STATUS OF OUR RIVERS & SOUND AFTER IRENE

[NC Buck]

From: Jeremy.McCargo@ncwildlife.org
To: buchanan_buck@hotmail.com; rebel96chevy@hotmail.com; ben.ricks@ncwildlife.org

CC: chad.thomas@ncwildlife.org

Subject: RE:

Date: Thu, 1 Sep 2011 02:40:11 +0000

Buck,



Thanks for your email. I was actually planning to email you tonight, but you beat me to it. Due to flooding and storm surge from Hurricane Irene, we are presently experiencing dissolved oxygen crashes similar to what happened after Hurricane Isabel in 2003. As Chad mentioned, oxygen levels have crashed in the Roanoke, Cashie and Chowan rivers. We don't have any data on the other Albmemarle rivers yet, but DMF, DWQ and WRC are working together to collect as much data as we can so we can identify the extent of the oxygen crash and pinpoint areas that might survive the fish kills. As of right now, the majority of the dead fish we have observed are in the Roanoke from Williamston down to the mouth and the lower Cashie. Although no dead fish have been observed in the Chowan, we can expect to see them in the next few days as the fish decompose and float to the surface. We observed some dead fish and many fish at the surface in the canal at Bayside Marina on Pembroke Creek. Oxygen levels were very low in the canal. We also observed dead fish at the Newbegun Creek boat ramp and the Halls Creek boat ramp. We haven't been out on the mainstem of Little River or Pasquotank River yet to examine the extent of bad water or fish kills. I have also received a report of dead fish in the Scuppernong, but we haven't measured dissolved oxygen there either. Over the next couple weeks, we will have a better picture of where the anoxic (no-oxygen) water is and where fish kills have occurred. Please feel free to check back with me for updates. Thanks for your offer of assistance by Elizabeth City Bassmasters. At this time, I'm afraid there is not much any of us can do. As always, though, we appreciate your support.

Jeremy


This is the email from Jeremy McCargo who is the District 1 Fishery Biologist

[NC Buck]

This could make for a really tough rest of the year.