More Fish Dead in Dunkard Creek
DNR: Not related to 2009 incident
Morgantown Dominion Post
11 July 2010
By Alex Lang
Anyone with knowledge of suspicious activity around Dunkard Creek near
Wadestown in the past few weeks is urged to contact the state’s
Department of Environmental Protection.
Thousands of fish were found dead earlier this month in Dunkard Creek,
but a Division of Natural Resources (DNR) biologist said it doesn’t
appear to be related to the cause of a fish kill in the stream last
year.
“It appears to be unrelated to mining or gas drilling,” said Frank
Jernejcic, District 1 fisheries biologist for the DNR.
In September 2009, a toxin released by an algae bloom killed thousands
of fish in Dunkard Creek.
The algae bloomed because of elevated total dissolved solids (TDS)
levels in the stream. The investigation into the elevated TDS levels
focused on discharge from CONSOL’s Blacksville No. 2 mine.
Jernejcic said he learned about the recent fish kill on July 1. He
estimated that 6,000-7,000 fish were part of the kill.
About a dozen types of fish were involved — many were minnows or
darters. The fish were dying along a roughly milelong stretch of the
north fork of West Virginia’s part of the stream near Wadestown. The
stream also goes into Pennsylvania.
“I’m always disappointed in a fish kill,” Jernejcic said.
He said he believes someone dumped something in the stream. Jernejcic
said there is nothing obvious in terms of a discharge where the fish
died, so he thinks something toxic was added to the water.
Also, when he returned to the stream the next day, the fish kill hadn’t
extended any further, Jernejcic said.
Unfortunately, Jernejcic said they usually don’t find out who causes
such a fish kill.
The area where the fish died was unaffected by the 2009 fish kill,
Jernejcic said. This fish kill shouldn’t affect efforts to restock
Dunkard Creek. The DNR plans to return to the waterway next week to
survey the area to develop a plan for Dunkard Creek. Officials will
also check on the status of the most recent fish kill.
Upper Monongahela River Association Vice President Barry Pallay said he
believes the cause of the fish kill is still being investigated. But,
he said it appears to be a man-made cause.
Pallay encouraged anyone with information about the cause of the fish
kill to contact the DNR and the West Virginia Department of
Environmental Protection.
Jernejcic said he doesn’t typically send out press releases, and an
e-mail to DEP spokeswoman Kathy Cosco asking why it took a week for
information to get out about the kill was not returned in time for this
report.
Anyone with information can contact the West Virginia Department of
Environmental Protection at 304-926-0440.
Dunkard forum open to public
Submitted to The Dominion Post
A forum on the Dunkard Creek fish kill and other water quality issues
scheduled for Wednesday by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at WVU
is open to the public.
The forum runs from 6:30-8 p.m. in OLLI classroom A in the Mountaineer
Mall, Green Bag Road.
Forum leaders are Barry Pallay, Frank Jernejcic and Wallace Venable.
This class will provide an opportunity to learn more about the total
dissolved solids problem and methods of mitigation.
Pallay is a chemical engineer and vicepresident of the Upper
Monongahela River Association.
Jernejcic works with the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources.
Venable is a mechanical engineer and technical coordinator of UMRA.
Members of the public who plan to attend should e-mail Don Strimbeck at
dcsoinks@comcast.net.
Info on OLLI: www.olliatwvu.org