May 22, 2007
James River fish kill is the real deal
I spent the better part of the morning with biologists collecting fish on the James River near Horseshoe Bend in Botetourt County.
I hate to say it, but the fish kill they've been investigating is the real deal. We didn't see many dead fish, but saw plenty of sick fish. Of 34 smallmouth bass they collected (through electroshocking), 14 had lesions. That doesn't mean they'll all die, of course, but some looked pretty bad off. Of 33 rock bass, 15 had lesions.
The kill is similar to the ones they've seen on the Shenandoah the past three (and now, four) years. Those kills have typically run their course by early June. In some cases, up to an estimated 80 percent of the adults of affected species have been killed.
Even if this has only a couple more weeks left I shudder to think of how many smallmouths may be gone in the James, which was making a nice recovering after some poor spawns a few years ago.
I'm not going to go into too many details here. I'm working on a story for the news section that should run Thursday.
But I have to admit I had a pit in my stomach during the operation. That's my favorite section of the James. I've fished it quite a bit since moving here in 1998. One of my better smallmouths from the river came from the hole right above the boat ramp, which is sometimes also called the Narrow Passage ramp.
Some friends will be in town in June and I planned to take them on that section for a float. I don't know about that now.
Comments
[May 24, 2007 7:50 AM]
Bearman's NephewHas anyone considered the runoff from the land being cleared for General Shale's planned ridgetop removals in northern Botetourt? Much of the land has been entirely denuded of vegetation already, with creeks running brown that never did before in the memory of lifelong residents. Industrial overdevelopment, overuse and the associated degradation of the environment could very well play a role.
[May 24, 2007 10:32 PM]
Mark TaylorInvestigators are looking at everything, believe me. While development and runoff are being looked into, they can't really blame what they call "point source" contamination, or something bad that's coming from a single site, for the James and Cowpasture situation.
As for the General Shale thing, fish are sick and dying upstream from that area. So while most would agree that runoff and erosion caused by work going on there isn't ideal, it's very unlikely it is directly responsible for the kills on the James and Cowpasture.
Thanks for reading, and thanks for taking the time to comment. And also thank you for your general concern about the James and the potential impact major industrial development could have on the watershed, something we all need to keep an eye on.
mt
[May 25, 2007 9:28 AM]
New River RatI'm wondering about the poultry industry in the Shenandoah area being the culprit there. The primary times for the kills have been in the spring, and basically they are finished around June or so. I have been instructed that there may be farmers fertilizing their feilds along the Cowpasture. Guess what the fertilizer is? Guess where the fertilizer comes from? Chicken poop imported from the Shenandoah area. Guess when it it spread on the feilds? Springtime. Could be something to look into.......
[May 25, 2007 11:59 AM]
LindseyMark, I can completely understand that sinking feeling you've got about this fish kill. Being an intense lover of the Cowpasture River with deep family roots there, I was dismayed to hear that fish there are turning up with lesions, too. I'm eager to hear the result of the Cowpasture section of that study. As for the floating part, I just can't bear to let this keep me off what has long been the most pristine river in SW Va. I'm celebrating my birthday up there this weekend and I'll let you know if I turn up with any lesions.
[May 25, 2007 12:16 PM]
Mark TaylorThanks for the comments and suggestions.
Lindsey, I wouldn't let this keep you off the Cowpasture, either. There's more to floating than fishing, obviously. But it will be more difficult to enjoy that pristine setting knowing that something could be (or, really, IS) woefully wrong with the river.
By the way, if YOU turn up with lesions after the float, please let me know. That would take this story to another level.
mt
[May 25, 2007 9:48 PM]
Ed BaglianiMark, I have been spending the last several weeks at Roanoke Rapids chasing stripers around so have missed the early news on the Upper J. Very few people know that section of river better than myself. Please let me know of any meetings that I can attend. This river is the lifeblood of Botetourt Co. and needs to be protected at ALL cost. The local Botetourt Co. Gov't was asleep at the wheel when the Rose Land Co. tore up Purgatory Mtn. Lets hope they are awake for this disaster. Interesting points stated above but scientific data must support and the state of VA must be willing to spend the money to find out. Shame on them if they don't.
[May 26, 2007 1:28 PM]
LLEW fISCHERThirty years ago while livng on Craig's Creek near Eagle Rock most of the fish we caught in the James River were diseased. We surmised the source of the problem was the effluent from Westvaco pulp mill operations. Could there be a similar coorelation as the souce of the current fish kill? Naturally, fish swimming upstream into the Cowpasture River from the James River could be the orgin of the diseaed fish in the Cowpasture. Also, does the Shenandoah River have a pulp mill upstream from the fish kill? Of course, in both instances the pollution could be from farm run-off. I'm sure the above is something that has already been considered.
[June 7, 2007 12:59 PM]
Jim PearmanMark, It was interesting to read about your carp fishing trip to the Duck Pond. It might interest you to know that fifty years ago the ponds (especially the upper one)were healthy bodies of water with, among other fish, populations of non-stunted bluegills and largemouths at least up to seven pounds or so. Alas, it wasn't long before the construction boom began in Blacksburg and on campus. The pond soon had mostly carp, smaller bluegills and not many bass.
When I was a student at Tech in the mid sixties, I worked during the summer for the Building and Grounds Department. One summer(I forget which one) the big pond was drained to clean some of the muck and assorted junk from the bottom. We student employees were assigned to pull the nasty but interesting stuff from the goo. Anyway, what I was getting at is that in the small pool of water remaining near the dam, a fellow pulled out a flathead catfish that I would guess was in the twenty to twenty-five pound range.
Thanks for bringing to mind stuff that I hadn't thought about for years.
[June 8, 2007 10:45 AM]
Angie ChristophersonMy son went swimming in the James River recently and is terribly sick with Cryptosporidiosis Parvum. That river is terribly sick! No one in my family will ever swim in those waters again!
[June 12, 2007 1:07 PM]
Dave WaddellI floated the upper James (above Maury River) last year and caught a lot of Smallmouth and none of them had lesions. It was four of us and I would estimate we caught close to 200 fish over four days . We plan to go again this year but Im now concerned that this trip will be very different.
Angie ,sorry about your son. It's one thing to not catch fish its another when you cant get in the water without becoming sick.
[June 12, 2007 3:50 PM]
Chris VaughanA friend and I fished Horsehoe Bend to Buchanan last Friday 6/8. Of the 30 or so smallmouths we caught, I'd say about 6 of those fish had visible lesions on their mouths. They took the bait and fought well, but it was concerning to see that many sick fish. Hopefully as we move further into June their health will start improving again.
[June 13, 2007 11:01 AM]
Brian HinsonDave, Great to find you here. Let me know if you are getting that trip together again this year - would love to go if there is room.
Reading about this Cryptosporidiosis Parvum reminds of of that year on the Rappahanock where you got so sick. Same symptoms. Hmmm...
(http://biology.kenyon.edu/slonc/bio38/hannahs/crypto.htm )
b