Dunkard Creek Action Won’t Be Taken Soon
DNR may restock fish
Morgantown Dominion Post
2 January 2010
By Alex Lang
The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (DNR) is looking at
restocking smallmouth bass in Dunkard Creek, but it’s not likely action
will be taken in the near future.
“I would doubt we do any stocking for at least a year,” said Frank
Jernejcic, District 1 fisheries biologist for the DNR.
The department must ensure the smaller fish are moving back into the
creek from tributaries before they stock any larger fish, Jernejcic
said. The smaller fish are needed to support the larger, game fish.
Once the fish are back in the creek and able to reproduce, the DNR
could look at moving game fish into the creek, Jernejcic said.
Almost all marine life was killed in Dunkard Creek in September. The
West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) blamed a
toxin from a golden algae for the fish kill. The algae bloomed due to
high total-dissolved-solids in the creek.
Discharge from CONSOL-owned Blacksville No. 2 Mine has been the center
of the inquiry for the fish kill. CONSOL stopped its discharge in
September, but has received an order allowing it to restart.
Jernejcic said the DNR will wait until April to make any decisions. In
April, CONSOL must present plans for discharge into the stream and
engineering designs for a treatment facility.
The DNR is going to “temper” any enthusiasm until its officials see
CONSOL’s plans, Jernejcic said.
The Upper Monongahela River Association is supporting any decisions
Jernejcic makes, said Donald Strimbeck, secretary/treasurer for the
group. He said Jernejcic is the expert, and they stand behind his lead.
Strimbeck said his group hopes that fish can live in the stream
relatively soon to help the watershed return to its previous state.
“Anything that can be done to restore the creek,” he said, “we support.”