CLYDE RIVER FISH KILL 2016 PRELIMINARY REPORT

Transcription

1 CLYDE RIVER FISH KILL 2016 PRELIMINARY REPORT November 2016

2 CLYDE RIVER FISH KILL PRELIMINARY REPORT, NOVEMBER 2016 SUMMARY A fish kill on Clyde River was reported to e Prince Edward Island Department of Communities, Land and Environment on July 25, Representatives from e PEI Department of Communities, Land and Environment, PEI Department of Justice and Public Safety, Environment Canada and PEI Department of Agriculture and Fisheries responded to e incident. There were 259 brook trout, 18 rainbow trout and 65 ree-spined sticklebacks collected during e investigation and clean up. The Environment Canada Climate Data website indicates at 33.3 mm of rainfall fell in e Elmwood area in e afternoon of July 24, BACKGROUND At 5:15 PM on July 25, 2016, e project coordinator wi e Central Queens Wildlife Federation discovered dead fish upstream from e Bannockburn Road in e West Branch of e Clyde River. The discovery was reported to e Freshwater Fisheries Biologist wi e PEI Department of Communities, Land and Environment (DCLE) who immediately notified officers wi e Department of Justice and Public Safety (PEIDJP) and Environment Canada. Once a fish kill had been confirmed, e Environmental Emergency number was called. Four Environment Canada Officers, e Chief Provincial Enforcement Officer, e Freshwater Fisheries Biologist and e on-call Environmental Emergency Response team member (DCLE) responded. INSPECTION DETAILS First responders observed at e water in e West Branch of e Clyde River upstream from e Bannockburn Road crossing was turbid. The water in e Nor Branch of e river which joins e West Branch immediately below e Bannockburn Road culvert was clear. Eight brook trout were collected in approximately 60 m of stream upstream from e Bannockburn Road and a water sample taken. The Baltic Road tributary was checked but it was clear and only live fish were observed. Responders checked two locations on e West Branch accessible via e Baltic Road and dead brook trout and sticklebacks were colleted at bo locations. The next stream crossing checked was at e Colville Road. Dead fish were seen immediately downstream from e crossing and additional trout were collected. Vegetation next to e stream was flattened from previous higher water levels and ere were some gullies visible between adjacent fields and e stream. The Chief Provincial Enforcement Officer and freshwater fisheries biologist checked various locations upstream from e Colville Road but no dead fish were observed. The West Branch has its origins about 1.0 km upstream from e Colville Road, sou of e

3 Kingston Road, but much of e upper reaches of is section is intermittent, us little water flow was present. Figure 1. Location of e Clyde River fish kill, The affected portion of stream on e West Branch (5.8 km) is highlighted in red. Water samples (bo stream and standing water samples), soil, and vegetation samples, as well as fish samples, were collected and buffer zone measurements taken on July 25. Additional samples and measurements were obtained on July 26. Some of e fish collected on July 25 were wrapped in tinfoil and transported to Moncton s Environment Canada laboratory for pesticide analyses. Five brook trout and one ree-spined stickleback were kept refrigerated until delivered to e Atlantic Veterinary College for necropsy e following day.

4 ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS RAINFALL A weaer station operated by a certified weaer observer is located approximately 2.8 km from e stream crossing on e Colville Road ( where e fish kill originated. A Davis Vantage Pro rain gauge recorded 33.3 mm of precipitation over ree hours, wi e most intense rainfall occurring between 2:30 and 3:30 PM. A Type B Manual gauge at e same site recorded 39.6 mm of rainfall during is period. Environment Canada s radar modeling map shows heavy bands of precipitation in e Elmwood area in mid-afternoon on July 24, Figure 2. Environment Canada weaer radar for 2:30 PM on July 24, WATER QUALITY Temperature and oxygen readings were obtained at e Bannockburn Road on e West Branch of Clyde River on July 26 at 2:30 PM. Water temperature at at time was 13.6C wi a dissolved oxygen concentration of 7.5 mg/l. These levels are wiin e optimum range for brook trout (13-18 C and >5 mg/l of oxygen). FISH CLEAN UP Clean-up of dead fish was completed on July 27, 2016 wi e freshwater fisheries biologist assisted by Forests, Fish and Wildlife staff as well as representatives from e Central Queens Wildlife Federation. There were 221 brook trout, 18 rainbow trout and 64 sticklebacks retrieved during e clean-up, in addition to e 38 trout and one stickleback collected for analyses on July 25. All of e intact salmonids collected during clean-up were identified to species and measured.

5 During e clean up, it was observed at e vegetation along e stream banks was flattened by a previous high water event. Some of e dead fish were recovered on e banks, well above e current water level. Scavengers had already been in e stream, and some of e fish were partially eaten. Raccoon tracks were evident in exposed soil in many locations. There was one fish recovered in e pool downstream from e Bannockburn Road but no oer dead fish were observed in a 200 metre section downstream from e Forks of e West and Nor Branches. A Fish and Wildlife Technician walked ~100 metres upstream from e Colville Road but no dead fish were found in is section. The mean leng of brook trout collected was 15.7 cm, and mean leng for e rainbow trout was 12.1 cm (Figure 3). Very few young-of-e-year (YOY) trout were collected, even ough e YOYs make up e majority of e population of salmonids in PEI streams. The smallest fish tend to be under-represented in fish kill clean-up because ey are more difficult to find in grass, sediment and debris. SOIL AND WATER ENGINEER ASSESSMENT As recommended by e 2012 Report of e Action Committee on Sustainable Land Management, soil and water engineers arrived on site on July 26, They assessed fields in row crops in e Colville Road area for signs of erosion. The engineers work wi landowners to address any erosion issues identified and submit a report to e PEI Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, PEI Department of Communities, Land and Environment, and PEI Department of Justice and Public Safety.

6 Figure 3. Leng frequency histogram of brook trout collected in Clyde River on July 26-27, 2016 Figure 4. Leng frequency histogram of rainbow trout collected in Clyde River on July 26-27, 2016.

7 RESULTS ATLANTIC VETERINARY COLLEGE - FISH NECROPSY Five brook trout and one ree-spined stickleback were collected on July 25, 2016 and submitted to e Atlantic Veterinary College for necropsy July 26, The trout were observed to be well preserved wi no obvious external injuries. The lack of external lesions and e presence of food in eir stomachs is indicative of a very acute dea.

8 APPENDIX I CLYDE RIVER FISHKILL JULY25-27, 2016 PHOTOS

9 Figure 5. Environment Canada officers look for dead fish upstream from Bannockburn Road on July 25, Figure 6. Dead brook trout collected upstream from e Bannockburn Road on July 25, 2016.

10 Figure 7. The stream crossing at e Colville Road was e uppermost location where dead fish were found. July 25, Figure 8. Vegetation lining e stream was flattened and compressed downstream from e Colville Road. July 25, 2016.

11 Figure 9. Central Queens Wildlife Federation members collect fish downstream from e Colville Road on July 26, Figure 10. A brook trout is observed downstream from e Colville Road on July 26, 2016.

12 Figure 11. Remains of a brook trout found downstream from e Colville Road on July 26, Figure 12. Racoon tracks in exposed soil downstream from e Colville Road. July 26,

13 Figure 13. Fish and Wildlife technician measures fish collected in e West Branch of Clyde River on July 26, Figure 14. One of e larger brook trout collected on e West Branch of Clyde River on July 25, 2016.

14 APPENDIX CLYDE RIVER FISH KILL NECROPSY RESULTS Atlantic Veterinary College

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