Residents Report Rust Tinge to Creek
DEP says Dunkard free of golden algae
Morgantown Dominion Post
24 August 2010
Some residents have reported seeing rust-colored water in Dunkard Creek
again — the same color the stream turned last year when dead fish first
started washing up on its banks.
But, right now, officials don’t see any signs of another golden algae
bloom — the culprit of last year’s fish kill.
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the
West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (DNR) and CONSOL are among
the groups monitoring the stream.
DEP spokeswoman Kathy Cosco said Monday that the DEP was first notified
of the rust-colored water last week.
Officials took samples of the water and, according to preliminary
tests, there was no golden algae bloom, Cosco said.
CONSOL takes samples of the stream’s water to test it for the algae
weekly, she said, as part of the order the DEP issued the coal company
in April. Those tests also came back negative.
Cosco said, currently, there is no evidence of any fish deaths or the
fish being under any stress.
“There are a lot of eyes on that stream,” she said. “We’re all very
sensitive to it and we’re paying close attention.”
Most of the marine life in Dunkard Creek — nearly 20 miles of stream —
was killed in September 2009.
An algal bloom released a toxin that killed tens of thousands of fish
in the stream. The algae bloomed because of elevated levels of total
dissolved solids (TDS).
TDS is made up of organic and inorganic minerals, salts, metals and
other matter found in water.
The investigation into the elevated TDS levels focused on discharge
from C O N S O L - ow n e d Blacksville No. 2 coal mine.
Frank Jernejcic, District 1 fisheries biologist for the DNR, said there
are several different types of algae that could cause the water in
Dunkard Creek to turn a rust color — and not all algae is harmful to
the stream’s marine life.
But that could change in a week, or even a couple of days, Jernejcic
said, so the stream will be monitored continuously.
“We’re going to be watching very closely,” he said. “Especially with
the one-year anniversary coming up.”