Donegal Spring Fish Kill

[LetortAngler]

Some unfortunate news if true.. Was browsing through some fishing pages today and came across these comments, also attached was a pic of dead fish (unable to upload). No news on exactly what the cause was yet.

“I just got done walking my beloved Donegal Creek with a DEP officer and a water conservation officer to find out why everything in my Creek that I love so much is dead now. From the Susquehanna river all the way up to a tributary called Musser Run, every trout, dace, sculpin, chub, minnow, salamander, and Macro invertebrate. EVERYTHING is dead. This was the most beautiful untouched natural area in Mount Joy and now it's obliterated.....”

 

[The_Sasquatch]

It's 100% true. Everything is dead. The only thing that isn't true is that it was an untouched natural area. It was far from untouched.

 

[troutbert]

What caused it?

 

[The_Sasquatch]

unknown yet. They've found the source of the contamination, no word what it actually was yet. DEP is researching, testing, etc.

 

[blakew510]

Man, what a bummer. My go to stream. Gone. What a shame...RIP donegal, for now...

 

[Fredrick]

I heard it was from the Kreider Farms milk process plant there was also a lake or pond that had a fish kill as well . But none of that is confirmed at this moment .

 

[Mike]

In general regarding pollution events, what appears to be a total kill is often a near total kill, which makes a difference in recolonization. A slug of some pollutant (as opposed to a chronic problem) MAY move through fairly quickly. A high biomass of macros lives beneath the surface of the substrate and that segment of the population may be untouched. Fish and inverts by chance, by design, or in response may be in the plume of a trib or spring, or happen to be directly in tribs or tributary springs as a pollutant passes by. Given the time of year, there are probably some wild trout in Chiques Ck or in the river that will make their way back into Donegal as water temps rise in those waters. Access from the river is now possible since the dam on Chiques that was located directly downstream from the mouth of Donegal was removed a few years ago. Just pointing out that there is room for hope.

 

[Dave_W]

Very sad news.

It's worth remembering in light of these sorts of events - acute, single event pollution kills - that streams often bounce back quickly. Most of our well known trout streams have had fish kills at some point or another and they remain resilient.

Anyway, let's hope the pollution culprits are identified and sanctioned appropriately.

Please keep us informed.

 

[salmonoid]

Fredrick wrote:
I heard it was from the Kreider Farms milk process plant there was also a lake or pond that had a fish kill as well . But none of that is confirmed at this moment .

Their milk processing plant is on the east side of Manheim. It's not even in the Donegal drainage. Kreiders does have an egg-laying facility in the Donegal headwaters area. Maybe when something official is released, someone could post a link here?

Regardless of the source, this is sad. The stream seems to be largely abandoned by it's namesake TU chapter. It's primary antagonist seems to be development. It can hold fish and sometimes boasts a transient Class A population of wild browns. I've even caught what I'm certain was a wild brook trout from under the 772 bridge.

 

[Mike]

It might have more friends if a broader user group was allowed to fish it in its entirety, especially if you feel that it's name-sake group has been losing interest.

 

[Fredrick]

salmonoid wrote:

Fredrick wrote:
I heard it was from the Kreider Farms milk process plant there was also a lake or pond that had a fish kill as well . But none of that is confirmed at this moment .

Their milk processing plant is on the east side of Manheim. It's not even in the Donegal drainage. Kreiders does have an egg-laying facility in the Donegal headwaters area. Maybe when something official is released, someone could post a link here?

Regardless of the source, this is sad. The stream seems to be largely abandoned by it's namesake TU chapter. It's primary antagonist seems to be development. It can hold fish and sometimes boasts a transient Class A population of wild browns. I've even caught what I'm certain was a wild brook trout from under the 772 bridge.

Apologies for mixing milk with eggs I will be sure to be more accurate next time, should I include gps coordinates or a pin on Google maps for more accuracy , let me know .

 

[The_Sasquatch]

Mike wrote:
It might have more friends if a broader user group was allowed to fish it in its entirety, especially if you feel that it's name-sake group has been losing interest.

There is plenty of open water for the general public to fish-which, of course, they trash. There is also plenty of "broader user groups" fishing and poaching the FFO stretch.

Utilization is not the stream's problem.

No official word on the source yet. Best not to speculate. Just wait til something official comes out.

 

[Mike]

Sasquatch,
Perhaps you are reading too deeply into my comment. I was not speaking of generalized angling, but I was speaking of artificial lures. Besides, the FFO stretch's access is poor enough that it would not qualify for the generalized stocking program. Feedback that I received over the years suggested that FFO fishing pressure there was very light.

 

[Dave_W]

The_Sasquatch wrote:
No official word on the source yet. Best not to speculate. Just wait til something official comes out.

I'll second this.

 

[afishinado]

Info here >

https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/dep-investigating-fish-kill-at-popular-fly-fishing-section-of/article_3343cfb4-6a7d-11e9-b262-6b8e5e079f28.html

 

[DaveKile]

Sad news. I see Derek Eberly made the press.

 

[flyflicker]

So sad. I had a great many enjoyable Sulphur hatches along that stream when I lived in Marietta. Sad.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

WGAL covering it (w/ cameos from a few of our members!)
https://www.wgal.com/article/fish-kill-under-investigation-by-dep/27311381

WITF also posted an article. Any idea why Mike Parker from the Fish Commission is MASSIVELY underselling this? About 30 stocked rainbows? Come on MP...you know that's not true.
https://www.witf.org/news/2019/04/apparent-fish-kill-being-investigated-in-lancaster-county.php?fbclid=IwAR02Y5-HmgcCGbz40SbX40duTYyqcndzVGMgfpMghhJ014JLxF-_tTnOVko

 

[jeremymcon]

I loved fishing the Donegal when I was living in East Petersburg. This is a shame.

 

[wgmiller]

Mike - you nailed it with respect to it being a near total kill and not a total kill. As Derek and I were being interviewed by WGAL, we had a rise or two behind us. In walking almost a mile of the stream, a few fish were seen (mostly suckers, and a few trout). The fish kill was massive and affected every species, from stocked and will trout right down to crayfish and minnows. I have a bunch of pictures that I'll upload to a hosting site, then link here.

We flipped some rocks and saw macro life, which was good. Far too often it is inferred that a fish kill means total stream life kill. I feel confident that in this case that was not the situation. I believe the triggering event moved through quickly, doing its damage as it moved downstream. The fish tried to moved to the banks or stream bottom to escape the pollutant, only to make that their final resting place.

The creek can be restocked and trout will once again thrive. At some point in time wild trout will likely return as well. The stream is not lost, but it's going to take some work to rebuild the trout fishery. The bigger concern is preventing future similar events given the fragile nature of the agriculture/coldwater fishery marriage. Being nestled in the middle of heavily worked farmland presents challenges for the Donegal. As anglers, we are all aware of the threats that exists from such environments and know that it only takes one event to inflict serious harm.