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Home My WebLink About20140090 Ver 3_Pond and Fish Kills_20160524 Wanucha, Dave From:Smith, George Sent:Tuesday, May 24, 2016 11:49 AM To:Wanucha, Dave Cc:Boone, Ron Subject:RE: U-2579B Winston Loop - Pond and Fish Kills Thanks Dave, Ron and I will discuss the algal samples and chlorophyll a samples. George Smith, Assistant Regional Supervisor email: george.smith@ncdenr.gov Division of Water Resources 450 West Hanes Mill Road, Suite 300 Winston-Salem, NC 27105 Direct phone: (336) 776-9700 E-mail correspondence to and from this address may be subject to the North Carolina Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties. From: Wanucha, Dave Sent: Tuesday, May 24, 2016 11:45 AM To: Smith, George <george.smith@ncdenr.gov> Cc: Boone, Ron <ron.boone@ncdenr.gov> Subject: FW: U-2579B Winston Loop - Pond and Fish Kills Comments from WRC for your consideration. Dave Wanucha Division of Water Resources Transportation Permitting Unit NC Department of Environmental Quality 336-776-9703 office 336-403-5655 mobile Dave.Wanucha@ncdenr.gov NC DEQ Winston Salem Regional Office 450 West Hanes Mill Road, Suite 300 Winston Salem, NC 27105 1 Email correspondence to and from this address is subject to the North Carolina Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties. From: Chambers, Marla J Sent: Tuesday, May 24, 2016 11:17 AM To: Wanucha, Dave <dave.wanucha@ncdenr.gov> Subject: RE: U-2579B Winston Loop - Pond and Fish Kills I’ve seen a somewhat similar situation a number of years ago. One concern I have is that the DO readings were taken in the afternoon. The best time to see if low DO is a factor is early in the morning before the sun has a chance to raise it much. If organic material washed in, it could be decreasing DO through decomposition. Plus the turbidity and lack of sunshine may have hindered the DO from recovering properly. Have you heard any numbers of total fish lost? What I see just sounds like a handful, but getting a few every few days. If it is low DO, it apparently didn’t get critically low, but low enough to cause significant stress, lethal to some of the weaker and/or larger fish (who require more DO) and/or the fish occupying a layer of lower DO (the bottom where the decomposition is occurring and furthest from sunlight). Were all the DO samples taken at the surface? When you saw fish swimming around during sampling, were they behaving normally or mouthing at the water surface (a sign of low DO)? Also if it was low DO, it may have recovered now, or by the time you sampled, but the continued fish loss may be from delayed mortality – stressed a few days ago but taking time for some to succumb. Another less likely possibility, considering the three huge overflows into the pond since December, is a disruption in the food chain. If enough sediment entered, burying the aquatic insects and other lower food chain flora and fauna under a thick enough layer, it could reduce the food available from the bottom of the food chain up and turbidity could make finding food more difficult. I guess the least likely possibility might be chemical contamination; that would require an upstream source of some sort. Any chemicals or fertilizers stored in an area that could wash in? Any broken sewer lines? Underground storage tanks? There are my thoughts. If you’d like to discuss further, I’m in the office today. Marla Marla Chambers // NCDOT Coordinator Habitat Conservation Program NC Wildlife Resources Commission c/o NCDOT 206 Charter Street Albemarle, North Carolina 28001 office: 704-982-9181 mobile: 704-984-1070 Marla.chambers@ncwildlife.org ncwildlife.org From: Wanucha, Dave Sent: Tuesday, May 24, 2016 6:54 AM 2 To: Chambers, Marla J <marla.chambers@ncwildlife.org> Subject: U-2579B Winston Loop - Pond and Fish Kills Hi Marla, Another concern we are having on this project. See attached emails and data. Basically, with all the rain over the last two weeks, four of DOT’s stormwater basins overflowed and discharged into Mr. Tabor’s Pond. Pond WQ based on field measurements we collected around the perimeter indicated good WQ, but fish have died and more are dying. Any thoughts or past experience with this? Thanks. Dave W. Dave Wanucha Division of Water Resources Transportation Permitting Unit NC Department of Environmental Quality 336-776-9703 office 336-403-5655 mobile Dave.Wanucha@ncdenr.gov NC DEQ Winston Salem Regional Office 450 West Hanes Mill Road, Suite 300 Winston Salem, NC 27105 Email correspondence to and from this address is subject to the North Carolina Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties. Email correspondence to and from this sender is subject to the N.C. Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties. 3