.29,460,000 pounds of litter were transported into the Cowpasture River Watershed;

• 4,800,000 pounds of litter were transported into the Jackson River Watershed;

• 19,860,000 pounds of litter were transported into the rest of the Upper James Watershed above Buchanan/ Glasgow region.

Additionally, continued the Shenandoah Riverkeeper, 19 licensed poultry houses (probably turkey) exist in a relatively small area of the Cowpasture and its main tributary, the Bullpasture. All of these houses are upriver from where the VDGIF has discovered fish health problems. There are also eight houses on the Jackson River where it joins the Cowpasture to create the James River in Botetourt County.

“Whether this is enough litter to have anything to do with the fish kills or not remains to be seen,” Kelble said. “I would prefer to leave that type of conclusion to the scientists on the Shenandoah River Fish Kill Task Force that have proposed a hypothesis that includes poultry litter as a primary stressor in the kills.

“Now the task force is moving in a more defined direction, including looking in great detail at the agricultural waste stream for contaminants that could explain the effects we’re seeing in fish. If it’s not being caused by a biological agent, some ‘super-bug,’ then it has to be a contaminant. So, we’ll forge ahead with ongoing work to isolate a virus or virulent bacterial strain, and in the meantime begin studies trying to prove or disprove that our answers lie in agricultural runoff and animal waste.

“Either way, this should not be construed as a threat to agriculture, or viewed as a witch hunt. The task force has moved forward very cautiously and with great sensitivity to anyone affected by its efforts. After two years of work with dozens of scientists looking at this problem, it has become evident that we need to understand better the agricultural contaminants we’re already finding in the water and in our fish.”

Indeed, the contaminants include arsenic, copper, selenium, cadmium and highly estrogenic and active hormones naturally produced by these genetically selected strains of chicken. The spreading of poultry litter has also resulted in an over-application of phosphorus, which is likewise finding its way into our rivers.

OTHER SMALLMOUTH NEWS
Fortunately, there is news to report that does not have to do with fish perishing. Dan Wilson, VDGIF biologist for 20,000-acre Smith Mountain Lake, gives this update.

“There are smallmouths throughout the reservoir, but the best fishing is between the dam and state park on the Roanoke and up to Bull Run on the Blackwater,” Wilson said. “VDGIF electrofishing sampling for smallmouths and largemouths shows species composition looks similar throughout the lake, but creel data shows the highest catch rates in the lower reaches.

“We miss most of the smallmouths in the dam end due to their preference for deeper/clear water, making them difficult for the shocking boat (to sample). The angler data should be the more accurate reflection of the species composition. Smallmouth numbers have not increased recently, but the decline has subsided. The highlight -- the past couple of years smallmouths are averaging larger sizes than anytime in over 10 years.”

John Odenkirk, VDGIF biologist for the Rappahannock, noted that the state has conducted an experimental stocking of smallmouths to see if doing so could enhance a previous poor year-class. Based on June 2007 water flows, Odenkirk believes that last year’s hatch could be poor as well. However, the good news is that two excellent year-classes (2004 and 2005) were followed by an average spawn (2006).

Odenkirk calls the conservation easement that took place on the Rappahannock “grand news.” He is, of course, referring to the fact that Fredericksburg City Council agreed to place 4,232 acres of riverfront land along a 31-mile corridor of the Rappahannock Watershed under an easement. He added that forage increases due to shad migration above Embrey Dam, which was removed several years ago, should result in increased growth and higher biomass upriver -- very good news for smallmouth bass fishermen.

Peter Pfotenhauer voluntarily assisted Odenkirk with the release of smallies and said that the experimental stocking has the potential to help the river recover from the excessive siltation. That siltation is reducing the available preferred smallmouth habitat in many pools and long stretches of the Rappahannock. Additionally, the stocking will help poor year-classes not only on the Rappahannock but also -- potentially and eventually -- be a model for other waterways.