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Bushkill Creek runs dry in Tatamy area, killing fish
Creek dries UP near Tatamy. State blames cement-quarry pumps.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
By TONY NAUROTH
The Express-Times
TATAMY | Fish died by the armload Saturday as parts of the Bushkill Creek ran dry north of Bushkill Park and south of Nazareth.
Despite rain, the water levels dropped as a result of switching quarry pumps at the Hercules Cement Co. plant in Stockertown, which supplies water to the creek, said Mark Carmon, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
The electric pumps were turned off for maintenance, but the auxiliary diesel pumps used might have provided less water to the creek, Carmon said. Sinkholes in the creek also could have contributed to the problem, Carmon said.
"We're going to have to look at why there wasn't enough water with these auxiliary pumps," Carmon said.
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is expected to investigate the incident and check on the pump repairs today, Carmon said.
Earlier in the day, volunteers walked the slippery stream bed with buckets and nets scooping up fish stranded in shrinking puddles while wondering where the water went.
Standing in midstream holding a net and with knees bloodied from falling on rocks, Forks Township resident Brian Wagner, of Trout Unlimited, said this isn't the first time the creek ran dry.
Wagner said a similar problem occurred in 1999, when diesel pumps replaced the electric pumps during maintenance work.
"I thought we had that all straightened out," Wagner said.
Representatives of Hercules Cement did not return a call for comment Saturday night.
When Pat McInerney, of the Martin-Jacoby Watershed Association, walked down the creek bank and got a look at where the stream used to be, the first words out of his mouth were "Holy mackerel!"
McInerney, of Martins Creek, said the dry-up is only part of what undermines the health of the creek.
"This creek has been under a whole lot of stress with development, too," he said.
Jeff Sabo, of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, said "a tremendous amount of fish have died here," adding that crews would be out until dark counting and measuring trout, minnows and crustaceans lost in the dry streambed.
He noted that residents and fishermen "are doing an extremely good job of rescuing fish, but this could wipe out the fish count."
He said the area of the creek affected lies between the Tatamy Road bridge that was washed out several years ago and the Uhler Road bridge.
Hercules Cement is less than a quarter mile upstream from the Tatamy Road crossing.
Staff writer Tony Nauroth can be reached at 610-258-7171 or at tnauroth@express-times.com.
UPDATE: Water returns to dried-up Bushkill Creek, state officials to investigate
by Bill Wichert
Sunday September 28, 2008, 2:56 PM
With the rain pouring down and electric pumps providing more water today, people might not realize that Bushkill Creek had been filled with several dead fish just 24 hours ago.
"You wouldn't know anything happened today, but there's a significant amount of fish that were killed," said Nazareth resident Brian Wagner, who helped collect fish on Saturday."It's probably something that could happen again. I don't know what the solutions are."
State officials intend to find those answers as they investigate how the creek dried up Saturday after quarry pumps were switched at the Hercules Cement Co. plant in Stockertown, which supplies water to the creek.
A state Department of Environmental Protection spokesman said Saturday that electric pumps were turned off for maintenance, but the auxiliary diesel pumps did not provide as much water to the creek. Sinkholes in the creek could have worsened the situation, the spokesman said.
Today, the electric pumps were restored and the flow was increased by about 10,000 gallons until the creek reaches its normal level, DEP spokesman Mark Carmon said.
The DEP and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission are expected to investigate Saturday's incident, Carmon said. In the past, incidents leading to a fish kill have resulted in enforcement actions, Carmon said.
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/nazareth/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1222574791277130.xml&coll=3
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/nazareth/index.ssf/2008/09/update_water_returns_to_driedu.html
Creek dries UP near Tatamy. State blames cement-quarry pumps.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
By TONY NAUROTH
The Express-Times
TATAMY | Fish died by the armload Saturday as parts of the Bushkill Creek ran dry north of Bushkill Park and south of Nazareth.
Despite rain, the water levels dropped as a result of switching quarry pumps at the Hercules Cement Co. plant in Stockertown, which supplies water to the creek, said Mark Carmon, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
The electric pumps were turned off for maintenance, but the auxiliary diesel pumps used might have provided less water to the creek, Carmon said. Sinkholes in the creek also could have contributed to the problem, Carmon said.
"We're going to have to look at why there wasn't enough water with these auxiliary pumps," Carmon said.
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is expected to investigate the incident and check on the pump repairs today, Carmon said.
Earlier in the day, volunteers walked the slippery stream bed with buckets and nets scooping up fish stranded in shrinking puddles while wondering where the water went.
Standing in midstream holding a net and with knees bloodied from falling on rocks, Forks Township resident Brian Wagner, of Trout Unlimited, said this isn't the first time the creek ran dry.
Wagner said a similar problem occurred in 1999, when diesel pumps replaced the electric pumps during maintenance work.
"I thought we had that all straightened out," Wagner said.
Representatives of Hercules Cement did not return a call for comment Saturday night.
When Pat McInerney, of the Martin-Jacoby Watershed Association, walked down the creek bank and got a look at where the stream used to be, the first words out of his mouth were "Holy mackerel!"
McInerney, of Martins Creek, said the dry-up is only part of what undermines the health of the creek.
"This creek has been under a whole lot of stress with development, too," he said.
Jeff Sabo, of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, said "a tremendous amount of fish have died here," adding that crews would be out until dark counting and measuring trout, minnows and crustaceans lost in the dry streambed.
He noted that residents and fishermen "are doing an extremely good job of rescuing fish, but this could wipe out the fish count."
He said the area of the creek affected lies between the Tatamy Road bridge that was washed out several years ago and the Uhler Road bridge.
Hercules Cement is less than a quarter mile upstream from the Tatamy Road crossing.
Staff writer Tony Nauroth can be reached at 610-258-7171 or at tnauroth@express-times.com.
UPDATE: Water returns to dried-up Bushkill Creek, state officials to investigate
by Bill Wichert
Sunday September 28, 2008, 2:56 PM
With the rain pouring down and electric pumps providing more water today, people might not realize that Bushkill Creek had been filled with several dead fish just 24 hours ago.
"You wouldn't know anything happened today, but there's a significant amount of fish that were killed," said Nazareth resident Brian Wagner, who helped collect fish on Saturday."It's probably something that could happen again. I don't know what the solutions are."
State officials intend to find those answers as they investigate how the creek dried up Saturday after quarry pumps were switched at the Hercules Cement Co. plant in Stockertown, which supplies water to the creek.
A state Department of Environmental Protection spokesman said Saturday that electric pumps were turned off for maintenance, but the auxiliary diesel pumps did not provide as much water to the creek. Sinkholes in the creek could have worsened the situation, the spokesman said.
Today, the electric pumps were restored and the flow was increased by about 10,000 gallons until the creek reaches its normal level, DEP spokesman Mark Carmon said.
The DEP and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission are expected to investigate Saturday's incident, Carmon said. In the past, incidents leading to a fish kill have resulted in enforcement actions, Carmon said.
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/nazareth/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1222574791277130.xml&coll=3
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/nazareth/index.ssf/2008/09/update_water_returns_to_driedu.html
