ECOLOGICAL STUDIES OF~THE SUSQUEHANNA RIVER IN THE VICINITY OF THE SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC STATION Annual Report for 1977 Theodore V. Jacobsen, M.S., Project Director and Editor Ichthyological Associates, Inc. R. D. 1, Berwick, Pennsylvania 18603 For Pennsylvania Power and Light Company Two North Ninth Street Allentown, Pennsylvania 18101 Ichthyological Associates, Inc. Edward C. Raney, Ph.D., President 301 Forest Drive, Ithaca, New York 14850 April 1978 ( 4 'e E CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION by Theodore V. Jacobsen.................... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 1 PHYSICOCHEMICAL ANALYSES by Walter J. Soya and Theodore V. Jacobsen...... 3 ALGAE by Andrew J. Gurzynski and William F. Gale......................... 35 BENTHIC MACROINVERTEBRATES by William G. Deutsch......................... 68 MACROINVERTEBRATE DRIFT by Lynn Sabin.................................... 120 DEVELOPMENT OF LARVAL FISHES by Gerard L. Buynak and Harold W. Mohr, Jr.. 152. LARVAL FISHES by Gerard L. Buynak and Harold W. Mohr, Jr ......... .. 185 ELECTROFISHING OF FISHES by Gerard L. Buynak, Andrew J. Gurzynski, and Harold W. Mohr, Jr.................................................. 220 SEINING OF FISHES gy Gerard L. Buynak, Andrew J. Gurzynski, and Harold 0. Mohr, Jr.... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 243 AGE AND GROWTH OF SMALLMOUTH BASS by Gerard L. Buynak and Andrew J. ~ Gurzynski o ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 258 LERNAEA CYPRINACEA ON TWO CATOSTOMIDS by William G. Deutsch.............. 268 FLORA AND VEGETATION by James D. Montgomery.............................. 279 BIRDS by Robert M. Ruhe.................................................. 311 PERSONNEL INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT IN 1977........ ~........... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 343 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. ........................................................ 345 INTRODUCTION The Pennsylvania Power and Light Company (PP&L) has contracted Ichthyological Associates, Inc. (IA) since 1971 to conduct ecological studies near the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station (Susquehanna SES). This is the seventh annual. progress report on these studies which has been done as part of the preinvestigative ecological monitoring program at the Susquehanna SES. The Susquehanna River has been under investigation since the beginning of the studies; whereas terrestrial investigations of the Station site were initiated in 1972; discontinued in 1975, and reinitiated in the spring of 1977. Since 1971, the overall objective of the ecological studies has been to establish a baseline of existing conditions in, the River and on the site before the Susquehanna SES begins operation. When completed the- Station will consist of two, nuclear-powered units, each with a generating capac'ity" of 1,050 megawatts. Commerical operation of Unit,l is scheduled to begin in February 1981 and Unit 2 in May 1982. - Throughout 1977, data on water chemistry, algae, macroinvertebrates, and larval and adult fishes were gathered to describe and evaluate the River ecosystem. Terrestrial studies wete conducted to obtain information about the flora, vegetation, and birds found on the site. Descriptions of sampling procedures and analyses of results, including detailed tabulation of data, are presented in this report. Most of the aquatic studies were conducted near the intake structure and discharge diffuser of the Susquehanna SES. In this area, the slope of the River bed is about 0. 3 m/km, the maximum depth is 5 m, and the width varies from 100 to 480 m. During periods of low flow, which normally occur in late summer and early autumn, abandoned eel walls help maintain pools, some of which are several kilometers long. In times of high flow the River level commonly increases 3 m or more, and its flow characteristics resembles an open channel., Upriver the "Wyoming Region" of the northern anthracite coal field lies beneath or adjacent to the River. Acid mine drainages from this area, which enter from abandoned strip and shaft mines, degrade the water quality at the site (Gale et al. 1976) . Terrestrial studies were done on the 435.0-ha site of the Station in Salem Township, Luzerne County, approximately 8 km northeast of Berwick, Pennsylvania. The site is within the Ridge and Valley Section of the Appalachian Valley Province (Fenneman 1938). About 40X of this area is flat and the remainder is hilly rather than mountainous. Elevations range from 150 m above mean sea level on the flood plain to a maximum of 325 m near the northwest property line. REFERENCES CITED Fenneman, N. M. 1938. Physiography of the eastern United States. McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, N.Y. Gale, W. F., T. V. Jacobsen, and K. M. Smith. 1976. Iron, and its role in a river polluted by mine effluents. Proc. Pa. Acad. Sci. 50: 182-195. PHYSICOCHEMICAL ANALYSES by Walter J. Soya and Theodore V. Jacobsen TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 5 ABSTRACT ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ INTRODUCTION... 5 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 6 PROCEDURES ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ RESULTS AND DISCUSSION.............................................. 9 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 15 REFERENCES CITED......'............. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ LIST OF TABLES Table A-l. Physicochemical parameters and methods of analyses, ' ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 17 1 977 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ o ~ ~ ~ Table A-2. Daily, minimum, maximum, and mean temperature (C) of the Susquehanna River at Ichthyological Associates Laboratory, 1977.............. 18 Table A-3. Daily . level (m above msl) . 1977.............. 21 3 Table A-4. Daily flow (m /s) of the Susquehanna River at Ichthyological Associates Laboratory, 1977.............. 24 Table A-5. Physicochemical data collected at SSES-A on the Susquehanna River, January, February, and March 1977.... Page Table A-6. Physicochemical data collected at SSES-A on the Susquehanna River, April, May, and June 1977........... 26 Table A-7. Physicochemical . .'uly, August, and September 1977. 27 Table A-8. Physicochemical . October, November, and December 1 977 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 28 Table A-9. Quality control comparison of physicochemical data from water samples collected quarterly at SSES-A on the Susquehanna River, 1977. 29 Table A-10. Physicochemical data collected monthly at Ichthyological Associates boat ramp on the Susquehanna River, 1977. Samples were collected and analyzed by the Pennsylvania Pow'er and Light Company, Hazleton, Pennsylvania......... 30 LIST OF FIGURES Eig. A-l. Sampling stations on the Susquehanna River near the Susquehanna SES, 1977...... 31 3 Fig. A-2. The relationship between flow (m /s) and level (m above msl) of the Susquehanna River at Ichthyological Associates Laboratory from July 1973 through December 1 976 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 32 Fig. A-3. Trends in monthly mean values of pH, River temperature, specific conductance, and. turbidity in the Susquehanna River near the Susquehanna SES from 1972 th'rough 1977. 33 Fig. A-4. Trends in monthly mean concentrations of dissolved oxygen, total alkalinity, dissolved iron, and total iron in the Susquehanna River near the Susquehanna SES from 1972 through 1977..... 34 ABSTRACT In 1977, physicochemical data were collected from the Susquehanna River near the Susquehanna SES. Data have been collected since 1971 to evaluate the effects of the Susquehanna SES upon the water quality of the River. River temperature ranged from -0.1 C to 30.8 C (the highest recorded at the site since 1971) . River flow was calculated with the formula: River f5~ = 228.8 +,322.3 (River'eve2 - 149) + 206.4 (River Eeve2 — 749) . 3 3 River flow and level ranged from 49 m /s and 148.34 m above, msl to 3,422 m /s and 153.18 m above msl, respectively. S ta tis tical analyses o f the physicochemical data from 1973 through 1977 showed improved water quality. The pH (P<0.001), dissolved oxygen (P<0.01), and alkalinity (P<0.05) increased, whereas total iron (P<0.01), dissolved iron (P<0. 01), turbidity (P <0. 01), and specif ic conductance (P<0.05) decreased. There are indications, however, that this trend may be leveling off. INTRODUCTION This report presents physicochemical data collected from the Susque- hanna River near the Susquehanna SES in 1977. The objective since 1971 has been to establish a baseline of water quality .parameters for evaluation of possible effects on the River as a result of the operation of the F Susquehanna SES. Records of similar physicochemical data are in annual reports from 1971 through 1976 (Ichthyological Associates 1972, 1973, 1974; Smith and Soya 1976; Jacobsen and Soya 1976, 1977). Near the Susquehanna SES, the River is polluted by coal mine drainages (Gale et al. 1976) which enter upriver through several seeps, boreholes, and creeks. However, the River's water quality improved from 1973 through 1976 when total iron, sulfate, specific conductance, and turbidity decreased and pH and dissolved oxygen increased at the site (Jacobsen and Soya 1977). PROCEDURES Throughout 1977, physicochemical data were collected at the IA Laboratory and the SSES-A sampling station (Fig. A-1). The Laboratory is located on the River's west bank, 1,220 m east of the Susquehanna SES. SSES-A is 270 m downstream from the Laboratory, about 40 m from the