively, and median near-surface velocities of 0.17 and 0.12 m/s. Fish selected tailwate...

Benthic Macroinvertebrate Community Structure in Relation to Seasonal and Geochemical Changes in a Chronically Acidified Stream

ABSTRACT The Blue Hole Creek basin (1652 ha) is located in an area of Pennsylvania that is historically high in wet deposition of sulfates and nitrates. Five stations on Cole Run (chronically acidified) and one on Blue Hole Creek (episodically acidified) were sampled twice seasonally—once at base flow and once at high flow. Total iron, aluminum, and sulfate trended toward a direct relationship with discharge, while pH and alkalinity exhibited an inverse relationship. Stations with higher pH values were linked with the Mauch Chunk geologic formation and Fluvaquents soil series, while those with lower pH were linked with the Pottsville geologic formation and the Brinkerton, Cookport, and Rayne-Gilpin soil series. Fewer macroinvertebrates were collected from the episodically acidified station than at any of the chronically acidified stations on 71% of the sample dates. Although the number of taxa was similar between stations (n=16-23), more taxa were unique to Cole Run than to Blue Hole Creek. Shredder and collector functional groups dominated in Cole Run, while in Blue Hole Creek functional groups were more balanced, or dominated by predators or collectors depending on season. No clear patterns were discerned for season or flow. High flows, however, tended to produce higher diversity values at stations usually dominated by a single taxon. Despite chronic acidification, stations on Cole Run showed diversity and equitability values similar to, and occasionally exceeding, those of the episodically acidified stream.

Use of the Coefficient of Community Loss (I) to Assess Cultural Stresses on Monongahela River Tributary Fish Communities

ABSTRACT We utilized a single metric, the coefficient of community loss (I) to assess the health of fish communities inhabiting 27 low-order Monongahela River tributaries in Pennsylvania. All streams were sampled during summers of 2003 and 2004 utilizing two-pass back-pack electrofishing from the mouth extending 200 m upstream. Environmental stressors observed in and on-stream were habitat alteration and non-point source discharges due to urbanization and agriculture along with point-source discharges of raw and treated sewage, net alkaline mine drainage, and acid mine drainage (AMD). Species richness and I-metric scores in streams impacted by major AMD and/or untreated sewage were 0 and α, respectively. While those exhibiting minimal cultural stress had species richness totals and I-metric scores of 24 and 0.24, respectively. Values of I were negatively correlated with index of biotic integrity scores (-0.951), suggesting that I could provide a rapid comprehensive assessment of the relative health of fish communities within a major watershed.