[From the U.S. Government Printing Office, www.gpo.gov]





                            Fish Kills in Coastal Waters
                                                   1980-1989











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                                             U.S. Department of Commerce
           SH                          National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
           171
           T573
           1991








                         Fish Kills in Coastal Waters
                                               1980-1989




                            Jamison Anne Lowe, Daniel R.G. Farrow, Anthony S. Pait,
                                      Sheila J. Arenstam, and Eileen F. Lavan







                                                   September 1991







                                            property of CSC Library






                                      Strategic Environmental Assessments Division
                                 Office of Ocean Resources Conservation and Assessment
                                                National Ocean, Service
                                  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


                                                       64  1
                                                        'p @
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                                                           rNOT C*









                      Adkiniowledgements


                This report is the result of the contri-
                butions of many individuals in
                NOAA's Strategic Environmental
                Assessments Division. Daniel J.
                Basta provided guidance on the
                content and design of the report, as
                well as the overall layout. Davida G.
                Remer provided editorial guidance
                for graphics and tables. Kim Keeter-
                Scott served as the editor, conducted
                quality-control reviews of all final
                data tables, and coordinated printing.
                The project team prepared the
                original drafts and conducted quality-
                control reviews of all final narrative
                and data in the report. In addition to
                the report team, Timothy Manuelides
                provided support in preparing
                graphics. Reviews of draft materials
                were provided by Charles N. Ehler,
                Louis W. Butler, Thomas J. Culliton,
                and Paul Paris, all of NOAA.

                Special appreciation is extended to
                the State environmental manage-
                ment, fish and wildlife, and water
                quality enforcement officials who
                provided their time and data through-
                out the project. In addition, Nina
                Harllee of the U.S. Environmental
                Protection Agency was particularly
                helpful in locating state fish-kill
                program offices and providing fish-kill
                data from EPA's data base and hard
                copy files.


                Comments on this report or ques-
                tions about current and future
                estuarine activities should be ad-
                dressed to


                Strategic Environmental
                 Assessments Division,
                Office of Ocean Resources
                 Conservation and Assessment,
                National Ocean Service,
                National Oceanic and Atmospheric
                  Administration
                6001 Executive Blvd.
                Rockville, Maryland 20852





                   Introduction

                   Although fish-kill reporting               approach to understanding these              coupled with low-flow conditions;
                   programs around the Nation                 effects is to compile information            or in many cases, to a more
                   vary greatly, they indicate that           on fish kills.                               complex combination of human-
                   fish kills have not been a                                                              related and natural factors such
                   pervasive problem in the                   Although assessments based                   as oxygen depletion resulting
                   Nation's estuarine and coastal             solely on fish kills provide only            from algal blooms stimulated by
                   areas. However, recurring kills            partial and conservative infer-              nutrients carried in nonpoint
                   or "hotspots" do occur in some             ences of pollutant effects, they             source runoff.
                   areas.                                     can provide useful information on
                                                              the spatial and temporal dimen-              The information compiled should
                   This report summarizes results of          sions of potential problems. For             be useful to environmental
                   efforts across the Nation to               example, the information com-                managers and planners at the
                   identify, report, and assess the           piled in this report contains data           Federal, State, and local level to
                   causes of fish kills in coastal            on the date, location, and                   pinpoint "problem" areas. Com-
                   rivers, streams, and estuarine             probable cause of kills. Ana-                piling this information into a
                   waters between 1980 and 1989.              lyzed together, these factors can            consistent national framework
                   The location, extent, severity,            help identify areas where recur-             provides decisionmakers con-
                   timing, and cause of over 3,600            ring problems exist.                         cerned with regional or national
                   fish-kill events are documented.                                                        issues with the ability to target
                   Data are shown for the 22 states           The data also provide a temporal             areas of concern or devise a
                   bordering the Atlantic, Gulf of            record that can be used to help              more uniform approach to data
                   Mexico, and Pacific coasts                 evaluate evidence of trends in               collection.
                   (Figure 1).                                water quality. Fish-kill events
                                                              can be related to specific human             These data are being used in
                   It would be ideal if information           activities such as an accidental             two on-going projects in the
                   was available on the effects of            pesticide spill or the discharge of          National Oceanic and Atmo-
                   pollutants on all aquatic organ-           high levels of chlorine disinfec-            spheric Administration's (NOAA)
                   isms. However, this is not the             tant from a wastewater treatment             Strategic Environmental Assess-
                   case and very little is known              plant. Events are also linked to             ments (SEA) Division. First, fish-
                   about how the variety of pollut-           natural phenomena such as                    kill information will be used to
                   ants released to the environment           oxygen depletion resulting from              evaluate the effects of agricul-
                   affects these organisms. One               sustained periods of hot weather,            tural pesticide use in coastal


                                                                                        '@w- 0@
                                                                  @toasial Si               6-1'i@8  . .. ....
                   ,Figur&.'   R   @-Kilft@dfii@ R6@6rted,in 2,                        j98






                                                                                                                                  lip"

                                                                                                                                       North
                                                                                                                                      Atlantic




                        Pacific                                                                                            Middle
                                                                                                                           Atlantic





                                                                                                                    South
                                                                                                                   Atlantic
                              Number of Events


                                  181 to 1292
                                  112 to 181                                             Gulf of     exico
                              ic













                                  32 to 112
                                  1 to 32






                       Introduction

                       areas (Pait et al., 1991). Sec-                              kill reporting program(s).                                        to collect data on fish kills for
                       ond, they will be used to assess                             However, only 11 states indi-                                     inclusion in the 305(b) water-
                       nutrient enrichment problems in                              cated that fish-kill events are                                   quality assessment reports.
                       the Nation's estuaries through                               used as an environmental
                       NOAA's National Estuarine                                    indicator in their water-quality
                       Eutrophication Survey (Hinga et                              assessments or in Federal
                       al., 1991).                                                  assessments such as.the                                    99@gn
                                                                                    biennial reports required by                                      State participation in the
                                 State Programs                                     section 305(b) of the Clean                                       program was voluntary and has
                                                                                    Water Act (Environmental Law                                      declined significantly since
                       State agencies investigate and                               Institute, 1988) (Appendix B).                                    1979. In 1988, only 12 of 22
                       document fish-kill events                                                                                                      coastal states reported fish kills
                       because they typically signal a                               EPA Fish-Kill Data Base                                          to EPA. Agencies in several
                       severe environmental stress on                                                                                                 states appeared to have been
                       a waterbody. Each agency's                                   The U.S. Environmental Protec-                                    unaware of EPA's program. In
                       immediate goal is to identify and                            tion Agency (EPA) fish-kill                                       addition, the data collected only
                       correct the cause of the prob-                               reporting program is a continua-                                  included poll utio n-related fish
                       lem. Events are documented so                                tion of the U.S. Public Health                                    kills and not those attributed to
                       that a record of the magnitude                               Service program that tracked                                      natural phenomena. Conse-
                       and probable cause exists in                                 events from 1960 to 1971. It is                                   quently, a significant cause of
                       case an attempt is made to                                   the only program that (until                                      fish kills (natural phenomena)
                       recover costs for the resource                               recently) has collected informa-                                  is not accounted for in the EPA
                       injury.                                                      tion nationwide on fish-kill                                      data base. The EPA data base
                                                                                    events. Although EPA has not                                      was only of limited use for this
                       Eighteen of 22 coastal states                                published a report since 1976,                        it          report (about a third of the
                       indicated that responding to an                              continued to collect information                                  information presented is from
                       environmental emergency was                                  on fish kills until recently. EPA                                 the EPA data base).
                       the primary purpose of their fish-                           encourages states to continue

                                 Table 1. Summary of Reported Fish-Kill Events in Coastal States, 1980-1989


                                   Item                                    1980        1981       1982        1983       1984             1985  1986        1987       1988       1989


                                   Number of states reporting                  21         21         16            15          17         18          20         20       19            18


                                   Number of events                          279          358       283         283        263            340         519        424     464        442


                                   Events that reported number
                                   of fish killed                            243          308       226         252        222            303         453        331     375         368


                                   Total estimated number
                                   of fish killed (millions)                 138          97         12            22          41         33          24         4        32            6


                                   Average size of kill (thousands)          567          316        51            86      184            108         52         12       85            16


                                   Largest kill reported (millions)            50         30            2          4           22         8           2          1        18            3


                                   Reports where extent of area
                                   affected was stated                       106          114        70            67          54         61          77         68       52            34


                                   Flowing waterbodies:
                                     Number of events                          so         85         61            57          48         47          63         52       43            25
                                     Miles of stream affected                232          309        77            96      173            94          170        73       66            30


                                   Lakes and reservoirs:

                                     Number of events                          26         29            9          10          6          14          14         16          9          9
                                     Acres affected                            16         113           1          1           <1         2           3          6           1          1







                       2










                                                                                                                                                                                                     Introduction


                               ,,Data Collection and                                              Figure 2.         Summary of Fish-Kill Events from 1980-1989 for 22
                                          Verification                                                              Coastal States

                                                                                                     600-                                                                                                     150
                           Data were obtained by either a
                           state compiling and sending                                               500-
                           NOAA hard copy or digital files,
                           or by the project team making a                                        4  400-                                                                                                     100 2i
                                                                                                  C
                           site visit. Site visits were made                                      >
                                                                                                  w                                    Events
                           to Maryland, Virginia, Oregon,                                         'S 300-
                           and Washington.                                                                                                                                                                               3
                                                                                                  E
                                                                                                                                                                                                                         0
                                                                                                     200                                                                                                     -50
                           Information on fish-kill events                                                                                                  Fish Killed
                           and on the operation of report-                                           100
                           ing program(s) was collected
                           from each state and entered
                           into a NOAA data base. Data                                                        1986      1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
                           collected on each reported.fish-                                                   (21)      (21)     (16)        (15)    (17)       (18)    (20)     (20)      (19)      (17)
                           kill event included: 1) name                                                                                                   Year
                           and type of waterbody; 2)                                                                                         (Number ot States Reporting)
                           location (county, nearest town,
                                                                                                                                                                This NOAA-developed data
                                                                                                              @@alor Data Element@                              base was also compared to
                           coordinates where available);
                                                                                                               f6rE
                           and latitude and longitude
                           3) date of kill; 4) cause of kill;                                                          ach Event                                EPA's data base. Event records
                           5) species and number of fish                                                                                                        or parts of records were added,
                                                                                                  Uh   u4bause identifies the type of                           where appropriate. Sixty-two
                           killed; 6) extent of area af-                                          "land use from which a pollutant
                           fected; and 7) duration of                                             _',@associated 1@ith an event originated                      percent of the events in the
                           critical effects. Special empha-                                            adi@i6ultural',' industrial, urtian,                     NOAA data base came from
                                                                                                  Iimpdunclm6nirsilviculture, wildland,                         State agencies, 7 percent from
                           sis was placed on obtaining
                           information describing the                                             mining, or mikar'y''6lerations). Events                       local agencies, and 31 percent
                           cause of each event.                                                   -@asso6i4ted with eutrophicatJ6      ,h,'Iow-                 from EPA.
                                                                                                  di@`s"81ved @      ri@@etc., wore termed
                           When the data provided for an                                                                                                        Information was also collected
                                                                                                  So'uice identifies the physical entity or
                           event were insufficient to                                                                                                           on selected characteristics of
                                                                                                  activity from which a pollutant associ-
                           characterize the cause, the                                            ated with an event originated (e.g.,                          each State's reporting
                           label "unspecified" was                                                farhi', industrial plant, wastewater                          program(s) to better understand
                           assigned. For a "land-use"                                             treatment plant, or canal).                                   the Nation's infrastructure for
                           cause, 60 percent of all records                                       I,nIcident  Idesc Iribes the action that                      fish-kill reportin       .g. Information on
                           were assigned "unspecified";                                           introduced a pollutant to a waterbody                         program organization, investiga-
                           for incident, 62 percent; and for                                      (e.g.,-,run6ff, routine or accidental                         tion procedures, on-site and off-
                           direct cause, 21 percent. In                                           r0eas6s, spiil,'spraying, natural,                            site testing of fish tissue and
                                                                                                  61pwd6wh,,andlredging or dr           iIling
                           cases where the cause re-                                                                                                            water samples, documentation,
                                                                                                  activities).
                           ported did not reflect a naturally                                                                                                   distribution of fish-kill-related
                           or human-induced change in                                             Dll@@ct,64ï¿½e      lists the actual cause for                  information, and use of the data
                                                                                                  a'fish kill (e.g.', i@'6'W7d@l@''@S4'0"lVed"@ox'@y'g'en,     and publications is presented in
                           water quality, the event was                                           I @W        @,
                                                                                                  pesticide, stranding,    pk, tpirripairature,                 Appendix B.
                           omitted. For example, kills                                            "or nutrientsz'
                           caused by commercial fishing
                           operations, recreational fisher-                                                   Poll  iant names the specific                        Urhitations of the Data
                           men discards, underwater                                               agent that caused a fish kill.
                           explosions, vandalism, spawn-                                                                                                        Interpretation of the data pre-
                           ing stress, stocking stress,                                                                                                         sented and any conclusions
                           catch and release stress, and                                          To verify the information                                     drawn must be tempered with a
                           entrapment in live bait boxes                                          collected, all data were re-                                  clear understanding of the
                           were omitted.                                                          viewed by the participating                                   limitations of the data.
                                                                                                                                                                1511 Milieu























































                                                                                                  State agencies.



                                                                                                                                                                                                                         3
 





                   Introduction


                   Figure 3. Sites of Major Fish-Kill Events from 1980-1989 for 22 Coastal States,




                                                                          Top Ten Fish Kills

                                                            County/State     Waterbody            Fish Killed
                                                                                                  (millions)

                                                            Galveston, TX    Jolly Rogers Canal        50
                                                            Orange FL        Lake Apopka               30
                                                            Anne A;undel, MID Chesapeake Bay           25
                                                            Galveston, TX    Gulf of Mexico            21
                                                            Galveston, TX    Clear Creek               20'
                                                            Kent, DE         Little River              18
                                                            Harris, TX       San Jacinto Bay-East      15
                                                            Wicomico, MID    Nanticoke River           14
                                                            Lancaster, VA    Mulberry Greek-Headwaters 11
                                                            Chambers, TX     Old River                 10












                               Major Kill Events
                               (@!l million)




                   How Complete are the Data?                   severity of an event. Neverthe-               inadequate number of staff to
                   An important part of data                    less, almost 80 percent of all                investigate all events.
                   collection was to determine by               events contained some informa-
                   state the proportion documented              tion on the direct cause and 84               - The emphasis a state places
                   of all probable fish kills occur-            percent contained at least an                 on the type of event to investi-
                   ring over the 1 0-year period.               approximation of the number of                gate. For example, some states
                   Twelve of the 22 states indi-                fish killed.                                  only investigate kills of economi-
                   cated that their reporting                                                                 cally important fish species,
                   programs documented more                     Factors that Influenced Re-                   while other states respond to all
                   than 50 percent of all probable              porting. The extent to which a                kills.
                   kills during the period. The                 fish-kill event is reported and
                   states that reported the most                how completely it is documented               - The size of the population
                   complete coverage (76-100%)                  depends on several factors.                   surrounding a waterbody. Fish
                   were Maine, New Hampshire,                                                                 kills are reported more often
                   Massachusetts, Pennsylvania,                 - How a state assigns responsi-               around densely populated areas
                   Delaware, North Carolina, and                bility for investigating fish kills. In       at least in part because more
                   South Carolina. The two states               some states, a single agency is               people witness and report the
                   that reported the least amount               responsible. In others, responsi-             event. Kills occurring in
                   of coverage (11 -25%) were                   bility is assigned by geographic              sparsely settled areas often go
                   California and Washington                    region or type of waterbody                   unreported.
                   (Appendix B).                                (fresh versus marine). In this
                                                                case, fish-kill information is more             The timeliness of the investi-
                   Not all the events documented                dispersed and, therefore, more                gation. If the investigation does
                   contained the same information               difficult to collect.                         not take place promptly, fish
                   regarding direct causes and,                                                               wash downstream, sink, or are
                   numbers of fish killed. Informa-               The staff available to investi-             eaten by scavengers, lowering
                   tion varied by state and within              gate events. In states with small             the number and possibly the
                   states, depending on available               budgets for fish-kill reporting               species of fish reported killed.
                   resources and the perceived                  programs, there may be an                     In addition, the contaminant or


                   4








                                                                                                                                 Introduction


                 environmental condition causing              ber). The month with the                  events took place in 39 counties
                 an event may be diluted or                   single greatest number of                 within 14 states. The greatest
                 degraded so that a direct cause              events was August, while the              concentration of these events
                 can no longer be attributed to a             greatest number of fish killed            was in Galveston (8) and
                 kill.                                        was in June.                              Chambers (5) counties in
                                                                                                        Texas; Anne Arundel (8) and
                 Although no absolute conclu-                 Geographical Distribution.                Wicomico (5) counties in
                 sions can be drawn from fish-kill            States reporting the most fish-           Maryland; and Beaufort County
                 data alone, combining the data               kill events were Florida (1,292),         (6), North Carolina.
                 with other information on pollu-             Maryland (455), Texas (355),
                 tion releases and environmental              and South Carolina (191). The             The largest reported fish kill
                 quality can provide useful                   top five counties with the                occurred in the Jolly Rogers
                 insights to analysts and                     greatest number of events                 Canal, Jamaica Beach,
                 decisionmakers.                              were Palm Beach, FIL (383);               Galveston County, Texas,
                                               e_''           Broward, FL (277); Anne                   where an estimated 50-million
                                                              Arundel, MD (182); Dade, FL               fish died (Figure 3). The kill
                  ..........

                            .... .......
                                                       !@     (87); and Beaufort, SC (73)               occurred in June 1980 and was
                 From 1980 to 1989, over 3,650                (Appendix A).                             attributed to low-dissolved
                 fish-kill events were reported in                                                      oxygen from unspecified
                 533 coastal and near coastal                 States reporting the most fish            sources. The only species
                 counties in 22 states. These                 killed were Texas (159 million),          reported killed was gulf menha-
                 events involved over 407 million             Florida (77 million), Maryland            den (Brevoortia patronus).
                 fish. The number of events                   (68 million), Delaware (28
                 reported was highest in 1986                 million) and North Carolina (26           Many different combinations of
                 (519), and the greatest number               million) (Appendix A). The top            land-use causes and direct
                 of fish killed was in 1980 (138              five counties with the greatest           causes result in major fish-kill
                 million) (Table 1). The land-use             number of fish killed were                events (Table 2). However, the
                 cause, incident, and direct cause            Galveston, TX (106 million);              majority of these events is
                 most frequently cited were urban             Orange, FIL (36 million); Anne            characterized by low-dissolved
                 land use, natural events, and                Arundel, MD (36 million); Kent,           oxygen, high temperatures
                 low-dissolved oxygen.                        DE (24 million); and Harris, TX           (summer months), a large area
                                                              (23 million) (Appendix A).                of water with poor circulation,
                 Trends and Seasonal Varia-                                                             and involves small fish such as
                 tions. During the 1 0-year                   Sources and Causes. The                   menhaden (Brevoortia sp.) that
                 period, the number of states                 land-use causes most fre-                 tend to school in large numbers
                 reporting events in estuarine and            quently cited were urban                  and are very intolerant of low-
                 coastal waters varied from 15 in             (13%), industrial (7%), and               dissolved oxygen conditions.
                 1983 to 21 in 1980 and 1981                  agriculture (4%). The top three           Although events occur where a
                 (Figure 2). Consequently, fish-              incidents introducing pollutants          relatively toxic substance is
                 kill events are difficult to evaluate        into a waterbody were naturally           released or spilled causing
                 accurately over time. However,               occurring conditions (116%),              considerable damage to fish,
                 an upward trend exists in the                runoff (7%), and routine                  these events occur less fre-
                 number of events and a down-                 releases (5%). The direct                 quently and tend to be more
                 ward trend in the number of fish             causes most frequently cited              localized, killing fewer fish.
                 killed nationwide (Figure 2).                were low-dissolved oxygen
                                                              (41 %), wastewater (5%),                  The families of fish most
                 Seasonal variations play an                  eutrophication (5%), and                  commonly involved in a kill
                 important role in the timing of              pesticides (4%).                          event are Clupeidae (menha-
                 fish-kill events. As might be                                                          den, shad, herring),
                 expected, the largest number of                                                        Centrarchidae (sunfish, bluegill,
                 events (64%) and the highest                 MajorFishKills. Eighty-six                bass), and Cyprinidae (carps,
                 number of fish killed (86%) were             individual events occurred                minnows, dace, chubs, shin-
                 during the warmest months of                 where an estimated one million            ers). Of the above, Clupeidae
                 the year (May through Septem-                or more fish were killed. These           are involved in 36 percent of all



                                                                                                                                            5






                     Introduction

                     fish-kill events and account for                         Table 2. Land-Use Cause and Direct Cause of Major Fish Kills from
                     61 percent of the total number
                                                                                            1980-1989 for 22 Coastal States
                     of fish killed.

                     Five sections follow that present                            Land-use cause/                Total     % reports            Number       % fish killed
                     results for individual coastal                               Direct cause of kill         reports                         of fish
                     regions: North Atlantic; Middle                                                                                           (millions)
                     Atlantic; South Atlantic; Gulf of                            Industry
                     Mexico; and Pacific. The                                        Eutrophication                                                     5                 1
                     concluding comments section                                     Wastewater                                                         1              <1
                     discusses potential uses of the                                 Mixed Chemicals                                                    1              <1
                     data. Information on the                                        Pesticides                                                         1              <1
                     number of events and fish killed                             Subtotal                            4               5                 8              <1
                     by region, State, and county,                                Urban
                     and information on State                                        Low-Dissolved Oxygen             1               1                 1              <1
                                                                                     Eutrophication                   1               1                 1              <1
                     reporting programs are provided                                 Wastewater                       2               2              22                   6
                     in Appendices A and B.                                          Mixed Chemicals                  1               1              30                   8
                                                                                     Nutrients                        1               1                 6                 2
                                                                                  Subtotal                            6               7              60                16

                                                                                  Impoundments
                                                                                     Low-Dissolved Oxygen             2               2                 6                 2
                                                                                     Temperature                      1               1                 2                 1
                                                                                  Subtotal                            3               3                 8                 2

                                                                                  Water-Related
                                                                                     Low-Dissolved Oxygen           16              19               64                17
                                                                                     Temperature                      5               6              36                10
                                                                                     Eutrophication                   3               3                 5                 1
                                                                                     Stranding                        2               2              15                   4
                                                                                     Storm Event                      1               1                 3                 1
                                                                                     Salinity Change                  3               3                 7                 2
                                                                                  Subtotal                          30              35               129               35

                                                                                  Unspecified                       43              50               169               45


                                                                                  Total                             86             100               375               100










































                     6





            North Atlantic

              Figure 4. Reported Fish-Kill Events by County, 1980-1989















                                                                             Maine



                                                                 A4

















                                                                                         O"W


                                                             ,irl
                                New
                               Hampshire
                                                                         Number of Events

                                                                            4 to 13
                                                                            2 to 3


                                                                         El No events reported
                                                'N"



                                    Massachusetts
                                                                   @@M int







             8








                                                                                                                              North Atlantic


                  The North Atlantic had the                  Figure 5. Number of Events and Fish Killed, 1980-1989
                  least number of events and
                  least number of fish killed
                  among regions. This can be                            10 -                   3,919                             4,000
                  partially explained by the                              9 -
                  climate and physical features                                      Fish
                  of the estuaries in this region.                        8          Killed                                      140
                  The number of events re-                                7 -                            -Events
                                                                                                                                 120 C8
                  ported each year was greatest                           6-
                  during the summer months.                          LU                                                          100
                                                                     '0   5-
                  The greatest number of                             a)                                                            a)
                                                                                                                                 80
                                                                     0
                  events occurred in Penobscot                            4-
                  County, Maine. Wastewater                                                                                   -60
                  discharges, low-dissolved                               3                                                  -
                  oxygen, and chemical re-                                2 -                                                    40
                  leases were the three leading                           1 -                                                    20
                  direct causes of fish kills.
                                                                          0
                                                                              80    81  82   83   84     85  86 87   88   89
                              The Data
                                                                                                    Year

                  In this region, 92 percent of               Massachusetts accounted for                for more than 100,500 fish
                  reports included the number of              the majority of the fish killed in         killed.
                  fish killed, 84 percent included            the region, with almost 3.9
                  the direct cause of the event, 77           million or 96 percent of all               Trends. The number of
                  percent included the land-use               reported fish killed between               events reported from 1980 to
                  cause, and 67 percent included              1980 and 1989. However,                    1989 does not appear to show
                  the type of incident (Appendix              most of the total for Massa-               a trend (Figure 5). However,
                  A). This region had the second              chusetts can be attributed to              an apparent seasonal pattern
                  most complete reporting of the              one event that occurred in                 exists in the region. The
                  number of fish killed and direct            July 1983 in Wellfleet Harbor              majority of events and the
                  causes among regions. Of the                in Cape Cod Bay. Over 3.9                  greatest number of fish killed
                  states in this region, Maine's              million fish were reported                 were reported in July, August,
                  reporting was the most com-                 killed in this event. The                  and September (Figure 6).
                  plete and New Hampshire's was               incident was reported as a                 This seasonal pattern exists
                  the least complete.                         natural event, and the direct              across the Nation, with the
                                                              cause cited was low-dissolved              majority of kills occurring
                         Fish-Kill Events                     oxygen. No other single                    during the summer months.
                                                              event in the region accounted
                  Fish-kill events were reported in
                  15 of the 31 counties in the
                  study area (16 counties in
                  Maine, 8 in New Hampshire,                  Figure 6. Number of Events and Fish Killed by Month, 1980-1989
                  and 7 in Massachusetts)
                  (Figure 4).
                                                                 20 -                                       400                  392
                  The North Atlantic had the
                                                                                                             10
                                                                   15-                                   CD
                  fewest number of reported                                                              CD
                                                                                                              8-
                  events (48) and least number of             4
                                                              C
                  fish killed (4,090,300). Maine              T    10-                                        6 -
                                                              >
                                                              LU
                  accounted for over half of the                                                              4-
                  fish-kill events reported in the                  5-
                                                                                                         U_   2
                                                                                            OF,






                  region with 28, followed by                         a,,@L                                    1
                  Massachusetts (19) and New                          J,F M A M i J A S 0 N D                   J F M A M J J A S 0 N D
                  Hampshire (1).                                                 Month                                      Month


                                                                                                                                            9






               North Atlantic
                    Sources and Causes                      discharges, low-dissolved                  Figure 7. Number of Fish-Kill
                                                            oxygen, and pH were the three                         Events by Type of
                A number of factors may                     leading direct causes of fish kills                   Incident*
                account for the relatively low              (Figure 8). Industry and agricul-
                number of fish kills observed in            ture were the two leading land-
                the North Atlantic. The climate             use causes associated with fish                Drawdown       Routine release
                of this region is colder than               kills in the region (Figure 9).            Spill (13%)             (34%)
                other regions. Therefore, fish              The other type of event that led           (13%)
                are subjected to less thermal               to a substantial number of kills
                stress. The generally fast-                 in the region is naturally occur-
                flowing rivers in the region and            ring phenomenon caused by a
                the strong tides and basin
                                                            combination of environmental
                geometry in many of its estuar-
                                                            factors (i.e., water and air
                ies result in well mixed and
                                                            temperatures, wind, precipita
                aerated waterbodies not highly              tion, and resident flora). Most of         All hers
                susceptible to stratification and                                                        (15%)                Natural
                associated low-dissolved                    these events can be attributed                                     (25%)
                oxygen levels. This is in                   to one or more of the following:
                contrast to the more placid                 low-dissolved oxygen; predatory            Figure 8. Number of Fish-Kill
                coastal plain rivers and shallow            stress; high temperatures; algal                      Events by Direct
                drowned-river systems in the                blooms; and/or bacterial infec-                       Cause*
                Middle Atlantic, South Atlantic,            tions.
                and Gulf of Mexico. Finally, the                                                                  Stranding
                North Atlantic covers the                   In Maine, all 28 of the reported                      (7%)         All others
                smallest land area of the five              events indicated the direct                   pH                      (32%)
                regions, has the lowest percent-            cause of the kill. Wastewater               (10%)
                age of agricultural land (a                 was the direct cause in nine of
                potentially important land-use              the 28 events. Twenty-five of
                cause), and contains only 4                 the 28 reported events indicated
                                                            the land-use cause of the kill.
                percent of all the existing point
                                                            Industrial land use was the land-
                sources in the five coastal
                regions (NOAA, 1990). As a                  use cause in 19 of the 25
                                                            events. In 25 of the 28 reported
                result, impacts due to human                events, a direct cause was                 Low-dissolved          Wastewater
                activities are less severe in this          linked with a land-use cause.                  oxygen                 (29%)
                region.                                                                                    (22%)
                The sources and causes of fish              In New Hampshire, the direct
                kills can be broken down into               cause of the only reported fish-           Figure 9. Number of Fish-Kill
                two different types of events.              kill event was inorganic chemi-                       Events by Land-Use
                One type is related to human                cals/metals, and the land-use                         Cause*
                activities such as routine                  cause was urban land use.                             Urban        All others
                releases of wastewater or                   In Massachusetts, 12 of the 19                        (8%)           (3%)
                mixed chemicals from a variety              reported events indicated the              Water-
                of different sources (e.g.,                 direct cause of the kill. Low-             related
                trucking accidents, various                 dissolved oxygen was the direct            (19%)
                industries, sewage treatment                cause in four of the 12 events.
                plants, and pig farms).                     Eleven of the 19 reported
                                                            events indicated the land-use
                Routine releases were the most
                                                            cause of the kill. Agricultural
                                                                                                                  0
                                                                                                                  0
                                                                                                                  0
                                                                                                                  0
                                                                                                                  0
                                                                                                                  0
                                                                                                                  0
                                                                                                                  0
                                                                                                                  0
                                                                                                                  0
                frequently cited incidents
                                                            land use was the land-use                               MIT
                                                                                                                      M
                causing these fish kills (Figure
                                                                                                                     io" -
                7). The majority of the routine             cause in six of the 11 events. In           Agri ultural              Industrial
                releases was emitted from                   nine of the 19 reported events,                (19%)                   (51%)
                industrial plants. Wastewater               a direct cause was linked with a
                                                            land-use cause.                            *Does not include information from
                                                                                                       unspecified events.



               10








                                                                                                                                     North Atlantic


                  Data tables containing the                     a fish-kill event. Information
                  number of events and fish killed               concerning each state's pro-
                  by county, state, region, year,                gram organization, investigative
                  direct cause, land-use cause,                  procedures, and use of data are
                  and incident are in Appendix A.                summarized in Appendix B.
                           Not606tv"466"d                        Maine has three agencies that
                  T;";j .... .... .
                                                                 may be involved in the fish-kill
                                                                 investigation process: the
                                                         o
                  m        8@'@   @@ -11
                  The greatest number of kills (13)              Department of Environmental
                  in the region occurred in                      Protection (DEP); Department of
                  Penobscot County, Maine.                       Inland Fisheries and Wildlife;
                  Twelve of these were attributed                and the Department of Marine
                  to releases from industrial land               Resources. DEP is the only
                  use. This county contains 45                   organization that provided fish-
                  industrial sources, six of which               kill data to NOAA. The state
                  are related to production of                   indicated that field visits are
                  paper products.                                likely to be made when an event
                                                                 is reported (i.e., more than 75
                  Mattanawcook stream in                         percent of the time).
                  Penobscot County was the site
                  of nine fish-kill events between               New Hampshire's Marine
                  1986 and 1989, eight of which                  Division, within the Department
                  were caused by a single pulp/                  of Fish and Game, has primary
                  paper processing operation                     responsibility for all fish kills
                  located on this stream. In 1989,               occurring in the state. They also
                  the State took legal action                    provided fish-kill data for this
                  against the plant. As a result,                report. They conduct field
                  this plant has not been involved               investigations of fish-kill events
                  in any other reported fish-kill                approximately 5 percent of the
                  events. No other stream in the                 time and are more likely to
                  region had more than two events                respond to an event if large
                  during the 1 0-year period.                    numbers of fish are involved in
                                                                 the kill.
                  The only other area in the region
                  where a large number of kills                  Massachusetts has the largest
                  was reported was Barnstable                    program of the three North
                  County, Massachusetts, with ten                Atlantic states. The responsibil-
                  kills between 1980 and 1989.                   ity is shared between two
                  However, most were due to                      agencies: Division of Marine
                  natural causes.                                Fisheries (marine- and coastal-
                                    @M` @!11.1'    A@l           related kills), and the Division of
                          84"  te Ae"'p'oefing                   Fisheries and Wildlife (freshwa-
                                                                 ter kills). Both provided fish-kill
                                Tograms,'jjqj@
                                                                 d
                                                                  ata to NOAA. They also
                  Each of the three North Atlantic               reported that field visits are
                  states uses a different approach               standard procedure when an
                  when collecting fish-kill data.                event is reported (i.e., more than
                  The discussion below highlights                75 percent of the time).
                  which agencies in each state are
                  involved in fish-kill reporting and
                  when they are most likely to
                  make an on-site investigation of





              Middle Atlantic

                Figure 10. Reported Fish-Kill Events by County, 1980-1989





















                                                                                           Massachusetts

                                                                New York






                                                   Pennsylvania                                         Rhode Island
                                                                                        6,

                                                                                                   Connecticut




                                                                                       New Jersey
                                   Maryla

                                                          0

                                                                                   Delaware


                                                                       D

                                                                                        Number of Events

                                                                                           51 to 200
                                         Virginia                                          26 to 50
                                                                                           11 to 25

                                                                                           i to 10
                                                                                       El No events reported


















               12









                                                                                                                           Middle A t1an


                  The Middle Atlantic had the                  Figure  11. Number of Events and Fish Killed, 1980-1989
                  second highest number of
                  events and number of fish
                  killed among regions. This                           200-    5     2,806                                   3,000
                  can be partially explained by                        180-                                  2,177     2,529
                  the climate and physical                                 -
                                                                       160-
                  features of the estuaries in                             -                                                 500
                  this region. The number of                           140-                                                       C.
                                                                                                 Event                            C@
                  events reported each year                                                                                       C@
                                                                       120                                                   400
                  was greatest during the                              W
                                                                       _0 100-       Fish
                  summer months. The great-                            a)                                                         CD
                                                                       V_  -         Killed-                                 JUQ
                                                                       0
                  est number of events oc-
                  curred in Anne Arundel
                  County, Maryland Low-                                 60                                                   200  U_
                  dissolved oxygen, disease,                             40-
                  and wastewater discharges                              20-                                                 100
                  were the three leading direct                            -
                  causes of fish kills.                                   0-                            1   Tt TI            0
                                                                             80   81   82   83  84    95  86   87  88    89


                                                                                                  Year

                                                      4@-
                  Assessment of the important                District of Columbia, and 60 in           59 percent of all reported fish
                  sources and causes of events in            Virginia) (Figure 10).                    killed between 1980 and 1989.
                  this region is hampered by the                                                       Twenty events in Maryland
                  gaps in cause-related informa-             This region had the second                involved the death of over a
                  tion reported by each state. In            highest number of reported                million fish. Eight of these
                  this region, 65 percent of the             events (1,033) and fish killed            occurred in Anne Arundel County
                  reports included the number of             (1115,339,200). Maryland                  and five in Wicomico County.
                  fish killed, 69 percent included           accounted for over one-third of
                  the direct cause of the event, 48          the fish-kill events reported in          Trends. The number of events
                  percent included the land-use              the region (455), followed by             reported from 1980 to 1989
                  cause, and 45 percent included             New York (151); Delaware                  shows an upward trend (Figure
                  the type of incident (Appendix             (120); New Jersey (112);                  11). From 1980 to 1984, the
                  A). The Middle Atlantic had the            Virginia (98); Connecticut (55);          largest number of fish-kill events
                  most incomplete reporting of the           Rhode Island (18); Pennsylvania           occurring in a single year was 81
                  number of fish killed and direct           (16); and Massachusetts (8).              in 1980. However, from 1985 to
                  causes among regions. Of the                                                         1989, at least 100 events
                  states in this region,                     Maryland also had the highest             occurred each year, with the
                  Connecticut's reporting was the            number of fish killed in the              largest being 177 in 1988. A
                  most complete and New                      region, with about 68 million or          seasonal pattern also exists in
                  Jersey's was the most incorn-
                  plete.
                                                              Figure 1 ,2. Number of Events and Fish Killed by Month, 1980-1989
                         Flksh-Kill Events
                                                                300                                     - 400                301   393
                  Fish-kill events were reported in                                                     @n         247
                                                                                                        0                 167
                  113 of the 149 counties (includ-                                                      C)
                  ing the District of Columbia) in              200 -
                                                                                                            30-
                  the study area (5 counties in
                  Massachusetts, 5 in Rhode                  LU                                             20-
                                                                100    -
                  Island, 8 in Connecticut, 20 in
                                                                                                        En  10-
                  New York, 20 in New Jersey, 7                                                         U_    -
                                                                                                                   247    16,30-






                  in Pennsylvania, 3 in Delaware,                0 -                                         0-
                  21 in Maryland including the                         J F M A M J J A S 0 N D                 J F M A M J J A S 0 N D
                                                                                Month                                     Month




                                                                                                                                           13






                Middle Atlantic
                this region. Most events were                events. In only three of the                Figure 13. Number of Fish-Kill
                reported between June and                    eight events was a land-use                            Events by Type of
                August (Figure 12). However,                 cause reported along with a                            Incident*
                the greatest numbers of fish killed          direct cause.
                were reported in February,
                August, and September. This                  In Rhode Island, 13 of the 18                               Accidental release
                                                                                                              spill    F        (7%)
                seasonal pattern exists across               reported events indicated the                All (8%)
                the Nation, with the majority of             direct cause of the kill. Low-              others
                kills occurring during the summer            dissolved oxygen was the direct             (9-/,0)
                months.                                      cause in nine of the 13 events.               L
                                                             Five of the 18 reported events
                                                             indicated the land-use cause of

                                                                                                 e
                   Sources and Causes                        the kill. Urban land use was th
                                                             land-use cause in two of the five
                                                             events. A direct cause was                                             Natural
                A number of factors may account              associated with a land-use                  Routine release             (65%)
                for the relatively high number of            cause in only five of the 18                       %)
                fish kills in the Middle Atlantic.           reported events.
                The shallow drowned-river                                                                Figure 14. Number of Fish-Kill
                systems in the region and the                In Connecticut, 42 of the 55                           Events by Direct
                weak tides and basin geometry in             reported events indicated the                          Cause*
                many of its estuaries result in              direct cause of the kill. Low-
                poorly mixed and aerated                     dissolved oxygen was the direct                        Chlorine Low-dissolved
                waterbodies susceptible to                   cause in nine of the 42 events.             Wastewater    (6%)       oxygen
                stratification and associated low-           Seventeen of the 55 reported                  (6%)                    (41%)
                dissolved oxygen levels. This                events indicated the land-use
                region also has the greatest                 cause of the kill. Industrial land
                human population density and                 use was the land-use cause in
                the greatest percentage of urban             six of the 17 events. In only 16
                                                                                                                    !Oill
                land among regions (NOAA,
                                                             of the 55 reported events was a
                1990).                                       direct cause linked with a
                                                             specific land use.
                Naturally occurring events                                                             Disease
                dominate the region, with the top            In New York, 116 of the 151                 (12%)       All others
                two direct causes reported as                reported events indicated the                             (35%)
                low-dissolved oxygen levels and              direct cause of the kill. Low-
                disease (Figures 13 and 14). In              dissolved oxygen was the direct             Figure 15. Number of Fish-Kill
                addition, a significant impact is            cause in 18 of the 116 events.                         Events by Land-Use
                caused by routine wastewater                 Ninety-three of the 151 reported                       Cause*
                releases and/or spills occurring in          events indicated the land-use
                urban and industrial land-use                cause of the kill. Impoundments                             All others
                areas (Figure 15). These events              were the land-use cause                     Impoundment 1       (5%)
                reflect kills related to inputs from         identified in 33 of the 93 events.             (13%)                     Water-
                human activities.                            In 86 of the 151 reported                                                related
                                                             events, a land-use cause was                                             (46%)
                In Massachusetts, five of the                reported along with a direct
                eight reported events indicated              cause.
                the direct cause of the kill. Low-
                dissolved oxygen was the direct              In New Jersey, 64 of the 112
                cause reported in two of the five            reported events indicated the
                events. Three of the eight                   direct cause of the kill. Pesti-
                reported events indicated the                cides were the direct cause in              IndustriI
                land-use cause of the kill.                  nine of the 64 events. Thirty-               (14%)        Urban
                Industrial land use was the land-            three of the 112 reported events            -             (22%)
                use cause in two of the three                indicated the land-use cause of             *Does not include information from
                                                                                                         unspecified events.



                14









                                                                                                                                   Middle Atlantic

                    the kill. Urban land use was the             the land-use cause in 17 of the                      State Reporting
                    land-use cause in 16 of the 33               50 events. In 49 of the 98                               Programs
                    events. A direct cause was                   reported events, the land-use
                    associated with a specific land              cause was linked with the direct              Each of the nine Middle Atlantic
                    use in only 31 of the 112                    cause.                                        states uses a different ap-
                    reported events.                             Data tables containing the                    proach when collecting fish-kill
                    In Pennsylvania, ten of the 16               number of events and fish killed              data. The discussion below
                    reported events indicated the                by county, state, region, year,               highlights which agencies in
                    direct cause of the kill. Pesti-             direct cause, land-use cause,                 each state are involved in fish-
                    cides were the direct cause in               and incident are in Appendix A.               kill reporting and when they are
                    three of the ten events. Thir-                                                             most likely to make an on-site
                    teen of the 16 reported events                        Hots'pots and'                       investigation of a fish-kill event.
                                                                                                               Information concerning each
                    indicated the land-use cause of                      Rec'urring, Kills                     state's program organization,
                    the kill. Urban land use was the
                    land-use cause in six of the 13                                                            investigative procedures, and
                    events. In 10 of the 16 reported             Two counties in Maryland                      use of data are summarized in
                    events, a direct cause was                   reported the highest number of                Appendix B.
                    linked with a land-use cause.                fish-kill events for the Middle
                                                                 'Atlantic region. One hundred                 Massachusetts (see the North
                    In Delaware, 72 of the 120                   and eighty-two events were                    Atlantic region).
                    reported events indicated the                reported in Anne Arundel County
                    direct cause of the kill. Low-               (accounting for 31 % of all                   Rhode Island has three
                    dissolved oxygen was the direct              reported fish kills in the region),           different divisions within the
                    cause in 36 of the 72 events.                and 47 events occurred in                     Department of Environmental
                    Thirty-three of the 120 reported             Baltimore County. Most of these               Management (DEM) that may
                    events indicated a land-use                  kills were attributed to low-                 be involved in the fish-kill
                    cause of the kill. Urban land                dissolved oxygen levels.                      investigation process. These
                    use was the land-use cause in                                                              divisions are Enforcement
                    ten of the 33 events. In only 30             The waterbody having the most                 (handles initial response and
                    of the 120 reported events was               events in this region was the                 assessment), Fish and Wildlife
                    a land-use cause reported                    Magothy River Basin (43 events)               (responds only if kill occurs in a
                    along with a direct cause.                   in Anne Arundel County, Mary-                 pond or lake, or if only one fish
                                                                 land. This river has a history of             species is involved and less
                    In Maryland, 333 of the 455                  over-enrichment problems.                     than 100 fish are killed), and
                    reported events indicated the                However, this situation was                   Water Resources (handles
                    direct cause of the kill. Low-               further exacerbated in February               pollution-related kills and works
                    dissolved oxygen was the direct              1986 when the waste from a                    jointly with Fish and Wildlife on
                    cause in 200 of the 333 events.              break in a sewage line was                    large kills). The Water Re-
                    Of the 455 reported events, 249              discharged into the river.                    sources Division is the only
                    indicated the land-use cause of              Twenty-four of the 43 reported                office that provided fish-kill data
                    the kill. Water-related land use             events for this river occurred                for this report. However,
                    was the land-use cause in 188                between May and October 1986.                 because each division should
                    of the 249 events. A direct                  The Hudson River/Raritan Bay                  provide full documentation to
                    cause was associated with a                  area, which traverses seven New               each other for all fish kills, data
                    specific land use in 241 of the              York counties and four New                    provided should be complete
                    455 reported events.                         Jersey counties, was another                  for the state. Before May 1988,
                                                                 waterbody for which numerous                  the state had no formal fish kill
                    In Virginia, 60 of the 98 re-                events were reported. Nineteen                response policy. Now, field
                    ported events indicated the                  fish-kill events were reported for            visits are made when: a large
                    direct cause of the kill. Low-               this waterbody between 1980                   number of fish is involved (this
                    dissolved oxygen was the direct              and 1989. However, most of the                state's cutoff is 100 f i sh); the
                    cause in 12 of the 60 events.                records for these events did not              public becomes concerned;
                    Fifty of the 98 reported events              contain information on the cause              and/or personnel are available
                    indicated the land-use cause of              of the kills.                                 to respond.
                    the kill. Industrial land use was


                                                                                                                                                     15






                Middle Atlantic

                Connecticut has two divisions                Pennsylvania's fish-kill program
                (Water Management and                        consists of three agencies: the
                Fisheries) under the Depart-                 Department of Environmental
                ment of Environmental Protec-                Resources' Bureau of Water
                tion (DEP) that respond to and               Quality; the Fish Commission's
                document fish kills. The Water               Bureau of Law Enforcement; and
                Management Division is                       the Emergency Management
                primarily concerned with kills               Agency. Due to a staff shortage
                caused by industrial dis-                    at the Fish Commission, fish-kill
                charges, while the Fisheries                 data for this report were obtained
                Division responds to and                     from the EPA data base. Field
                investigates all kills. Only                 visits to fish-kill sites are made
                Fisheries provided fish-kill data            the majority of the time (i.e.,
                for this report (their response              more than 75 percent of the
                included data from both divi-                time).
                sions). The Fisheries contact
                indicated that field visits are              Delaware's program is con-
                generally standard procedure                 ducted by the Department of
                when an event is reported.                   Natural Resources and Environ-
                                                             mental Control's (DNREC)
                New York has five divisions                  Division of Fish and Wildlife. The
                within its Department of Envi-               Fish and Wildlife Division pro-
                ronmental Conservation (DEC)                 vided fish-kill data for this report.
                that may be involved in the fish-            It reports that field visits are
                kill investigation process: Fish             standard procedure and they
                and Wildlife; Law Enforcement;               respond more than 75 percent of
                Water; Hazardous Substances                  the time.
                Regulation; and Marine and
                Coastal Resources. The Fish                  Maryland's program is con-
                and Wildlife Division provided               ducted by the Water Quality
                statewide fish-kill data for this            Monitoring Division, Department
                report. An on-site investigation             of the Environment. The Water
                is made when a large number                  Quality Monitoring Division
                of fish is involved in the kill and/         provided fish-kill data for this
                or when the public becomes                   report. Field visits are likely to
                concerned.                                   be made when a large number of
                                                             fish is involved in a kill or when
                New Jersey has two divisions                 the public becomes concerned.
                within the Department of
                Environmental Protection that                Virginia has two agencies that
                respond to fish-kill events. The             may be involved in the fish-kill
                Fish, Game, and Wildlife                     investigation process: the Water
                Division handles inland kills,               Control Board (WCB) and the
                while the Marine Fisheries                   Department of Game and Inland
                Division responds to coastal                 Fisheries. The WCB provided
                water kills. However, only the               fish-kill data for this report. Field
                Fish, Game, and Wildlife                     visits are likely to be made when
                regional offices provided fish-kill          a large number of fish is involved
                data for this report. Field visits           in the kill, the public becomes
                are likely to be made when a                 concerned, and/or personnel are
                large number of fish is involved             available to respond.
                or when the public becomes
                concerned.







                16





             South Atlantic

              Figure 16. Reported Fish-Kill Events by County, 1980-1989














                                                                                        Virginia





                                                                         North Carolina





                                                                  South
                                                                  Carolina



                                                    Georgia
                                                                             T







                                                                                    Number of Events
                                                                                    0 91 to 400
                                                                                    0 41 to 90
                                                                                    M 11 to40
                                                                                    13 1 to 10
                                                                                    0 No events reported






                                                                   Florida




















              18








                                                                                                                                    South Atlantic



                    The South Atlantic had the
                                                                 Figure 17. Number of Events and Fish Killed, 1980-1989
                    highest number of events and
                    the third highest number of
                    fish killed among regions.                             250-            5,475                                      6,000
                    This can be partially ex-                                                          2,821
                    plained by the climate and                             225-                                                     -
                    physical features of the                               200-                                                     -350
                    estuaries in this region. The                                         R h
                                                                           175-            Killed              Evenis
                    number of events reported                                                                                       - 300
                    each year was greatest during                         W150-
                                                                          W                                                           250
                    the summer months. The                                 125-
                    greatest number of events                                                                                         200
                                                                          0
                                                                          CL 100-
                    occurred in Palm Beach                                a)
                                                                                                                                      150
                    County, Florida. Low-dis-                                75-                                                          U_
                    solved oxygen, eutrophica-                               50-                                                      100
                    tion, and pesticides were the                                                                                     50
                    three leading direct causes of                          25
                    fish kills.                                               01                                                      0
                                                                                  80   81    82  83   84    85  86    87   88   89
                                The Data                                                                Year

                    In this region, 96 percent of the            1,042, followed by South Caro-               shows an upward trend (Figure
                    reports included the number of               lina (191); North Carolina (153);            17). From 1980 to 1984, the
                    fish killed, 84 percent included             Georgia (33); and Virginia (31).             largest number of fish-kill events
                    the direct cause of the event, 26                                                         occurring in a single year was
                    percent included the land-use                Florida also had the highest                 133 in 1981. However, from
                    cause, and 25 percent included               number of fish killed in the                 1985 to 1989, at least 150
                    the type of incident (Appendix               region, with over 64 million or 67           events occurred each year, with
                    A). The South Atlantic had the               percent of all reported fish killed          the largest being 243 in 1986.
                    most complete reporting of the               between 1980 and 1989. Eight                 An apparent seasonal pattern
                    direct cause and number of fish              events occurred in Florida in                also exists in this region. The
                    killed among regions. Of the                 which over a million fish were               majority of events and the
                    states in this region, Florida's             killed. Four of these occurred in            greatest number of fish killed
                    reporting was the most com-                  Marion County and two in                     were reported between June and
                    plete and Georgia's was the                  Orange County. (For more                     August (Figure 18). This sea-
                    most incomplete.                             information on Florida, see inset            sonal pattern exists across the
                                                                 on page 21).                                 Nation, with the majority of kills
                           Fish-Kill    Events                                                                occurring during the summer
                                                                 Trends. The number of events                 months.
                    Fish-kill events were reported in            reported from 1980 to 1989
                    79 of the 125 counties in the
                    study area (4 in Virginia, 44 in
                    North Carolina, 24 in South                  Figure 4` Number of Events and Fish Killed by Month, 1980-1989
                    Carolina, 29 in Georgia, and 24
                    in Florida) (Figure 16).                         300  -                                      400                376
                                                                                                                                        217
                                                                                                              C)
                    This region had the highest                                                               C)
                                                                     200  -                                   6 100-
                    number of reported events                                                                 C>
                    (1,450) and third highest                                                                 _0    -
                    number of fish killed                                                                     .2?
                                                                     100  -                                   @2 50-
                    (95,291,300). Florida ac-
                                                                                                              A
                    counted for almost three quar-                                                            U_
                    ters of the fish-kill events                       0                                          0
                                                                                                                                  P
                                                                          0_0@@                                     @JL
                                                                          J F M A M J J A S 0 N D                    J F M A M J J A S 0 N D
                    reported in the region with                                     Month                                        Month


                                                                                                                                                  19






                   South Atlantic

                                                   . ......                 Seventy-nine of the 153 report
                                                                                                                           ed
                                                  Causes                                                                                Figureig. Number of Fish-Kill
                    . ..... iii7_71i'7775       "'_"T                       events indicated the land-use                                            Events by Type of
                    A number of factors may                                 cause of the kill. Water-related                                         Incident*
                    account for the relatively high                         land use was the land-use cause
                    number of fish kills observed in                        in 42 of the 79 events. In 78 of                                 Routine             Accidental
                    the South Atlantic. The shallow                         the 153 reported events, a direct                                release                release
                                                                            cause was associated with a                                         (8%)                (5%)
                    drowned-river systems in the                            land-use cause.                                             All
                    region and the weak tides and                                                                                       others
                    basin geometry in many of its                           In South Carolina, 138 of the                               (9%)
                    estuaries result in poorly mixed                        191 reported events indicated
                    and aerated waterbodies                                 the direct cause of the kill. Low-
                    susceptible to stratification and
                                                                            dissolved oxygen was the direct
                    associated low-dissolved                                cause in 60 of the 138 events.
                    oxygen levels. This region also                         Nineteen of the 191 reported
                    has the second largest total                                                                                                                           Runoff
                                                                            events indicated the land-use                               Nat   al                            (46%)
                    estuarine drainage area, the                            cause of the kill. Urban land use                           (32%)
                    highest intensity of pesticide                          was the land-use cause in 12 Of
                    application, and the second                             the 19 events. In only 17 of the                            Figure 20.   Number of Fish-Kill
                    highest application rate of                             191 reported events was a direct                                         Events by Direct
                    nutrients among regions
                                                                            cause linked with a specific land-
                    (NOAA, 1990).                                           use cause.
                                                                                                                                              Pesticides
                    Kills associated with runoff from                       In Georgia, 27 of the 33 re-                                Eutro- (5%)               Temperature
                    urban and agricultural land use                         ported events indicated the                                 phication                       (3%)
                    dominate the region, with the                           direct cause of the kill. Waste-                            (10%)
                    top two direct causes reported                          water discharge was the direct
                    as low-dissolved oxygen levels                          cause in six of the 27 events.
                    and eutrophication (Figures 19,                         Twenty-two of the 33 reported
                    20 and 21). In addition, natu-                          events indicated the land-use
                    rally occurring events had a                            cause of the kill. Urban land use
                    significant impact on the                               was the land-use cause identi-
                    waterbodies in this region                              fied in 11 of the 22 events. In 22                          All others
                    (Figure 19).                                            of the 33 reported events, a                                (13%)                    Low-dissolved
                                                                            land-use cause was reported                                                              oxygen
                    In Virginia, 21 of the 31 re-                           along with a direct cause.                                                                (69%)
                    Ported events indicated the
                    direct cause of the kill. Low-                                                                                      Figure 21.   Number of Fish-Kill
                                                                            In Florida, 929 of the 1,042                                             Events by Land-Use
                    dissolved oxygen was the direct                         reported events indicated the                                            Cause*
                    cause reported in eight of the                          direct cause of the kill. Low-
                    21 events. Fifteen of the 31                            dissolved oxygen was the direct
                    reported events indicated the                                                                                       Impoundment F- All others
                                                                            cause in 728 of the 929 events.                                  %)                        (7%)
                    land-use cause of the kill.                             Two hundred and thirty-nine of
                    Water-related land use was the                          the 1,042 reported events
                    land-use cause in eight of the                          indicated the land-use cause of
                    15 events. In 15 of the 31                              the kill. Urban land use was the
                    reported events, a land-use                             land-use cause in 158 of the 239
                    cause was reported along with                           events. In only 228 of the 1,042
                    a direct cause.                                         reported events was a direct
                    In North Carolina, 108 of the                           cause associated with a specific                            Agri-                            Urban
                                                                            land-use cause.
                    153 reported events indicated                                                                                       cultural Water-                  (50%)
                                                                   -        Data tables containing the                                            (20%)
                    the direct cause of the kill. Low                                                                                   (12%)    related
                    dissolved oxygen was the direct                         number of events and fish killed
                    cause in 38 of the 108 events.                          by county, state, region, year,                             *Does not include information from
                                                                                                                                        unspecified events.



                    20








                                                                                                                                                 South Atlankc


                      direct cause, land-use cause,                        because these coastal waters                    North Carolina's f is h - ki I I
                      and incident are in Appendix A.                      were under severe environ-                      program is primarily covered by
                                                                           mental stress.                                  three agencies: the Depart-
                               Hotspots and                                                                                ment of Environment, Health,
                              Recurring Kills                                 Florida - A Special Case                     and Natural Resources (re-
                                                                                                                           sponds to all kills to help
                      Two counties in Florida reported                     Florida ranks first in number of                determine cause); the Depart-
                      the highest number of fish-kill                      events (1,292) and number of fish               ment of Crime Control and
                                                                           killed (over 77 million) among                  Public Safety (involved with
                      events for the South Atlantic                        states.. Several, reasons help to               emergency management and
                      region. Three hundred and                            explain this. First, the entire state           pollution testing); and the
                      eighty-three events were                             (54,153 sq. mi.) is defined as
                      reported in Palm Beach County                        ,coastal" (Bureau of Census,                    Wildlife Commission (deals with
                      (accounting for 37% of all                           1988). The state with the second                surveying kill sites to determine
                                                                           largest area is California (39,575              number and species of fish
                      reported fish kills in the region),
                      and 277 events occurred in                           sq. mi.) (NOAA, 1987).                          killed, and their economic
                                                                                                                           value). In addition, through a
                      Broward County. Most of these                        Second, Florida has a large                     cooperative effort between two
                      kills were attributed to low-                        number o  ,f artificial canals, lakes,
                      dissolved oxygen levels.                             and impoundments located in and                 divisions (Environmental
                                                                           around residential subdivisions.                Management and Marine
                      The St. Johns River Basin which                      These waters are prone to                       Fisheries) in the Department of
                      traverses six Florida counties                       eutrophication problems. Kills                  Environment Health and
                      (Brevard, Clay, Duval, Marion,                       occurring in them are easily                    Natural Resources, the Pamlico
                      Seminole, and Volusia) was the                       observed and frequently reported                Estuarine Response Team
                      waterbody for which the most                         because of their proximity to the               (PERT) was formed in 1988 to
                      events (29) were reported in this                    sIurrounding communities.                       respond to the increasing
                      region. This river has a history                     Third, the state's high year-round              number of fish-kill events in the
                      of over-enrichment problems.                         temperatures and extremely high                 Pamilco River/Sound. The
                      The river also receives dis-                         summer temperatures greatly                     Department of Environment,
                      charges of irrigation water from                     contribute to kills associated with             Health, and Natural Resources'
                      surrounding agricultural farms                       low-dissolved oxygen levels and                 Division of Environmental
                      (citrus and sugarcane fields).                       eutrophication.                                 Management provided fish-kill
                      Over half of the events were                                                                         data for this report. It reported
                      caused by low-dissolved oxygen                                                                       that field visits are standard
                      conditions. The Pamlico River,                             'State'   Reporting                       procedure, and they respond
                      which flows through three North                                                                      more than 75 percent of the
                      Carolina counties (Beaufort,                                    Programs                             time.
                      Hyde, and Pamlico), was                              Each of the five South Atlantic                 South Carolina's fish-kill
                      another waterbody for which                          states uses a different ap-                     program is run by two agen-
                      numerous events were reported.                       proach when collecting fish-kill                cies: the Bureau of Solid and
                      Twenty-three fish-kill events                        data. The discussion below                      Hazardous Waste Management
                      were reported for this waterbody                     highlights which agencies in                    in South Carolina's Department
                      between 1981 and 1989. The                           each state are involved in fish-                of Health and Environmental
                      majority of the reports cited                        kill reporting and when they are                Control (SCDHEC); and the
                      some type of naturally occurring                     most likely to make an on-site                  Department of Wildlife and
                      condition as the direct cause                        investigation of a fish-kill event.             Marine Resources, The
                      such as low-dissolved oxygen                         Information concerning each                     Department of Wildlife and
                      levels, disease, bacteria,                           state's program organization,                   Marine Resources is primarily
                      fungus, and/or changes in                            investigative procedures, and                   concerned with kills occurring
                      salinity.                                            use of data are summarized in                   in public waters, while the
                      Florida and North Carolina have                      Appendix B.                                     SCDHEC responds and
                      set up special programs to                                                                           investigates all kills. Only
                      monitor these two waterbodies                        Virginia (see the Middle                        SCDHEC provided fish-kill data
                                                                           Atlantic region).                               for this report. An on-site



                                                                                                                                                                    21






               South Atlantic

                investigation is made when a
                large number of fish is involved
                in the kill and/or when the public
                becomes concerned.


                Georgia has three divisions
                within its Department of Natural
                Resources that may be involved
                in the fish-kill investigation
                process: Environmental Protec-
                tion (initial contact and response
                that confirms a fish-kill event);
                Coastal Resources (investigates
                marine and coastal water kills);
                and Game and Fish Division
                (investigates freshwater events).
                The Coastal Resource and the
                Game and Fish Divisions pro-
                vided fish-kill data for this report.
                They reported that field visits are
                standard procedure and that they
                respond more than 75 percent of
                the time.


                Florida's fish-kill reporting is
                primarily covered by two agen-
                cies: the Department of Environ-
                mental Regulation (DER) which
                consists of a central office and
                six district offices; and the Game
                and Freshwater Fish Commis-
                sion which consists of a central
                and five regional offices. The
                central office and one of the
                district offices of the DER, four of
                the regional offices of the Game
                and Freshwater Fish Commis-
                sion, and the Bioenvironmental
                Services Division of Duval
                County all provided fish-kill data
                for this report. The central DER
                office reported that field visits are
                likely to be made when the public
                becomes concerned.



















                22
























                                                                                                  Mississippi   Alabama       Georgia

                                                                                      Louisiana
                                                         Texas







                                                                                                                                       Florida


                                                                                      Number of Events

                                                                                         51 to 80
                                                                                         21 to 50

                                                                                         11 to 20
                                                                                         1 to 10
                                                                                         No events reported









                                                                                                                                   Gulf of Mexico


                     The Gulf of Mexico had the                   Figure 23. Number of Events and Fish Killed, 1980-1989
                     third highest number of
                     events and the highest
                     number of fish killed among                           100- 1    8                                                11,000
                     regions. This can be partially                          90 -                         3,779
                     explained by the climate and
                     physical features of the                                80-                          Events                      1,050
                                                                                          Fsh
                     estuaries in this region. The                           70-          Klilled
                     number of events reported                            4                                                           900
                                                                          C
                                                                          (D 60-
                     each year was greatest during                        >
                                                                          W                                                           750
                     the summer months. The                               70 50                                                               _0
                                                                                                                                              a)
                     greatest number of events                            0                                                          -600
                                                                          cL 40                                                     -
                     occurred in Galveston                                0)    1
                                                                          Ir                                                          450
                     County, Texas. Low-                                     30-                                                              LL
                     dissolved oxygen, storm                                 20-                                                     -300
                     events, and wastewater                                  10-                                                      150
                     discharges were the three                                  -
                     leading direct causes of fish                             0- 80    81  82 83    1  841 85 86      87 88 89
                     kills.

                                                                                                        Year
                                The Data


                     In this region, 75 percent of the            region (355), followed by Florida            However, an apparent seasonal
                     reports included the number of               (250); Louisiana (172); Alabama              pattern exists in this region.
                     fish killed, 84 percent included             (44); Mississippi (7); and Georgia           Most events were reported
                     the direct cause of the event, 54            (2).                                         during May, August, and
                     percent included the land-use                                                             September (Figure 24). How-
                     cause, and 50 percent included               Texas also had the highest                   ever, the greatest numbers of
                     the type of incident (Appendix               number of fish killed in the                 fish killed were reported in June,
                     A). The Gulf of Mexico had the               region, with approximately                   August, and September (Figure
                     fourth most complete reporting               159 million or 85 percent of all             24). This seasonal pattern
                     of the direct cause and number               reported fish killed between 1980            exists across the Nation, with
                     of fish killed among regions. Of             and 1989. Twenty-one events in               the majority of kills occurring
                     the states in this region,                   Texas involved the death of over             during the summer months.
                     Alabama's reporting was the                  a million fish. Eight of these
                     most complete and Louisiana's                occurred in Galveston County                   Sources and Causes
                     was the most incomplete.                     and five in Chambers County.
                                                                  Trends. The number of events                 A number of factors may
                            Fish-Kill Events                                                                   account for the relatively high
                                                                  reported from 1980 to 1989 does              number of events and fish killed
                     Fish-kill events were reported       in      not show any trend (Figure 23).
                     100 of the 164 counties in the
                     study area (4 counties in                    Figure24. Numberof Even         Its and Fish Killed by Month, 1980-1989
                     Georgia, 43 in Florida, 14 in
                     Alabama, 17 in Mississippi, 39                 140 -                                       1,000
                     in Louisiana, and 47 in Texas)                                                                                  907 _    382
                                                                                                                                              -320
                     (Figure 22).                                   120   -
                                                                    100   -                                        loo-
                     This region  had the third highest           t
                                                                  a) 80   -                                    '0
                     number of reported events (830)              >
                                                                  W
                     and the highest number of fish                  60   -                                        50-
                     killed (188,161,000). Texas                     40 -                                      D       -
                                                                          - A                                  U_
                     accounted for almost half of the                20                 . . . . . .                0                          0
                     fish-kill events reported in the                     J F M A M J J A S 0 N D                      J F M A M J J A S 0 N D
                                                                                     Month                                       Month



                                                                                                                                                  25






               Gulf of Mexico

               in the Gulf of Mexico. This                     event. Both of the reported                    Figure 25. Number of Fish-Kill
               region has the highest percent-                 events indicated the land-use                              Events by Type of
               age of agricultural land, applica-              cause of the kill. Industrial and                          Incident*
               tion of fertilizers and pesticides,             urban land use were the land-
               industrial point sources, and                   use causes for these events. A                         Accidental
               municipal wastewater treatment                  direct cause was associated                             release
               plants among regions (NOAA,                     with a land-use cause in one of                Routine (12%)
               1990). Estuaries in this region                 the two reported events.                       release                        Natural
               have an average depth of eight                                                                 (14%)                          (37%)
               feet, the shallowest among                      In Alabama, 40 of the 44
               regions, which restricts their                  reported events indicated the
               ability to assimilate the loadings              direct cause of the kill. Low-
               of pollutants mentioned above                   dissolved oxygen was the direct
               (NOAA, 1990). These factors, in                 cause in 23 of the 40 events.
               addition to the hot/humid climate,              Sixteen of the 44 reported
                                                                                                                             .. . .......
               contribute to waterbodies that                  events indicated the land-use                  All others
               are frequently nutrient-enriched                cause of the kill. Urban land                   (18%)                 Runoff
               and thermally stressed. The                     use was the land-use cause in                                         (19%)
               result is frequent low-dissolved                ten of the 16 events. In only 16               Figure 26. Number of Fish-Kill
               oxygen levels, particularly in the              of the 44 reported events was a                            Events by Direct
               summer, that can lead to fish                   direct cause linked with a                                 Cause*
               kills.                                          specific land-use cause.
                                                                                                                      Temperature
               Naturally occurring events                      In Mississippi, six of the seven                   Storm    (6%)      Low-dissolved
               dominate the region, with the top               reported events indicated the                      event                  oxygen
               two direct causes reported as                   direct cause of the kill. A                        (7%)                   (46%)
               low-dissolved oxygen levels and                 change in salinity was the direct
               wastewater (Figures 25 and 26).                 cause in three of the six events.
               In addition, a significant impact is            Five of the seven reported
               caused by runoff from storm                     events indicated the land-use
               events in urban areas and/or by                 cause of the kill. Water-related
                                                                                                                    I
               routine and accidental releases                 land use was the land-use
               from industrial land uses (Figure               cause identified in all five of the            Waste-
               27). These events reflect kills                 events. In five of the seven                   water
               related to impacts from human                   reported events, a land-use                    (10%)   All others
               activities.                                     cause was reported along with a                          (31%)
                                                               direct cause.
               In Florida, 219 of the 250                                                                     Figure 27. Number of Fish-Kill
               reported events indicated the                   In Louisiana, 146 of the 172                               Events by Land-Use
               direct cause of the kill. Low-                  reported events indicated the                              Cause*
               dissolved oxygen was the direct                 direct cause of the kill. Low-
               cause reported in 116 of the 219                dissolved oxygen was the direct                                   All others
               events. Of the 250 reported                     cause in 63 of the 146 events.                 Impoundment           (7%)
               events, 109 indicated the land-                 Of the 172 reported events, 108                    (15%)                       Urban
               use cause of the kill. Urban land               indicated the land-use cause of                                                (33%)
               use was the land-use cause in                   the kill. Impoundments were
               56 of the 109 events. In only 106               the land-use cause in 36 of the
               of the 250 events was a land-use                108 events. A direct cause was
               cause reported along with a                     associated with a specific land-
               direct cause.                                   use cause in 107 of the 172
                                                               reported events.
                                                                                                              Inclustri I
               In Georgia, one of the two                                                                                                   Water-
               reported events indicated the                   In Texas, 291 of the 355                        (22%)                        related
               direct cause of the kill. Waste-                reported events indicated the                                                (23%)
               water was the direct cause in this              direct cause of the kill. Low-                 *Does not include information from
                                                                                                              unspecified events.



               26








                                                                                                                                   Gulf of Mexico


                   dissolved oxygen was the direct               and temperature. Five of the 17              ment of Wildlife, Fisheries and
                   cause in 119 of the 291 events.               events were caused by releases               Parks. The two bureaus within
                   Of the 355 reported events, 208               of cooling water from power                  DEQ are Pollution Control
                   indicated the land-use cause of               plants.                                      (responsible for all state waters)
                   the kill. Water-related land use                                                           and Marine Resources (may
                   was the land-use cause in 67 of               The only other area in the region            investigate some coastal kills).
                   the 208 events. A direct cause                where a large number of kills                The Bureau of Pollution Control
                   was associated with a specific                was reported was Collier                     is the office that provided the
                   land-use cause in 201 of the                  County in Florida, with 49 events            fish-kill data for this report. Field
                   355 reported events.                          between 1980 and 1989. Most                  visits to fish-kill sites are made
                                                                 of these kills were due to low-              more than 75 percent of the
                   Data tables containing the                    dissolved oxygen and/or exces-               time.
                   number of events and fish killed              sive nutrient loadings.
                   by county, state, region, year,                                                            Louisiana's fish-kill program is
                   direct cause, land-use cause,                        State Reporting                       conducted by three agencies:
                   and incident are in Appendix A.                           Programs                         the Department of Environmen-
                                                                                                              tal Quality (DEQ); the Depart
                            Hotspots and,,,                      Each of the six Gulf of Mexico               ment of Wildlife and Fisheries
                           Recur    ring Kills        I          states uses a different approach             (DWF); and the Department of
                                                                 when collecting fish-kill data.              Agriculture. The DWF investi-
                                                                                                              gates kills caused by naturally
                   Two counties in Texas reported                The discussion below highlights              occurring fish diseases, while
                   the highest number of fish-kill               which agencies in each state are             the DEO responds to and
                   events for the Gulf of Mexico                 involved in fish-kill reporting and          investigates all kills. DEQ
                   region: Galveston County (72)                 when they are most likely to                 provided the fish-kill data for this
                   and Harris County (66).                       make an on-site investigation of             report. The DEQ contact
                   Galveston County had the                      a fish-kill event. Information               indicated that field visits are
                   highest number of fish killed                 concerning each state's program              generally made when an event
                   (almo  .st 106 million) of all the            organization, investigative                  is reported.
                   counties in the entire study                  procedures, and use of data are
                   area. Half of these kills were                summarized in Appendix B.                    Texas has two different agen-
                   attributed to low-dissolved                                                                cies that respond to and docu-
                   oxygen levels that were not                   Florida (see the South Atlantic              ment fish kills: the Texas Park
                   associated with a land-use                    region).                                     and Wildlife Department
                   cause.                                        Georgia (see the South Atlantic              (TPWD) and the Texas Water
                   Galveston Bay was the                         region).                                     Commission (TWC). The TWC
                   waterbody for which the most                                                               has the lead on water-quality
                   events (28) were reported in                  Alabama has two agencies that                problems relating to discharges,
                   this region. Large portions of                may be involved in the fish-kill             while the TPWD responds to,
                   Brazoria, Chambers, Galveston,                investigation process: the                   investigates, and is responsible
                   Harris, and Liberty counties are              Department of Environmental                  for recovering damages to fish
                   in the Galveston Bay estuarine                Management (DEM) and the                     and wildlife for all kills. The
                   drainage area (EDA). Taken                    Department of Conservation and               TPWD provided statewide fish-
                                                                                                              kill data for this report. Field
                   together, these counties contain              Natural Resources. The DEM                   visits are likely to be made
                   the highest concentration of                  provided the fish-kill data for this         when: a large number of fish is
                   point sources in the Nation's                 report. Field visits to fish-kill            involved in a kill; the public
                   coastal area. Fifteen percent of              sites are made more than 75                  becomes concerned; personnel
                   all industrial point sources and              percent of the time.                         are available to respond; a
                   municipal wastewater treatment                                                             responsible party can be identi-
                   plants in the study area are                  Mississippi has two agencies                 fied; and/or the kill may be
                   located in the Galveston Bay                  that may be involved in the fish-            related to a particular cause or
                   EDA. Seventeen of the 28 kills                kill investigation process: the              contaminant.
                   in the Galveston Bay EDA were                 Department of Environmental
                   related to low-dissolved oxygen               Quality (DEQ); and the Depart-




                                                                                                                                                    27





              Pacific

                             J@                                                8
               'Rgt@re,,28. ',",',',,'-,eDoiI6d Rï¿½h-KiII Evehts,by Countyj 1980-191, 9











                                                                       Washington








                                                                      Oregon






                                                           24

                                                                                           Number of Events

                                                                                           0 21 to 40
                                                                                           M 11 to 20
                                                                                           IM 6 to 10
                                                                                           El 1 to 5
                                                                                           El No events reported





                                                                         California































               28








                                                                                                                                                                                Pacific


                          The Pacific had the fourth
                                                                                    Fi ure 29. Nurnber of Events and Fish Killed, 1980-1989
                          highest number of events and                              Q
                          number of fish killed among                                          100-                                                                     3,500
                          regions. This can be partially                                                         3,048
                          explained by the climate and                                            90-
                          physical features of the                                                80-
                          estuaries in this region. The                                                                                                              - 700
                                                                                                  70-
                          number of events reported                                       En        -                                                                - 600   8
                                                                                          z                                                                          -       C@
                          each year was greatest                                          a)      60-
                          during the summer months.                                       W         -                                                                   500
                                                                                          -0      50-                           Fish
                          The greatest number of                                          V                                     Killed
                                                                                          0         -                                                                   400
                          events occurred in King                                         CL      40-
                          County, Washington. Low-                                        cc                                             Events -                       300
                                                                                                  30-                                                                        ILL
                          dissolved oxygen, pesticides,                                             -
                          and animal wastes were the                                              20                                                                    200
                          three leading direct causes of                                                                                                                100
                          fish kills.                                                             10
                                                                                                  0                                                               __0
                                                                                                      80     81    82           83 84 85      86    87    B8    89
                                                                         . .. ........... ..
                                        "T".60,10sta
                                                               ......... .
                                                                                                                                  Year

                          In this region, 88 percent of the                         region, with over 3.3 million or                       largest being 49 in 1981.
                          reports included the number of                            77 percent of all reported fish                        However, from 1983 to 1989,
                          fish killed, 73 percent included                          killed between 1980 and 1989.                          no more than 28 fish-kill events
                          the direct cause of the event, 47                         Seventy-nine percent of these                          occurred in a single year
                          percent included the land-use                             fish were killed in a single                           (except in 1987 when 38
                          cause, and 39 percent included                            event that occurred in August                          events were reported). In
                          the type of incident (Appendix                            1981 in Cultus Bay, located in                         addition, an apparent seasonal
                          A). The Pacific had the third                             Island County. The event                               pattern also exists in this
                          most complete reporting of the                            lasted for one day and was                             region. Most events were
                          direct cause and number of fish                           reported as a natural event that                       reported between April and
                          killed among regions. Of the                              occurred in a poorly designed                          September (Figure 30). How-
                          states in this region, California's                       marina. The direct cause cited                         ever, the greatest numbers of
                          reporting was the most com-                               was low-dissolved oxygen.                              fish killed were reported in
                          plete and Washington's was the                                                                                   January, August, and Septem-
                          most incomplete.                                          Trends. The number of events                           ber. A seasonal pattern exists
                                 .. .... .. .. .. .. .......... .... ........ ..... . ..... .. reported from 1980 to 1989                  across the Nation, with the
                                     IS 7, Il'
                                      "Ai"K-11''            hts"`:,@',@                                                                    majority of kills occurring
                                                                                    shows a general downward
                                                                                    trend (Figure 29). From 1980                           during the summer months.
                          Fish-kill events were reported in                         to 1982, at least 37 events
                          47 of the 64 counties in the                              occurred each year, with the
                          study area (29 counties in
                          California, 16 in Oregon, and 19
                          in Washington) (Figure 28).                               !F, iguird@@307,@ @-Numbelr of Events and Fish 'Killed by Month, 1980-1989
                          This region had the fourth                                    40   -                                                 300
                          highest number of reported                                                                                                                         272
                          events (293) and fish killed
                          (4,281,100). Californiaac-                                    30   -                                                 80
                          counted for over half of the fish-                        42
                                                                                                                                               60   -
                          kill events reported in the region                        >   20   -
                          with 148, followed by Washing-                                                                                       40 -
                                                                                        10   -
                                                                                                                      - MFh,
                                                                                                                                Is
                                                                                                                                Kill.



                                                                                                                                         Eve  t.-



















































                          ton (105); and Oregon (40).                                                                                          20-
                                                                                                                                           L.L      _d@
                          Washington had the highest                                      0  J    F M A  M  J  J  A  S          0,N,D                J F M A M J J A S 0 N D
                          number of fish killed in the                                                    Month                                                   Month


                                                                                                                                                                                       29






               Pacific

                   Sources and Causes                           In Oregon, 29 of the 40 re-
                                                                ported events indicated the                     Figure 31. Number of Fish-Kill
                The Pacific region spans the                    direct cause of the kill. An                                 Events by Type of
                widest geographic and climatic                  assortment of chemicals/metals                               Incident*
                range of the five regions. In                   (i.e., organic chemicals, inor-                         Accidental
                California, from San Francisco                  ganic chemicals/metals, and                              release
                Bay south, the weather is                       mixed chemicals) was the direct                  All         %)
                                                                cause in 13 of the 29 events.                                                  Spill
                generally warm and portions of                                                                  others                        (25%)
                the coast are densely popu-                     Twenty-four of the 40 reported                  (20%)
                lated. In this area, the preva-                 events indicated the land-use
                lent direct cause of kills is low-              cause of the kill. Industrial land
                                                                use was the land-use cause in
                dissolved oxygen and pesti-
                                                                13 of the 24 events. A direct
                c
                 ides which occur in the                                                                                                     i
                                                                cause was associated with a
                agricultural drainage canals                                                                                                 M"
                                                                land
                                                                     -use cause in 22 of the 40
                and freshwater reservoirs in
                                                                reported events.                                                               Routine
                the state. In contrast, Oregon                                                                     Na ural                     release
                and Washington tend to have                     In Washington, 76 of the 105                        (21%)                      (23%)
                more problems with spills and                   reported events indicated the
                routine releases (e.g., chemi-                  direct cause of the kill. Animal                Figure 32.   Number of Fish-Kill
                cals from industrial plants in                  waste was the direct cause in                                Events by Direct
                Oregon and animal wastes                        21 of the 76 events. Sixty-nine                              Cause*
                from dairy farms in Washing-                    of the 105 reported events                               Chlorine
                ton).                                           indicated the land-use cause of                 Animal    (11 %)            All others
                The top two direct causes of                    the kill. Agricultural land use                 Waste                         (49%)
                fish kills reported for the entire              was the land-use cause in 26 of                 (12%)
                region were low-dissolved                       the 69 events. In 64 of the 105
                oxygen levels and pesticides                    reported events, a direct cause
                (Figure 32). Kills related to                   was linked with a specific land-
                impacts from human activities                   use cause.
                dominate the region, such as
                                                                Data tables containing the                                     4, 4;2
                spills and routine or accidental
                releases occurring in agricul-                  number of events and fish killed                Pestic  e         Mi
                                                                by county, state, region, year,                         0    1
                tural, urban, and industrial                    direct cause, land-use cause,                    (13 )     Low-dissolved
                land-use areas (Figures 31                      and incident are in Appendix A.                               oxygen
                and 33). In addition, almost a                                                                                 (15%)
                quarter of the events in the
                region is related to naturally                           Hotspots and                           Figure 33. Number of Fish-Kill
                occurring events (Figure 31).                           Recurring Kills                                      Events by Land-Use
                                                                                                                             Cause*-
                In California, 110 of the 148                   King County (39 events) in
                reported events indicated the                   Washington and San Joaquin                                         All others
                direct cause of the kill. Low-                  County (27 events) in California                Impoundment             %)
                dissolved oxygen was the                        reported the highest number of                      (17%                   Agriculture
                direct cause reported in 25 of                  fish-kill events in the region.                                               (30%)
                the 110 events. Forty-four of                   The kills in King County were
                the 148 reported events                         attributed to a variety of direct
                indicated the land-use cause                    causes and land-use causes
                of the kill. Impoundments                       with no single type of event
                were the land-use cause in 13                   being dominant. However, the                                                 0
                of the 44 events. In only 44 o                  most frequently cited direct
                                                      f
                                                                                                                Industrial
                the 148 events was a land-use                   cause was chlorine that had                                                 Urban
                cause reported along with a                     been routinely released from an                   (19%)                     (23%)
                direct cause.                                   urban land-use area (e.g., water                Toes not include information from
                                                                                                                unspecified events.



               30








                                                                                                                                                  Pacific


                     treatment facility, construction               Calitomia has two divisions
                     site, water pipeline, and                      (Marine Resources and Inland
                     chlorinated wells). In contrast,               Fisheries) under the Department
                     the majority of the kills in San               of Fish and Game (DFG) that
                     Joaquin County did not have a                  investigate and document fish
                     direct cause or an associated                  kills. DFG's Environmental
                     land-use cause. Eight of the 27                Services Division (the central
                     events reported low-dissolved                  clearinghouse for California's
                     oxygen levels as the direct                    fish-kill records) provided fish-kill
                     cause of the event.                            data for this report. The Envi-
                                                                    ronmental Services contact
                     Johnson Creek, located in                      indicated that field visits are
                     Oregon's Clackamas and                         generally standard procedure
                     Multnomah counties, was the                    when an event is reported.
                     waterbody for which the most
                     events (9) were reported in this               Oregon- has two agencies that
                     region. This creek is a tributary              may be involved in the fish-kill
                     of the Willamette River.                       investigation process: the
                     Twenty-five percent of all the                 Department of Environmental
                     fish killed in Oregon were killed              Quality (DEQ) and the Depart-
                     in this creek. The majority of                 ment of Fish and Wildlife (DFW).
                     the events cited the direct                    The DEQ is specifically inter-
                     cause as a mixture of chemi-                   ested in kills caused by pollu-
                     cals from unspecified sources.                 tion, while the DFW responds to
                     Whatcom Creek in Whatcom                       all kills. Both agencies provided
                     County, Washington, was                        fish-kill data for this report. Field
                     another waterbody for which                    visits are more likely to be made
                     numerous events (5) were                       when a large number of fish is
                     reported between 1981 and                      involved in a kill.
                     1989. Most of the records for
                     these events did not contain                   Washington's program is
                     information on the associated                  conducted by the Department of
                     land-use cause. However,                       Ecology. It provided fish-kill
                     pesticides were cited as the                   data for this project and reported
                     direct cause in three of the                   that field visits to fish-kill sites
                     events.                                        are made more than 75 percent
                                                                    of the time.
                            State Reporting
                                 Programs

                     Each of the three Pacific states
                     uses a different approach when
                     collecting fish-kill data. The
                     discussion below highlights
                     which agencies in each state
                     are involved in fish-kill reporting
                     and when they are most likely
                     to make an on-site investigation
                     of a fish-kill event. Information
                     concerning each state's
                     program organization, investi-
                     gative procedures, and use of
                     data are summarized in Appen-
                     dix B.





                                                                                                                                                       31





             Concluding Comments

               Fish-kill reporting programs                  occur with sufficient frequency or            of water-quality problems. The
               provide an incomplete picture                 involve enough fish to pose a                 Pamlico Estuarine Response
               of the Nation's fish-kill prob-               significant threat to fish popula-            Team (PERT), formed in North
               lems. Even so, they indicate                  tions in most areas. None of the              Carolina, is an example of how
               that fish kills have not been a               State programs surveyed                       fish-kill data have been used to
               pervasive problem in the                      indicated population impacts                  target an area experiencing
               Nation's estuarine and coastal                resulting from fish kills. Even it            ongoing water-quality problems
               areas. Taken together, the                    the estimates reported are                    (page 21).
               data generated by these State                 doubled to account for incom-
               and local programs also                       plete reporting, the number of                Low-Dissolved Oxygen
               provide a basis for quantifying               fish killed is still relatively small         Causes Most Kills. Low-
               and understanding certain                     compared to estimates of                      dissolved oxygen was reported
               aspects of fish kills. Several                existing populations in most                  as the direct cause of a kill in 41
               conclusions regarding the                     areas.                                        percent of the cases reporting
               uses and limitations of these                                                               cause. Although spills or acci-
               data are important to note.                   Assessing Trends is Difficult.                dental releases from point
                                                             Although the number of events in              sources still occur, the majority
               Compiling State Data is                       coastal areas has increased over              of human-induced kills is now
               Difficult Although all 22 coastal             the past decade, the number of                attributed to runoff from various
               states maintain some form of                  fish killed has decreased. The                nonpoint sources. Conversa-
               fish-kill reporting program, data             cause of these apparent trends                tions with State fish-kill officials
               compilation is difficult. Reporting           is not clear. The rise in the                 indicate that kills caused by
               responsibilities within most                  number of events may indicate a               pollutants from point sources
               states are often shared by                    decline in water quality during               (industries and wastewater
               several agencies. Consequently,               this period, or reflect an in-                treatment plants) have been
               data are in varied formats and                creased emphasis on reporting.                reduced in the last 10 tol 5 years
               gaps occur in some states as a                Because the data are incomplete               due to improvements in treat-
               result of lapses in State pro-                and lack uniformity, conclusive               ment. They also noted a de-
               grams or data lost during the                 statements at the national or                 crease in kills associated with
               transfer of program responsibili-             regional level cannot be made.                compounds such as DDT and
               ties. The analysis problem is                 However, a recurring seasonal                 other chlorinated pesticides that
               further compounded because no                 pattern appears in all states,                are now used less frequently or
               Federal agency or national                    indicating most events take place             are banned entirely.
               organization maintains a com-                 during the summer, from May to
               prehensive and up-to-date data                September.
               base for the Nation.
                                                             Hotspots Can Sometimes be
               Data Content Varies Among                     Targeted. Fish-kill data are
               States. There is a wide variation             most frequently used by State
               in organization, level of activity,           agencies to identify areas
               priorities, investigative proce-              experiencing acute environmen-
               dures, documentation require-                 tal stress. Ideally, the agency
               ments, and reporting formats                  uses the data to quickly deter-
               among states. As a result, the                mine the source of the stress
               data content of the information               and correct the problem. How-
               characterizing fish kills varies              ever, repeat kills may sometimes
               from state to state. This lack of             occur before action is taken.
               consistency in data content                   The fish kills in Mattanawcook
               makes it difficult to reconcile               Stream in Maine are a good
               differences in state-to-state and             example of how fish-kill data
               regional comparisons.                         were used to identify and correct
                                                             a discharge problem from a
               Little Evidence of Impacts on                 single source (page 11). In other
               Fish Populations. Fish kills in               cases, fish-kill events have lead
               coastal waters do not appear to               to a more in-depth investigation


               32





                References

                Bureau of the Census. 1988.                Harllee, N.; Monitoring and Data           McKinney, S.; Central Region,
                County and City Data Book                  Support Division; Office of Water          Florida's Game and Freshwater
                (1988). U.S. Department of                 Enforcement and Permits; U.S.              Fish Commission; Ocala, FL.
                Commerce, Washington, D.C.                 Environmental Protection                   (p. 22)
                p. 68                                      Agency; Washington, D.C. (see
                                                           Acknowledgements and EPA                   Morton, R. D.; Bioenvi ron mental
                Environmental Law Institute.               Fish-Kill Data Base, p. 2)                 Services Division, Duval
                1988. Clean Water Deskbook.                                                           County; Jacksonville, FL. (p.
                Washington, D.C. p. 77                                                                22)
                                                           State Agencie
                Hinga, K.R., D.W. Stanley, C.J.                                                       Olsen, L. A.; Florida's Depart-
                Klein, D.T. Lucid, and M.J.                Alabama                                    ment of Environmental Regula-
                Katz (eds). 1991. The Na-                                                             tion; Tallahassee, FL. (p. 22)
                tional Estuarine Eutrophication            Williford, E. J.; Alabama's
                Project: Workshop Proceed-                 Department of Environmental                Romeis, G.; South District
                ings. Rockville, MD: National              Management; Montgomery, AL.                Office, Florida's Department of
                Oceanic and Atmospheric                    (p. 27)                                    Environmental Regulation; Fort
                Administration and the Univer-                                                        Myer, FL. (p. 22)
                sity of Rhode Island Graduate              California
                School of Oceanography. 41                                                            Ross, Landon; Florida's Depart-
                PP.                                        Fransen, H.R.; Environmental               ment of Environmental Regula-
                                                           Services Division; California's            tion; Tallahassee, FL. (see Hot-
                NOAA. 1987. National                       Department of Fish and Game;               Spots and Recurring Kills, p. 22)
                Estuarine Inventory: Data                  Rancho Cordova, CA. (p. 31)
                Atlas, Volume 2: Land-Use                                                             Walton, A. S.; South District
                Characteristics. Rockville, MD:            Connecticut                                Office; Florida's Department of
                National Oceanic and Atmo-                                                            Environmental Regulation;
                spheric Administration. 40 pp.             Jacobson, R. A.; Water Man-                Punta Gorda, FL. (p. 22)
                                                           agement and Fisheries Division;
                NOAA. 1990. Estuaries of the               Connecticut's Department of                Young, N.; Northwest Region,
                United States: Vital Statistics            Environmental Protection;                  Florida's Game and Freshwater
                of a National Resource Base.               Hartford, CT. (p. 16)                      Fish Commission; DeFuniak
                Strategic Assessment Branch,                                                          Springs, FL. (p. 22)
                Rockville, MD. 79 pp.
                                                           Delaware
                Pait, A. S., A. DeSouza, and                                                          Georaia
                D.R.G. Farrow. 1991. Agricul-              Miller, R. W.; Division of Fish
                tural Pesticides in Coastal                and Wildlife; Delaware's Depart-           Coomer, C. Jr.; Fisheries
                Areas: A National Summary.                 ment of Natural Resources and              Section; Game and Fish Divi-
                Rockville, MD: National                    Environmental Control; Dover,              sion; Georgia's Department of
                Oceanic and Atmospheric                    DE. (p. 16)                                Natural Resources; Atlanta, GA.
                Administration. (In prepara-                                                          (p. 22)
                tion)                                      Florida                                    Shipman, S.; Coastal Re-
                           Personal                                                                   sources Division; Georgia's
                      Communications                       Champeau, T.; South Region,                Department of Natural Re-
                                                           Florida's Game and Freshwater              sources; Brunswick, GA. (p. 22)
                FedeLal Agencies                           Fish Commission; Lakeland, FL.
                                                           (p. 22)                                    Louisiana
                Farrow, D.; Strategic Environ-             Krummrich, J.; Northeast                   Albritton, R.; Louisiana's
                mental Assessments Division,               Region, Florida's Game and                 Department of Environmental
                National Oceanic and Atmo-                 Freshwater Fish Commission;                Quality; Baton Rogue, LA. (p.
                spheric Administration,                    Lake City, FL. (p. 22)                     27)
                Rockville, MD (p. 1, para 7)



                34









                                                                                                                                   References


                     Maine                                      Winkel, R.; Bureau of Law                 Kinney, R.; Waste Assessment
                                                                Enforcement; Fish, Game, and              and Emergency Response;
                     Courtmanch, D.; Maine's Depart-            Wildlife Division; New Jersey's           Bureau of Solid and Hazardous
                     ment of Environmental Protection;          Department of Environmental               Waste Management; South
                     Augusta, ME. (see Maine, and               Protection; Trenton, NJ. (p.              Carolina's Department of Health
                     Hot-Spots and Recurring Kills, p.          16)                                       and Environmental Control;
                     11)                                                                                  Columbia, SC. (p. 21)
                                                                New Yor
                     Maryland                                                                             Texas
                                                                Spodaryk, J.; New York's
                     Poukish, C.; Water Quality                 Department of Environmental               Palafox, D.; Resource Protection
                     Monitoring Division; Maryland's            Conservation; Gloversville, NY.           Division; Texas Parks and
                     Department of the Environment;             (p. 16)                                   Wildlife Department; Austin, TX.
                     Annapolis, MD. (p. 16)                                                               (p- 27)

                     Massachusetts                              North Carolina                            Palma, V.; Resource Protection
                                                                                                          Division; Texas Parks and
                     Fiske, J. D.; Division of Marine           Wiggins, K.; Division of Envi-            Wildlife Department; Austin, TX.
                     Fisheries; Massachusetts' Depart-          ronmental Management; North               (p. 27)
                     ment of Fisheries, Wildlife, and           Carolina's Department of
                     Environmental Law Enforcement;             Environment, Health, and                  ViML[i@a
                     Sandwich, MA. (p. 11)                      Natural Resources; Raleigh,
                                                                NC. (p. 21)                               Sykes, M.A.; Pollution Remedia-
                     Keller, R.; Division of Fisheries                                                    tion Program; Virginia Water
                     and Wildlife; Massachusetts'               Oreaon                                    Control Board; Richmond, VA.
                     Department of Fisheries, Wildlife,                                                   (p- 16)
                     and Environmental Law Enforce-             Robart, G.; Oregon's Depart-
                     ment; Westboro, MA. (p. 11)                ment of Fish and Wildlife;                Washinaton
                                                                Portland, OR. (p. 31)
                     Mississippi                                                                          LeVander, L.; Northwest Re-
                                                                Pennsylvania                              gional Office; Washington's
                     Rodgers, S.; Bureau of Pollution                                                     Department of Ecology;
                     Control; Mississippi's Department          Manhart, E. W.; Bureau of Law             Redmond, WA. (p. 31)
                     of Environmental Quality; Pearl,           Enforcement; Pennsylvania's
                     MS. (p. 27)                                Fish Commission; Harrisburg,              Kittle, L.; Central Office; Wash-
                                                                PA. (p. 16)                               ington's Department of Ecology;
                     New Hampshire                                                                        Olympia, WA. (p. 31)
                                                                Rhode Island
                     Ingham, W. Jr.; New Hampshire's
                     Department of Fish and Game;               Richardson, R. E.; Water
                     Durham, NH. (p. 11)                        Resources Division; Rhode
                                                                Island's Department of Envi-
                     Nelson, J.; New Hampshire's                ronmental Management;
                     Department of Fish and Game;               Providence, RI. (p. 15)
                     Durham, NH. (p. 11)
                                                                South Carolina
                     New Jersey
                                                                Adams, C.; Bureau of Solid
                     Murza, S.; Bureau of Law En-               and Hazardous Waste Man-
                     forcement; Fish, Game, and                 agement; South Carolina's
                     Wildlife Division; New Jersey's            Department of Health and
                     Department of Environmental                Environmental Control; Colum-
                     Protection; Trenton, NJ. (p. 16)           bia, SC. (p. 21)






                                                                                                                                             35





                    Appendix A -North Atlantic






                                                                                                                                      2


                                                                                               Maine




                                                                                                                           11



                                                                                                            13
                                                                                                                                        10



                                                                                                        4                                              15


                                                                                                                                          5
                                                                                          19
                                                                                                    9             6          14


                                                                                                            1          8     7        -
                                                                                20
                                                      New                                  18            3
                                                      Hampshire                        17          16               12

                                                                                    22        24
                                                                                            23                             11 @, Coastal County Number
                                                                                  21
                                                                                               26

                                                                                          27          30
                                                                               31
                                                                                           28

                                                                                                 29
                                                           Massachusetts                               25

















          1          36








                                                                                                                                                                            North Atlantic



                               Fish-Kill Events by County, 1980-1989


                                                                                                                    % of events               % of events                        of events
                                                                                              Killed              where # killed             where cause                  where 1 million or
                              State/County                             Events                 (X100)               was reported           of kill was reported           more fish were killed

                              Maine
                                        1 Androscoggin                       3                     80                     100                        100                               0
                                        2 Aroostook                          NO                    NO                     NO                         NO                             NO
                                        3 Cumberland                         1                        2                   100                        100                               0
                                        4 Franklin                           1                        1                   100                        100                               0
                                        5 Hancock                            NO                    NO                     NO                         NO                             NO
                                        6 Kennebec                           NO                    NO                     NO                         NO                             NO
                                        7 Knox                               NO                    NO                     NO                         NO                             NO
                                        8 Lincoln                            NO                    NO                     NO                         NO                             NO
                                        9 Oxford                             2                   1,005                    50                         100                               0
                                      10  Penobscot                          13                    31                     92                         100                               0
                                      11  Piscataquis                        NO                    NO                     NO                         NO                             NO
                                      12  Sagadahoc                          3                    460                     100                        100                               0
                                      13  Somerset                           2                        4                   100                        100                               0
                                      14  Waldo                              NO                    NO                     NO                         NO                             NO
                                      15  Washington                         2                     45                     100                        100                               0
                                      16  York                               1                     NR                       0                        100                               0
                                          Subtotal                           28                  1,628                    90                         100                               0


                              New Hampshire
                                      17  Belknap                            1                        1                   100                        100                               0
                                      18  Carroll                            NO                    ND                     NO                         NO                             NO
                                      19  Coos                               NO                    NO                     NO                         NO                             NO
                                      20  Grafton                            NO                    NO                     NO                         NO                             NO
                                      21  Hillsborough                       NO                    NO                     NO                         NO                             NO
                                      22  Merrimack                          NO                    NO                     NO                         NO                             NO
                                      23  Rockingham                         NO                    NO                     NO                         NO                             NO
                                      24  Strafford                          NO                    NO                     NO                         NO                             NO
                                          Subtotal                           I                        1                   100                        100                               0


                              Massachusetts
                                      25  Barnstable                         10               39,207                      90                         70                                1
                                      26  Essex                              NO                    NO                     NO                         NO                             NO
                                      27  Middlesex                          2                        4                   100                        50                                0
                                      28  Norfolk                            3                     23                     100                        67                                0
                                      29  Plymouth                           3                     34                     100                        67                                0
                                      30  Suffolk                            NO                    NO                     NO                         NO                             NO
                                      31  Worcester                          1                        6                   100                          0                               0
                                          Subtotal                           19               39,273                      95                         51                                1
                              Total                                          48               40,903                      92                         84                                1
                              National Total                            3,654              4,071,630                      84                         79                             86
                              Abbreviations: %, percent;   number; NR, number of fish killed not reported;ND,no data was received.






















                                                                                                                                                                                               37






                     Appendix A

                                              s,, Y Yi@or; igoo-1989,


                                                              Maine                              New                          Massachusetts a                                    Total
                                                                                             Hampshire
                     Year                                e                    k              e              k                        e          k                             e            k

                     1980                                2            1,030                  1              1                        2            19                          5           1,050
                     1981                                1                    20             0              0                        4            39                          5                 59

                     1982                                2                    6              0              0                        0                0                       2                 6
                     1983                                6                    76             0              0                        1       39,119                           7         39,195
                     1984                                2                    310            0              0                        1                3                       3            313

                     1985                                3                    107            0              0                        5            82                          8            189
                     1986                                3                    12             0              0                        0                0                       3                 12
                     1987                                2                    2              0              0                        2                2                       4                 4
                     1988                                6                    62             0              0                        2                2                       8                 64

                     1989                                1                    3              0              0                        2                8                       3                 10

                     Total                               28           1,628                  1              1                        19      39,273                           48        40,903




                      fish;-Kffl,:Even@                  Dii,-,,-,,C#q1se, 1980-1989

                                                                 Maine                               New                             Massachusetts'                              Total
                                                                                                 Hampshire
                     Direct Cause                           e                 k                  e              k                    e            k                           e            k

                     Low D. 0.                                5               488                0              0                    4         39,126                         9-         39,614
                     Temperature                              1               2                  0              0                    1                3                       2                 5
                     Sedimentation                            0               0                  0              0                    0                0                       0                 0
                     Eutrophication                           0               0                  0              0                    0                0                       0                 0
                     Disease                                  0               0                  0              0                    1                1                       1                 1
                     Stranding                                2               6                  0              0                    1                3                       3                 9
                     Storm Event                              I               NR                 0              0                    0                0                       .1,               NR
                     Wastewater                               9               1,019              0              0                    3                17                      12          1,036
                     Animal Waste                             0               0                  0              0                    0                0                       0                 0
                     pH                                       4               6                  0              0                    0                0                       4                 6
                     Organic Chemicals                        2               21                 0              0                    0                0                       2                 21
                     Inorganic Chemicals/Metals               2               70                 1              1                    0                0                       3                 71
                     Mixed Chemicals                          1               7                  0              0                    0                0                       1                 7
                     Pesticides                               0               0                  0              0                    2                45                      2                 45
                     Nutrients                                0               0                  0              0                    0                0                       0                 0
                     Salinity Changes                         0               0                  0              0                    0                0                       0                 0
                     Petroleum                                1               10                 0              0                    0                0                       1                 10
                     Chlorine                                 0               0                  0              0                    0                0                       0                 0
                     Red Tide                                 0               0                  0              0                    0                0                       0                 0
                     Predation                                0               0                  0              0                    0                0                       0                 0
                     Unspecified                              0               0                  0              0                    7                79                      7                 79
                     Total                                  28                1,628              1              1                    19        39,273                         48         40,903

                     Abbreviations: e number of events; k, number of fish killed in hundreds of fish; NR, number of fish killed not reported; Low D.O., low-dissolved oxygen.
                     a. Not all counties in stale included; state is split between regions.















                     38








                                                                                                                                                       'North Atlantic



                        ..........                  .... . ............
                                                                             19M1989140111FIR       . .........
                                                                                                                        a


                                                        Maine                           New                         Massachuseffsa                          Total
                                                                                      Hampshire
                       Land-Use Cause               e            k                    e             k               e           k                      e            k

                       Agriculture                  1             NR                  0             0               6              79                  7                79
                       Industrial                   19         1,147                  0             0               0                 0                19          1,147
                       Urban                        1                 5               1             1               1                 3                3                9
                       Impoundment                  1                 1               0             0               0                 0                1                1
                       Water-Related                3            460                  0             0               4                 6                7            468
                       Silviculture                 0                 0               0             0               0                 0                0                0

                       Wildland                     0                 0               0             0               0                 0                0                0
                       Mining                       0                 0               0             0               0                 0                0                0
                       Military                     0                 0               0             0               0                 0                0                0
                       Unspecified                  3             15                  0             0               8        39,183                    11        39,198

                       Total                        28         1,628                  1             1               19       39,273                    48        40,903





                                                                                                                                 W,
                                                                                            -yji -
                         Fish-TKIIFIEV'ifit         "'lliholdenli@ i 980-49'89                              .. . .......                                   ;W
                                              SOY

                                                           Maine                         New                        Massachusettsa                         Total
                                                                                      Hampshire
                       Incident                         e             k               e             k               e           k                      e           k

                       Runoff                           1             NR              1             1               1              30                  3            31
                       Routine Release                  9         1,021               0             0               2                 4                11        1,025
                       Accidental Release               1             NR              0             0               0                 0                1            NR
                       Spill                            3             32              0             0               1              13                  4            45
                       Spraying                         0             0               0             0               1              15                  1            is
                       Natural                          3             460             0             0               5        39,127                    8        39,587
                       Drawdown                         3             9               0             0               1                 3                4            12
                       Dredging or Drilling             0             0               0             0               0                 0                0                0
                       Unspecified                      8             107             0             0               8              82                  16          189
                       Total                            28        1,628               1             1               19       39,273                    48       40,903
                       Abbreviations: e number of events; Arnumber of fish killed in hundreds of fish; NR, number of fish killed not reported.
                       a. Not all counties in state included; state is split between regions.


































                                                                                                                                                                        39





                     Appendix A- Middle Atlantic








                                               Northern                                                                           New York                               Massachusetts
                                                                                                                                                            3
                                                                                                                                                       37         22 33


                                                                                                                                                            26    2@  2                        6
                                                                                                                                                                                                    7
                                                                                                                                                       39   40    25 16     15   20    21 12    3
                                                                                                                                                            30    31      18  17       9  13 '
                                                                                                                                                       60   535   41 14                         94
                                                                                                  Pennsylvania                                         55   @B @  28     38                                sland
                                                                                                                                          67                6                          Connecticut
                                                                                                                                                       51 59
                                                                                                                                                            53           23
                                                                                                                                           66          625            2932
                                                                                                                                  68 65 63             44   56    345027
                                                                                                                                         70            4
                                                                                                                                  Maryland   58        42         New Jersey
                                                                                                                                                       7
                                                                                                                                         6@            4


                                                                                                                                           71          Delaware












                                                                                                                                  Pennsylvania         New
                                               Southern                                                                                                Jersey



                                                                                                                                  276
                                                                         Maryland                                                 673107
                                                                                                                                  71
                                                                                                                                  111
                                                                                                                                  74215
                                                                                                                                  36
                                                                                                                                  ;56 603 14           Delaware
                                                                                                                                  72 6384
                                                                                                                                  M45 16 19
                                                                                                   24                             452 29 65 17 20
                                                                                                                                  7340 44
                                                                                                                                  28 32 57452551 23
                                                                                               26                                 531 30 4866 53
                                                                                                                                  58 59 80
                                                                                                                                  573
                                                                              Virginia                                            55 33 74 42 a' 71                                       Coastal County Number
                                                                                                                                  7@ 85
                                                                                                                                  82"77












                       40








                                                                                                                                                                     Middle Atlantic





                                                                                                              .
                                                                                                                 "R
                                                                                                              ..... .....
                                                                        4980-1989 ITT                      '11kh"'AIRM-,
                                iSh4'k,,'fi'f' @eAsil :bd
                                                                                                                                                                           ----------



                                                                                                              % of events                    % of events                  of events
                                                                                          Killed            where # killed                 where cause             where 1 million or
                            State/County                           Events                 (X100)             was reported               of kill was reported more fish were killed

                            Middle Atlantic (Northern)

                            Massachusetts
                                   1 Barnstable                 Data found in the North Atlantic region.             -
                                   2 Berkshire                          1                         <1                 100                           0                            0
                                   3 Bristol                            5                     232                    100                         60                             0
                                   4 Dukes                            NO                          NO                 NO                          NO                          NO
                                   5 Hampden                            2                     126                    100                         100                            0
                                   * Nantucket                        NO                          NO                 NO                          NO                          NO
                                   6 Norfolk                    Data found in the North Atlantic region.
                                   7 Plymouth                   Data found in the North Atlantic region.
                                   8 Worcester                  Data found in the North Atlantic region.
                                     Subtotal                           8                     358                    100                         63                             0


                            Rhode Island
                                   9 Bristol                          NO                          NO                 NO                          NO                          NO
                                10   Kent                               6                         46                 100                         83                             0
                                11   Newport                            2                         22                 50                          50                             0
                                12   Providence                         7                         17                 71                          71                             0
                                13   Washington                         3                         52                 100                         67                             0
                                     Subtotal                         is                      136                    83                          72                             0


                            Connecticut
                                14   Fairfield                          8                   1,337                    88                          75                             0
                                15   Hartford                         11                          23                 82                          82                             0
                                16   Litchfield                         4                         27                 100                         75                             0
                                17   Middlesex                          8                     161                    100                         63                             0
                                18   New Haven                          9                   1,100                    100                         78                             0
                                19   New London                       11                      143                    91                          73                             0
                                20   Tolland                            2                         2                  100                         100                            0
                                21   Windham                            2                         1                  100                         100                            0
                                     Subtotal                         55                    2,794                    93                          76                             0

                            New York
                                22   Albany                             8                     549                    75                          63                             0
                                23   Bronx                              2                  20,000                    100                         100                            2
                                24   Columbia                         11                      229                    73                          91                             0
                                25   Dutchess                         11                          11                 100                         91                             0
                                26   Greene                           11                          45                 73                          73                             0
                                27   Kings                            NO                          NO                 NO                          NO                          NO
                                28   Nassau                             1                         NR                   0                         100                            0
                                29   New York                         NO                          NO                 NO                          NO                          NO
                                30   Orange                           28                      208                    93                          75                             0
                                31   Putnam                           11                          59                 100                         82                             0
                                32   Queens                             1                         20                 100                         100                            0
                                33   Rensselaer                       17                   11,635                    76                          65                             1
                                34   Richmond                           2                     100                    100                         100                            0
                                35   Rockland                           9                         30                 78                          67                             0
                                36   Schenectady                      NO                          NO                 NO                          NO                          NO

                           Abbreviations: %, percent;  number; NR, number of fish killed not reported; NO, no data was received.
                            Not shown on map.






                                                                                                                                                                                         41






                Appendix A


                  Fish-Kill Events by County, 1980-1989


                                                                                           % of events                 % of events                of events
                                                                          Killed          where # killed              where cause           where 1 million or
                  State/County                      Events                (X100)           was reported             of kill was reported more fish were killed

                  Middle Atlantic (Northern)
                  New York (cont.)
                      37   Schoharie                      1                      <1                   100                       100                       0
                      38   Suffolk                        7                      38                   100                       57                        0
                      39   Sullivan                       NO                     NO                   NO                        NO                     NO
                      40   Ulster                         14                     136                  100                       79                        0
                      41   Westchester                    17                     82                   94                        82                        0
                           Subtotal                       151             33,142                      88                        77                        3


                  New Jersey
                      42   Atlantic                       NO                     NO                   NO                        NO                     NO
                      43   Bergen                         10                     NR                   0                         80                        0
                      44   Burlington                     8                      NR                   0                         75                        0
                      45   Camden                         3                      NR                   0                         67                        0
                      46   Cape May                       NO                     NO                   NO                        NO                     NO
                      47   Cumberland                     1                      NR                   0                         0                         0
                      48   Essex                          3                      <1                   33                        33                        0
                      49   Gloucester                     9                      NR                   0                         67                        0
                      50   Hudson                         2                      NR                   0                         0                         0
                      51   Hunterdon                      3                      NR                   0                         67                        0
                      52   Mercer                         6                      2                    17                        33                        0
                      53   Middlesex                      11                     101                  9                         73                        0
                      54   Monmouth                       13                     NR                   0                         46                        0
                      55   Morris                         11                     <1                   9                         55                        0
                      56   Ocean                          4                      NR                   0                         50                        0
                      57   Passaic                        6                      NR                   0                         50                        0
                      58   Salem                          5                      NR                   0                         60                        0
                      59   Somerset                       9                      NR                   0                         44                        0
                      60   Sussex                         3                      NR                   0                         0                         0
                      61   Union                          5                      NR                   0                         100                       0

                           Subtotal                       112                    103                  4                         57                        0


                  Pennsylvania
                      62   Bucks                          3                      22                   100                       67                        0
                      63   Chester                        8                      144                  100                       75                        0
                      64   Delaware                       3                      36                   67                        67                        0
                      65   Lancaster                      NO                     NO                   NO                        NO                     NO
                      66   Montgomery                     1                      <1                   100                       0                         0
                      67   Philadelphia                   1                      5                    100                       0                         0
                      68   York                           NO                     NO                   NO                        NO                     NO
                           Subtotal                       16                     207                  94                        63                        0


                  Delaware
                      69 Kent                             46              236,781                     98                        53                        3
                      70 New Castle                       38                     396                  100                       54                        0
                      71 Sussex                           36               43,056                     97                        70                        3
                           Subtotal                       120             280,233                     98                        58                        6

                  Abbreviations: %, percent; number; NRnumber of fish killed not reported; ND,no data was received.












                  42








                                                                                                                                                                  Middle Atlantic



                           Fish-Kill Events by County,1980-1989


                                                                                                           % of events                    % of events                  of events
                                                                                        Killed            where # killed                 where cause             where I million or
                         State/County                          Events                   (X100)            was reported               of kill was reported more fish were killed

                         Middle Atlantic (Southern)
                         Maryland
                                2 Anne Arundel                       182              359,847                    66                          82                              8
                                3 Baltimore                          47                 14,340                   91                          60                              1
                                4 Calvert                            17                 27,715                   88                          76                              1
                                5 Caroline                           3                     11                    100                         33                              0
                                6 Carroll                            7                     30                    100                         71                              0
                                7 Cecil                              is                    231                   67                          33                              0
                                8 Charles                            14                 10,061                   86                          36                              1
                                9 Dorchester                         15                 18,852                   73                          93                              1
                              10  Harford                            21                 1,382                    76                          90                              0
                              11  Howard                             4                        6                  75                          75                              0
                              12  Kent                               7                  1,522                    71                          57                              0
                              13  Montgomery                         4                        7                  75                          50                              0
                              14  Prince George's                    9                     222                   67                          33                              0
                              15  Queen Anne's                       14                    ill                   71                          64                              0
                              16  St. Mary's                         28                 23,727                   86                          82                              2
                              17  Somerset                           7                     39                    86                          43                              0
                              18  Talbot                             14                 17,674                   93                          86                              1
                              19  Wicomico                           13               203,252                    85                          77                              5
                              20  Worcester                          1                     100                   100                         100                             0
                              21  Baltimore City                     23                    179                   65                          78                              0
                              22  District of Columbia               7                  5,520                    71                          71                              0
                                  Subtotal                           455              684,828                    75                          73                            20

                         Virginia
                              23  Accomack                           2                        2                  50                           0                              0
                              24  Albemarle                          NO                    NO                    NO                          NO                            NO
                              25  Amelia                             NO                    NO                    NO                          NO                            NO
                              26  Appomattox                                               NR                      0                          0                              0
                              27  Arlington                          3                     15                    100                         67                              0
                              28  Buckingham                         NO                    NO                    NO                          NO                            NO
                              29  Caroline                           2                     428                   100                         100                             0
                              30  Charles City                       1                        1                  100                          0                              0
                              31  Chesterfield                       5                     42                    100                         60                              0
                              32  Cumberland                         NO                    NO                    NO                          NO                            NO
                              33  Dinwiddie                          NO                    NO                    NO                          NO                            NO
                              34  Essex                              NO                    NO                    NO                          NO                            NO
                              35  Fairfax                            8                     48                    100                         88                              0
                              36  Fauquier                           2                     <1                    50                          50                              0
                              37  Fluvanna                           1                     <1                    100                         100                             0
                              38  Gloucester                         1                  1,000                    100                          0                              0
                              39  Goochland                          NO                    NO                    NO                          NO                            NO
                              40  Hanover                            NO                    NO                    NO                          NO                            NO
                              41  Henrico                            5                     24                    100                         100                             0
                              42  Isle of Wight                      NO                    NO                    NO                          NO                            NO
                              43  James City                         2                     60                    100                         100                             0
                              44  King and Queen                     NO                    NO                    NO                          NO                            NO
                         Abbreviations: NR, number of fish killed not reported; NO, no data was received.










                                                                                                                                                                                    43






                   Appendix A


                     Fish-Will Events by County,1980-1989


                                                                                                           % of events                      % of events                    of events
                                                                                      Killed              where # killed                   where cause               where 1 million or
                    State/County                             Events                   (X100)              was reported                 of kill was reported more fish were killed

                    Middle Atlantic (Southern)
                    Virginia (cont.)

                            45   King George                            NO                         NO                 NO                          NO                               ND
                            46   King William                           NO                         NO                 NO                          NO                               NO
                            47   Lancaster                              3                 126,400                     67                          0                                2
                            48   Loudoun                                1                          2                  100                         100                              0
                            49   Louisa                                 1                          1                  100                         100                              0
                            50   Mathews                                1                          4                  100                         0                                0
                            51   Middlesex                              2                          20                 50                          0                                0
                            52   New Kent                               1                          <1                 100                         0                                0
                            53   Northampton                            NO                         NO                 ND                          NO                               ND
                            54   Northumberland                         4                  11,052                     100                         50                               1
                            55   Nottoway                               ND                         NO                 NO                          NO                               ND
                            56   Orange                                 ND                         NO                 NO                          NO                               ND
                            57   Powhatan                               ND                         ND                 NO                          NO                               NO
                            58   Prince Edward                          NO                         NO                 NO                          NO                               NO
                            59   Prince George                          3                          20                 100                         67                               0
                            60   Prince William                         4                          46                 100                         100                              0
                            61   Richmond                               2                          23                 100                         50                               0
                            62   Spotsylvania                           NO                         NO                 ND                          NO                               NO
                            63   Stafford                               2                          1                  100                         50                               0
                            64   Surry                                  NO                         NO                 NO                          NO                               NO
                            65   Westmoreland                           4                          70                 75                          25                               0
                            66   York                                   3                  10,015                     100                         33                               1
                        Virginia (Independent Cities)
                            67   Alexandria                             3                          21                 100                         33                               0
                            68   Chesapeake                   Data found in the South Atlantic region.
                            69   Colonial Heights                       1                    1,503                    100                         100                              0
                            70   Fairfax                                ND                         NO                 NO                          NO                               NO
                            71   Falls Church                           NO                         NO                 NO                          NO                               NO
                            72   Fredericksburg                         ND                         ND                 NO                          NO                               NO
                            73   Hampton                                2                          22                 100                         50                               0
                            74   Hopewell                               8                          201                88                          75                               0
                            75   Manassas                               NO                         NO                 NO                          NO                               NO
                            76   Manassas Park                          NO                         NO                 ND                          ND                               NO
                            77   Newport News                           2                          22                 100                         50                               0
                            78   Norfolk                                6                          35                 100                         83                               0
                            79   Petersburg                             2                          <1                 50                          50                               0
                            80   Poquoson                               2                          503                100                         50                               0
                            81   Portsmouth                             5                          8                  80                          80                               0
                            82   Richmond                               3                          NR                 0                           67                               0
                               * Southampton                  Data found in the South Atlantic region.
                            83   Suffolk                      Data found in the South Atlantic region.
                            84   Virginia Beach               Data found in the South Atlantic region.
                            85   Williamsburg                           NO                         ND                 NO                          NO                               NO

                                 Subtotal                               98                151,591                     88                          61                               4

                        Middle AtlanticTotal                      1,033                 1,153,392                     65                          69                               33
                        National Total                            3,654                 4,071,630                     84                          79                               86
                       Abbreviations: NR, number of fish killed not reported; ND, no data was received.
                        Not shown on map.








                      44











                          Fish@Kill EVeh              -",Year.1980-1989@

                                     Massa-            Rhode            Connect-          New York             New               Pennsyl-        Delaware              Maryland      b         Virginia a            Total
                                     chusetts          Island             icut                                 Jersey            vania
                         Year        e        k        e      k         e         k       e       k            e       k         e      k      e         k           e         k          e          k           e,        k


                         1980        1        1        1      NR        5         19      4      1,555         5    NR           6      54     16        5,587       20     250,242       23        2,084        81     259,542
                         1981        0        0        2      2         5         9       3     10,000         7       2         4      132    12       10,725       22     142,184       20      117,564        75     280,617
                         1982        0        0        1      2         2         4       0           0        0       0         3      4        4           11      28           106       8      20,019        46      20,145
                         1983        1     190         0      0         4         12      12       149         0       0         0      0      20       37,556         0             0      5            4       42      37,912
                         1984        0        0        2      40        6         37      16       203         0       0         0      0        6           16      14        13,743       7      10,005        51      24,043
                         1985        0        0        0      0         9         162     24       222         0       0         1      5      11        5,053       53        35,573       4           87     102       41,101
                         1986        1        30       1      NR        7    1,028        22       131         10   101          0      0      13           70      103     216,255       12            67     169      217,682
                         1987        2        10       1      20        11   1,304        19         71        28   NR           2      12     15        1,333       77        9,505        6       1,550      161       13,806
                         1988        2        2        3      15        5         217     21    20,438         36      1         0      0      16      218,871       86        13,260       8           86     177      252,889
                         1989        1     125         7      57        1         4       30       372         26   <1           0      0        7       1,012       52        3,961        5         125      129         5,656
                         Total       8     358      18 136              55   2,794     151      33,142      112     103          16 207       120     280,233       455     684,828       98     151,591     19033 1,153,392
                         Abbreviations: P, number of events; k, number of fish killed in hundreds of fish; NR, number of fish killed not reported.
                         a. Not all counties in state included; state is split between regions.
                         b. Maryland totals include the District of Columbia.

































       4@1











                                                                                    - ------- - --
                            Fish-Kill Even'ts                 Dire'dt Caui-,@_'

                                                                  Massa-            Rhode          Connect-             New York                 New              Pennsyl-          Delaware                Maryland       b          Virginia a                  Total
                                                               chusetts'            Island            icurt                                   Jersey              vania
                            Direct Cause                          e     k           e   k          e        k           e        k             e     k            e       k         e       k             e          k                e      k                 e       k

                            Low D. 0.                             2     12          9   69            9   2,441         18     20,110            8      1         0       0         36  278,045          200      252,165             12        50             294  552,892
                            Temperature                           0       0         0      0          2        9        10        77             1   NR           0       0         9           350         5     246,953             11       212             38   247,601
                            Sedimentation                         0       0         0      0          0        0          0          0           3   NR           0       0         1      1,001            3              11         0           0            7       1,011
                            Eulrophication                        0       0         1      2          0        0          1          1           4   NR           0       0         0           0           0              0          1     10,000             7       10,003
                            Disease                               0       0         0      0          4      91         15        24             3   NR           0       0         2           16        63         4500             0           0            87      4,631
                            Stranding                             0       0         0      0          0        0          4      129             0      0         0       0         1           5         11      155,758             3         <1             19   155,892
                            Storm Event                           0       0         0      0          0        0          1      170             0      0         0       0         0           0         10         6,135            1         10             12      6,315
                            Wastewater                            1     <1          1      2          2        1        10        46             8   NR           3       14        4           24        14         5,641            3    11,003              46      16,732
                            Animal Waste                          0       0         0      0          1      <1           4      287             1   NR           0       0         0           0           5        1,016            0           0            11      1,303
                            pH                                    0       0         0      0          0        0          3       36             2   NR           0       0         1           <1          1              10         2           2            9            48
                            Organic Chemicals                     0       0         0      0          0        0          0          0           4   101          0       0         1           <1          1              86         2         40             a         227
                            Inorganic Chemicals/Metals            0       0         2      3          8      65         11       167             3   NR           0       0         4           3           4              211        5         11             37        461
                            Mixed Chemicals                       2    126          0      0          6      11           0          0           4   NR           1       12        3           201         2              41         1           1            19        392
                            Pesticides                            0       0         0      0          3        2          8       75             9   NR           3       122       4           59          3              <1         4      1,522             34      1,779
                            Nutrients                             0       0         0      0          1        6          0          0           0      0         0       0         0           0           0              0          0           0            1              6
                            Salinity Changes                      0       0         0      0          0        0          0          0           0      0         0       0         0           0           0              0          0           0            0              0
                            Petroleum                             0       0         0      0          2        6        12       135             8   NR           1       1         4           14          1              10         7        501             35        668
                            Chlorine                              0       0         0      0          4        4        16       139             6   NR           2       26        2           1           9              211        6         16             45        396
                            Red Tide                              0       0         0      0          0        0          2          4           0      0         0       0         0           0           0              0          1         20             3            24
                            Predation                             0       0         0      0          0        0          1       <1             0      0         0       0         0           0           1              NR         1           6            3              6
                            Unspecified                           3 220             5   60         13       159         35     11,740          48       2         6       31        48          516      122        12,081            38 128,197               318  153,007

                            Total                                 8 358             18  136        55 2,794            151     33,142       112 103               16      207       120 280,233          455      684,828             98 151,591         1,033 1,153,392
                            Abbreviations: e number of events; k, number of fish killed in hundreds of fish; NR, number of fish killed not reported; Low D.O., low-dissolved oxygen.
                            a. Not all counties in state included; state is split between regions.
                            b. Maryland totals include the District of Columbia.











                                                                                                               90-92-1,
                                  Fis @-Klil E"s bt 0                                                        910-
                                                                                        -ause,
                                                                             ppsel.
                                                                                                                                                    j

                                                             Massa-             Rhode             Connect-              New York                 New                Pennsyl-             Delaware                     Maryland     b                Virginia a                  Total
                                                           chusettSa            Island               !cut                                     Jersey                vania
                                  Land-Use Cause             e k                e     k           e          Ar         e        k            e         k           a         k          e          k                 e          k                a          k             e             k
                                  Agriculture                0        0         0       0         3          7          5        457             1         0        3         122        3              3             5              19           2                4       22              612
                                  Industrial                 2   126            1       2         6          41         17       302          11        '101        4         24         7          241               5            202           17         11,245         70           12,284
                                  Urban                      1        1         2       3         2          1          26       160          16           0        6         45         10             69            38       11,346            10              29       'I'll         11,653
                                  Impoundment                0        0         0       0         1          4          33       265             2         0        0         0          9          211               13         2,235            4          1,544         62            4,258
                                  Water-Related              0        0         2       5         5          92         11    10,010             3         0        0         0          4        1,211            188        523,498            14         10,056        227         544,872
                                  Silviculture               0        0         0       0         0          0          0            0           0         0        0         0          0              0             0               0           0                0          0               0
                                  Wildland                   0        0         0       0         0          0          0            0           0         0        0         0          0              0             0               0           0                0          0               0
                                  Mining                     0        0         0       0         0          0          0            0           0         0        0         0          0              0             0               0           0                0          0               0
                                  Military                   0        0         0       0         0          0          1            2           0         0        0         0          0              0             0               0           3              18           4              20
                                  Unspecified                5   232            13   126          38   2,649            58    21,945          79           3        3         16         87    278,498             206        147,528            48       128,696         537         579,694

                                  Total                      8   358            18   136          55   2,794         151      33,142         112        103         16        207     120      280,233            455         684,828            98        151,591      1,033       1,153,392
                                  Abbreviations: e, number of events; knumber of fish killed in hundreds of fish; NR, number of fish killed not reported.
                                  a. Not all counties in state included; state is split between regions.
                                  b. Maryland totals include the District of Columbia.








                                                                                           91ï¿½0
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        . . . . . . ... ........ ......
                                                              bj-

                                                                                                                                                                                                                  b                  I  a               Total
                                                              Masse-           Rhode             Connect-            New York              New            Pennsyl-           Delaware                   Maryland              Virgin a
                                                              chuseftsr        Island             icut                                   Jersey              vania
                                Incident                      e    k           e     k           e        k          e     k            e      k           e     k           e         k                e      k           e         k             e           k

                                Runoff                        0      0         0      0          3        2          1        <1           4   NP            0      0          2          201           7         58          2         12              19       273
                                Routine Release               I    <1          2      4          1        <1         6        35           2   NR            3   12            7          36            14     5,713       13       11,175              49    16,975
                                Accidental Release            0      0         0      0          1        NR         7       283           2   NR            1   29            6          25            15     6,558          4         44              36     6,938
                                Spill                         0      0         0      0          5        45         12       68           3   NR            0      0          2          10            8         215         7      1,515              37     1,854
                                Spraying                      0      0         0      0          0        0          6       124           1   NR            1   19            1          54            2         12          1         15              12       224
                                Natural                       0      0         3      6          6        104        39   10,326           8   NR            0      0        26           366           199  525,351       16       10,096         297       546,249
                                Drawdown                      0      0         0      0          0        0          5       131           0      0          0      0          2          37            2         216         1         NR              10       384
                                Dredging or Drilling          0      0         0      0          0        0          0          0          0      0          0      0          1       1,001            1         <1          0            0            2      1,001
                                Unspecified                   7  358           13  126           39  2,642           75  22,175          92    103         11    147         73     278,504             207  146,705       54     128,734          571       579,495

                                Total                         8  358           18  136           55  2,794           151  33,142        112    103         16   207         120     280,233             455  684,828       98     151,591         1,033   1,153,392

                                Abbreviations: e, number of events; k, number of fish killed in hundreds of fish; NR, number of fish killed not reported.
                                a. Not all counties in state included; state is split between regions.
                                b. Maryland totals include the District of Columbia




                    Appendix A - South Atlantic









                                                                                                                                            Virginia


                                                                                                                                                                   3 @ 2
                                                                                                                                                          32      20         16
                                                                                                                                                      22     24              10 @2
                                                                                                                               North Carolina      30 19      7                 35
                                                                                                                                                    47    38 296  45 43 17
                                                                                                                                          23   26  46 21             25
                                                                                                                                                      28     14
                                                                                                                               44539      15   41   18   27                    34
                                                                                                                               South 65 53 68 408   36  33
                                                                                                                               Carolina 565
                                                                                                                               56          13
                                                                                                                               64659  6          9      '31
                                                                                                                               70        2
                                                                                                                               54 71
                                                                              Georgia                                          49 69 51 60
                                                                                                                               48
                                                                                                                               89 95655 52
                                                                                                                               85
                                                                                                 9                             78 84 63 50
                                                                                             5                                 97 967a
                                                                                                                               as 72990 8@
                                                                                             a   a3 7                          99 92
                                                                                                 7                             94
                                                                                                                               98686
                                                                                                 82                            Bo 79
                                                                                                                               116
                                                                                                                               108
                                                                                                                               106 1
                                                                                             125                               105
                                                                                             102                               12
                                                                                                                               100 121
                                                                                                                               C)q

                                                                                                                               113 126
                                                                                                                               112
                                                                                                                               124
                                                                                                                               118 10

                                                                                                                               1'9


                                                                                                                               Florida 117 123

                                                                                                                               114


                                                                                                                               110 120

                                                                                                                               104


                                                                                                                               115 107

                                                                                                                                                  Coastal County Number

                                                                                                                               'C@













                      50








                                                                                                                                                                               South Atlantic





                            .,,Tish-KiII;Eventt by 00unty, 1980-1989


                                                                                                              % of events                  % of events                           of events
                                                                                         Killed              where # killed               where cause                      where 1 million or
                            State/County                             Events              (X100)               was reported             of kill was reported              more fish were killed

                            Virgina
                                 I Southampton                            NO                     NO                  NO                            NO                                NO
                                 2 Chesapeake                                7                   130                 100                           57                                   0
                                 3 Suffolk                                NO                     NO                  NO                            NO                                NO
                                 4 Virginia Beach                         24             25,369                      96                            71                                   1
                                    Subtotal                              31             25,499                      97                            68                                   1


                            North Carolina
                                 5  Anson                                 NO                     NO                  NO                            NO                                NO
                                 6  Beaufort                              55             103,930                     80                            76                                   6
                                 7  Bertie                                NO                     NO                  NO                            NO                                NO
                                 8  B(aden                                   1                   2                   100                           100                                  0
                                 9  Brunswick                                1                   2                   100                             0                                  0
                                 10 Camden                                NO                     NO                  NO                            NO                                NO
                                 11 Carteret                                 5                   38                  60                            20                                   0
                                 12 Chowan                                   1                   1                   100                           100                                  0
                                 13 Columbus                                 4                   8                   100                           100                                  0
                                 14 Craven                                15               1,216                     60                            80                                   0
                                 15 Cumberland                               2                   40                  100                           100                                  0
                                 16 Currituck                             NO                     NO                  NO                            NO                                NO
                                 17 Dare                                     2           30,001                      100                           100                                  1
                                 18 Duplin                                   4                   3                   75                            50                                   0
                                 19 Edgecombe                                3                   2                   100                             0                                  0
                                 20 Gates                                 NO                     NO                  NO                            NO                                NO
                                 21 Greene                                NO                     NO                  NO                            NO                                NO
                                 22 Halifax                                  1                   15                  100                             0                                  0
                                 23 Harnett                                  2                   1                   50                            100                                  0
                                 24 Hertford                              NO                     NO                  NO                            NO                                NO
                                 25 Hyde                                     6           60,058                      100                           50                                   2
                                 26 Johnston                              NO                     NO                  NO                            NO                                NO
                                 27 Jones                                    1                   <1                  100                             0                                  0
                                 28 Lenoir                                   3                   31                  100                           67                                   0
                                 29 Martin                                   1                   2                   100                             0                                  0
                                 30 Nash                                  NO                     NO                  NO                            NO                                NO
                                 31 New Hanover                              6                   237                 100                           67                                   0
                                 32 Northampton                           NO                     NO                  NO                            NO                                NO
                                 33 Onslow                                   7                   606                 86                            86                                   0
                                 34 Pamlico                                  8           60,070                      75                            100                                  2
                                 35 Pasquotank                               4                   23                  100                           25                                   0
                                 36 Pender                                   1                   10                  100                           100                                  0
                                 37 Perquimans                            NO                     NO                  NO                            NO                                NO
                                 38 Pitt                                     3                   22                  100                           100                                  0
                                 39 Richmond                              NO                     NO                  NO                            NO                                NO
                                 40 Robeson                                  3                   4                   100                           67                                   0
                                 41 Sampson                                  6                   8                   100                           83                                   0
                                 42 Scotland                                 1                   <1                  100                             0                                  0
                                 43 Tyrrell                                  I                   NR                     0                            0                                  0
                                 44 Union                                 NO                     NO                  NO                            NO                                NO
                                 *  Wake                                  NO                     NO                  NO                            NO                                NO
                                 45 Washington                               4                   37                  75                            75                                   0

                                 Abbreviations: %, percent; number; NR, number of fish killed not reported;ND, no data was received.
                                 Not shown on map.





                                                                                                                                                                                                 51






                  Appendix A

                                                                                       -ll@w@@--;,@Inp-           y@!
                                       n
                                                                                                                                                                            ..... .. ...


                                                                                                  % of events                 % of events                          of events
                                                                               Killed            where # killed              where cause                     where 1 million or
                    State/County                           Events            (X1 00)              was reported            of kill was reported             more fish were killed
                    North Carolina (cont.)
                      46 Wayne                                     1                  30                   0                          100                                 0
                      47 Wilson                                    1                  NR                   0                          100                                 0
                          Subtotal                                 153        256,397                    82                           71                               11

                    South Carolina
                      48  Allendale                                NO                 NO                 NO                           NO                               NO
                      49  Bamberg                                  NO                 NO                 NO                           NO                               NO
                      50  Beaufort                                 73                 343                96                           70                                  0
                      51  Berkeley                                 11                 72                 91                           64                                  0
                      52  Charleston                               53                 332                83                           83                                  0
                      53  Chesterfield                             2                  <1                 50                              0                                0
                      54  Clarendon                                NO                 NO                 NO                           NO                               NO
                      55  Colleton                                 5                  165                so                           100                                 0
                      56  Darlington                               7                  35                 100                          57                                  0
                      57  Dillon                                   1                  2                  100                          100                                 0
                      58  Dorchester                               9                  24                 89                           67                                  0
                      59  Florence                                 8                  192                88                           88                                  0
                      60  Georgetown                               1                  100                100                          100                                 0
                      61  Hampton                                  1                  12                 100                          100                                 0
                      62  Horry                                    9                  68                 100                          78                                  0
                      63  Jasper                                   2                  21                 100                          50                                  0
                      64  Kershaw                                  NO                 NO                 NO                           NO                               NO
                      65  Lancaster                                NO                 NO                 NO                           NO                               NO
                      66  Lee                                      NO                 NO                 NO                           NO                               NO
                      67  Marion                                   3                  12                 100                          33                                  0
                      68  Marlboro                                 2                  11                 100                          50                                  0
                      69  Orangeburg                               1                  <1                 100                             0                                0
                      70  Sumter                                   3                  1                  67                           33                                  0
                      71  Williamsburg                             NO                 NO                 NO                           NO                               NO
                          Subtotal                                 191           1,393                   91                           72                                  0

                    Georgia
                      72  Appling                                  NO                 NO                 NO                           NO                               NO
                      73  Atkinson                                 NO                 NO                 NO                           NO                               NO
                      74  Bacon                                    2                  14                 100                             0                                0
                      75  Ben Hill                                 NO                 NO                 NO                           NO                               NO
                      76  Brantley                                 1                  1                  100                          100                                 0
                      77  Bryan                                    NO                 NO                 NO                           NO                               NO
                          *Brooks                 Data found in the Guff of Mexico Region.
                      78  Bulloch                                  1                  1                  100                          100                                 0
                      79  Camden                                   2                  16                 100                             0                                0
                      80  Charlton                                 NO                 NO                 NO                           NO                               NO
                      81  Chatham                                  15           26,949                   100                             0                                1
                      82  Clinch                                   NO                 NO                 NO                           NO                               NO
                      83  Coffee                                   2                  4                  100                          100                                 0
                          *Decatur                Data found in the Gulf of Mexico Region.
                      84  Effingham                                NO                 NO                 NO                           NO                               NO
                      Abbreviations: %, percent; number; NR, number ot fish killed not reported;ND, no data was received.
                      * Not shown on map.












                    52








                                                                                                                                                                           South Atlantic


                                               "itsby County,,1980 19 9@
                                               yen


                                                                                                                % of events                 % of events                        of events
                                                                                          Killed              where # killed               where cause                  where 1 million or
                         State/County                                  Events             (X100)               was reported             of kill was reported           more fish were killed
                         Georgia (cont.)
                                85  Emanuel                                NO                  NO                     NO                            NO                                NO
                                    Evans                                  NO                  NO                     NO                            NO                                NO
                                86  Glynn                                     3                82                     100                             0                                  0
                                  * Grady                    Data found in the Gulf of Mexico Region.
                                87  Irwin                                  NO                  NO                     NO                            NO                                NO
                                88  Jeff Davis                             NO                  NO                     NO                            NO                                NO
                                89  Jenkins                                NO                  NO                     NO                            NO                                NO
                                90  Liberty                                NO                  NO                     NO                            NO                                NO
                                91  Long                                   NO                  NO                     NO                            NO                                NO
                                92  McIntosh                               NO                  NO                     NO                            NO                                NO
                                93  Montgomery                             NO                  NO                     NO                            NO                                NO
                                94  Pierce                                    1                43                     100                             0                                  0
                                95  Screven                                NO                  NO                     NO                            NO                                NO
                                96  Tattnall                               NO                  NO                     NO                            NO                                NO
                                  * Thomas                   Data found in the Gulf of Mexico Region.
                                97  Toombs                                 NO                  NO                     NO                            NO                                NO
                                98  Ware                                      5                   7                   100                           100                                  0
                                99  Wayne                                     1                73                     100                             0                                  0
                                    Subtotal                               33             27,192                      100                           100                                  1

                         Florida
                              100   Alachua                                   1                <1                     100                           100                                  0
                              101   Baker                                     2                   2                   100                           100                                  0
                              102   Bradford                               NO                  NO                     NO                            NO                                NO
                              103   Brevard                                39               7,365                     100                           85                                   0
                              104   Broward                                277              1,288                     100                           93                                   0
                              105   Clay                                      8                41                     100                           75                                   0
                              106   Columbia                 Data found in the Gulf of Mexico Region.
                              107   Dade                                   87                 364                     100                           80                                   0
                              108   Duval                                  56             15,273                      82                            70                                   1
                              109   Flager                                    1                30                     100                           100                                  0
                              110   Hendry                   Data found in the Gulf of Mexico Region.
                              111   Indian River                           14                  58                     100                           79                                   0
                              112   Lake                                   10                 966                     100                           70                                   0
                              113   Marion                                 14             167,850                     93                            50                                   4
                              114   Martin                                 24                  90                     96                            92                                   0
                              115   Monroe                   Data found in the Gulf of Mexico Region.
                              116   Nassau                                 NO                  NO                     NO                            NO                                NO
                              117   Okeechobee                                9               200                     100                           100                                  0
                              118   Orange                                 18             360,234                     89                            72                                   2
                              119   Osceola                                NO                  NO                     NO                            NO                                NO
                              120   Palm Beach                             383              1,748                     100                           96                                   0
                              121   Putnam                                 NO                  NO                     NO                            NO                                NO
                              122   St. Johns                                 6             4,800                     100                           100                                  0
                              123   St. Lucie                              61                 290                     100                           90                                   0
                              124   Seminole                               12             79,614                      100                           58                                   1
                              125   Union                                     2                   1                   50                            100                                  0
                              126   Volusia                                18               2,220                     94                            83                                   0
                                    Subtotal                            1,042             642,432                     98                            89                                   8
                         Total                                          1,450             952,913                     96                            84                                21
                         National Total                                 3,654           4,071,630                     84                            79                                86
                         Abbreviations: %, percent;    number; NR, number of fish killed not reporled;ND, no data was received.
                           Not shown on map.





                                                                                                                                                                                              53






                   Appendix A


                     Fish-Kill Events by Year, 1980-1989

                                                      Virginia a            North                 South             Georgia a              Florida a              Total
                                                                            Carolina              Carolina
                     Year                             e           k         e       k             e        k        e      k               e          k           e         k

                     1980                             7    20,235           6       22            29       271      4      122             11         96          57        20,745
                     1981                             10     5,109          19   100,130          22       124      3           75         79         442,039     133       547,478
                     1982                             2           14        25   1,218            23       153      0           0          51         6,132       101       7,517
                     1983                             4           7         11   30,538           15       360      7           21         81         2,666       118       33,592
                     1984                             1           5         14      390           16       38       0           0          68         5,200       99        5,634
                     1985                             0           0         26   113,492          24       73       7      208             94         168,378     151       282,151
                     1986                             2           120       10      98            34       270      5      574             192        885         243       1,948
                     1987                             4           6         21   10,170           16       70       2           5          120        510         163       10,760
                     1988                             1           3         15      207           12       33       2           2          137        15,501      167       15,746
                     1989                             0           0         6       132           0        0        3    26,186            209        1,024       218       27,342
                     Total                            31   25,499           153  256,397     191      1,393         33   27,192      1,042            642,432  1,450        952,913





                     Fish-Kill Events by Direct Cause, 1980-1989

                                                      Virginia              North                 South             Georgia                Florida                Total
                                                                            Carolina              Carolina
                     Direct Cause                     e           k         e       k             e        k        e           k          e          k           e         k


                     Low D. 0.                        8           360       38   61,203           60       726      5           69         728        159,783     839       222,141
                     Temperature                      4    20,008           4    60,013           11       77       1     26,106           19         1,172       39        107,376
                     Sedimentation                    1           <1        0          0          2        1        0           0          0            0         3           1
                     Eutrophication                   3           14        12   40,196           15       135      0           0          99         533         129       40,878
                     Disease                          0           0         8       131           0        0        0           0          0            0         8         131
                     Stranding                        1           1         2       10            2        25       3           12         7          2,543       15        2,591
                     Storm Event                      0           0         1       200           1        1        3           519        9          2,726       14        3,446
                     Wastewater                       0           0         3          5          8        26       6           163        17         13,718      34        13,912
                     Animal Waste                     1           12        4       42            0        0        2           45         1          10          8         109
                     pH                               0           0         0          0          0        0        0           0          1            2         1           2
                     Organic Chemicals                0           0         0          0          1        10       2           81         1          200         4         291
                     Inorganic Chemicals/Metals       0           0         2          3          0        0        0           0          1            6         3           9
                     Mixed Chemicals                  0           0         1       20            2        8        2           6          7          300,015     12        300,049
                     Pesticides                       0           0         9       47            29       216      0           0          18         15,224      56        15,488
                     Nutrient                         0           0         0          0          1        3        0           0          15         61,383      16        61,386
                     Salinity Changes                 2           5         22   94,286           3        31       0           0          4          81          31        94,403
                     Petroleum                        0           0         2       <1            2        2        3           82         1          <1          8         85
                     Chlorine                         0           0         0          0          1        <1       0           0          0            0         1         <1
                     Red Tide                         1           3         0          0          0        0        0           0          1          <1          2           3
                     Predation                        0           0         0          0          0        0        0           0          0            0         0           0
                     Unspecified                      10     5,096          45      241           53       133      6           109        113        85,037      227       90,615
                     Total                            31   25,499           153  256,397          191      1,393    33    27,192      1,042           642,432 1,450         952,913

                     Abbreviations: e number of events; k, number of fish killed in hundreds of fish; NR, number of fish killed not reported; Low D.O., low-dissolved oxygen.
                     a. Not all counties in state included; state is split between regions.





















                     54








                                                                                                                                                                                           South Atlantic



                              Fish-Kill Events by Land-Use Cause, 1980-1989

                                                            Virginia                North                   South                 Georgia 8                  Florida a                     Total
                                                                                    Carolina                Carolina
                           Land-Use Cause                   e       k               e            k          e           k         e           k         e             k                    e         k

                           Agriculture                      2           32          10           83         2           20        5           122         26        11,787                 45      12,044
                           Industrial                       0           0           4            5          2           171       2           81          19        15,051                 27      15,308
                           Urban                            1           <1          1            3          12          59        11          689       158       362,108                  183   362,860
                           Impoundment                      4   20,014              21  30,666              3           25        1             1         15          2,563                44      53,269
                           Water-Related                    8           47          42  144,828             0           0         3      26,114           21          2,035                74    173,025
                           Silviculture                     0           0           1            20         0           0         0             0            0              0              1             20
                           Wildland                         0           0           0            0          0           0         0             0            0              0              0               0
                           Mining                           0           0           0            0          0           0         0             0            0              0              0               0
                           Military                         0           0           0            0          0           0         0             0            0              0              0               0
                           Unspecified                      16    5,406             74  80,792         172       1,117            11          185       803       248,887          1,076         336,387
                           Total                            31  25,499         153     256,397         191       1,393            33    27,192        1,042       642,432          1,450         952,913




                                                                                                                                  .... ......
                                       'Xill Events by'Incident
                              Tish!!


                                                            Virginia    a           North                   South                 Georgia'                   Florida                       Total
                                                                                    Carolina                Carolina
                           Incident                         e        k              e            k          e           k         e           k         e             k                    e        k

                           Runoff                           1           <1          6            55         3           23        3           519       151       375,989                  164   376,586
                           Routine Release                  0           0           1            1          1           21        6           66          19          9,006                27      9,094
                           Accidental Release               0           0           5            16         3           180       2           93             8            33               is         322
                           Spill                            0           0           4            3          7           7         2           82             3              8              16         100
                           Spraying                         0           0           2            2          3           28        0           0              3            51               8            81
                           Natural                          12   20,061             65  195,517             3           1         3    26,114             32          3,751                115   245,445
                           Drawdown                         0           0           1            <1         2           25        1           3              3        2,540                7       2,569
                           Dredging or Drilling             0           0           0            0          0           0         0           0              1            <1               I           <1
                           Unspecified                      18    5,438             69   60,802        169       1,107            16          314       822       251,054          1,094         318,715
                           Total                            31   25,499             153  256,397       191       1,393            33   27,192          1,042      642,432          1,450         952,913
                           Abbreviations: a number of events; k, number of fish killed in hundreds of fish; NR, number of fish killed not reported.
                           a. Not all counties in state included; state is split between regions.

































                                                                                                                                                                                                        55





                         Appendix A - Gulf of Mexico






                                                              Eastern

                                                                                                                 Mississippi                    Alabama                           Georgia



                                                                                                                                            46   58
                                                                                      Louisiana                                             17       49    51
                                                                                                                                            5'            M
                                                                                                             5    71 n N 66     70  &2
                                                                                                                           sis 72   6,      55                               Q     . 41
                                                                                                                           1 6"     65                                 2    11 24 21     27
                                                                                                                                                                      14  ID           "7 '2   12
                                                                                                                                                                                                25

                                                                                                                                                                                                    Florida

                                                                                                                                                                                                   31

                                                                                                                                                                                            32       is   33
                                                                                                                                                                                                    28    15
                                                                                                                                                                                                   35     7
                                                                                                                                                                                                          3    13
                                                                                                                                                                                                          23    16

                                                              Western                                                                                                                                          4











                                                                                                                                                                                              Mississippi



                                                                                                                                                                     Louisiana
                                                                                                               Texas

                                                                                                                                                                  21
                                                                                                                                                OD            59 ,    U    20   4
                                                                                                                                                           78        5    1 '0 27 19
                                                                                                                                                    7                                    8 11
                                                                                                                                            81         67 55   73   6              28     2                        17
                                                                                                                                            40
                                                                                                                                            47

                                                                                                                                            U     42
                                                                                                                                    79      53
                                                                                                                     69    sis 41 4
                                                                                                                           62  76
                                                                                                                      49      72


                                                                                                                    61     43 64

                                                                                                                    77
                                                                                                                           57  U
                                                                                                                                45

                                                                                                                                                                                         11  Coastal County Number











                            56








                                                                                                                                                                      Gulf of Mexico






                                                                              ......... . .
                                                                                                     '5
                                                                        "!08'061989,,
                                                                    t
                           ,I,fj@-Killlll 6ehtS,by,,,Cqqn'l yi,'@@I,
                                                           777,

                                                                                                      % of events              % of events                   of events
                                                                                    Killed          where # killed          where cause of             where 1 million or
                           State/County                        Events               (X100)           was reported           kill was reported        more fish were killed

                           Gulf of Mexico (Eastern)
                           Florida
                                   1 Bay                            10               2,031                   90                       80                            0
                                   2 Calhoun                        ND                   ND                  ND                       ND                        ND
                                   3 Charlotte                      9                    10                  89                       100                           0
                                   * Cirtus                         2                    75                  100                      50                            0
                                   4 Collier                        49                   299                 100                      92                            0
                                   5 Columbia                       1                    15                  100                      100                           0
                                   6 Dade                  Data found in the South Atlantic Region.
                                   7 De Soto                        1                    30                  100                      100                           0
                                   8 Dixie                          ND                   ND                  ND                       ND                        ND
                                   9 Escambia                       26               5,513                   85                       85                            0
                                10   Franklin                       2               20,001                   100                      100                           1
                                11   Gadsden                        2               30,000                   100                      0                             1
                                12   Gilchrist                      ND                   ND                  ND                       ND                        ND
                                13   Glades                         2                       6                100                      100                           0
                                14   Gulf                           4                    411                 100                      75                            0
                                   * Hamilton                       4                       5                75                       75                            0
                                15   Hardee                         1                       3                100                      100                           0
                                16   Hendry                         8                    61                  100                      88                            0
                                   * Hernando                       1                       3                100                      100                           0
                                17   Highlands                      5                    893                 100                      100                           0
                                18   Hillsborough                   12                   76                  100                      75                            0
                                19   Holmes                         1                       0                100                      0                             0
                                20   Jackson                        3                    31                  67                       100                           0
                                21   Jefferson                      ND                   ND                  ND                       ND                        ND
                                22   Lafayette                      ND                   ND                  ND                       ND                        ND
                                23   Lee                            12                   15                  92                       100                           0
                                24   Leon                           NO                   ND                  ND                       ND                        ND
                                25   Levy                           1                    27                  100                      100                           0
                                26   Liberty                        1                       0                100                      0                             0
                                27   Madison                        1                       3                100                      0                             0
                                28   Manatee                        2                       2                100                      100                           0
                                29   Monroe                         7                    374                 86                       100                           0
                                30   Okaloosa                       5                1,411                   80                       80                            0
                                31   Pasco                          12                   134                 100                      100                           0
                                32   Pinellas                       12                   231                 100                      92                            0
                                33   Polk                           19               2,124                   89                       89                            0
                                34   Santa Rosa                     17              66,110                   82                       94                            2
                                35   Sarasota                       6                    58                  83                       67                            0
                                   * Sumter                         2                       9                100                      100                           0
                                36   Suwannee                       ND                   ND                  ND                       ND                        ND
                                37   Taylor                         2                       3                100                      100                           0
                                38   Wakulla                        ND                   ND                  ND                       ND                        ND
                                39   Walton                         6                    110                 100                      67                            0
                                40   Washington                     2                       4                100                      100                           0
                                     Subtotal                       250             130,079                  93                       88                            4
                           Abbreviations: %, percent;   number; NRnumber of fish killed not reported;ND,no data was received.
                            Not shown on map.







                                                                                                                                                                                        57






                Appendix A


                  'Fish-Kill Events by County, 1980-1989

                                                                                      % of events            % of events                 of events
                                                                      Killed         where # killed        where cause of          where 1 million or
                 State/County                     Events             (X1 00)         was reported         kill was reported       more fish were killed

                 Gulf of Mexico (Eastern)
                 Georgia
                      41  Brooks                     NO                      NO              NO                     NO                       NO
                      42  Decatur                    NO                      NO              NO                     NO                       NO
                      43  Grady                      NO                      NO              NO                     NO                       NO
                      44  Thomas                        2                    14              100                    50                          0
                          Subtotal                      2                    14              100                    50                          0


                 Alabama
                      45  Baldwin                    12               91,429                 83                     100                         2
                      46  Choctaw                    NO                      NO              NO                     NO                       NO
                      47  Clarke                     NO                      NO              NO                     NO                       NO
                      48  Coffee                     NO                      NO              NO                     NO                       NO
                      49  Conecuh                    NO                      NO              NO                     NO                       NO
                      50  Covington                     1                    0               100                    100                         0
                      51  Crenshaw                   NO                      NO              NO                     NO                       NO
                      52  Escambia                   NO                      NO              NO                     NO                       NO
                      53  Geneva                     NO                      NO              NO                     NO                       NO
                      54  Houston                    NO                      NO              NO                     NO                       NO
                      55  Mobile                     30               40,537                 93                     87                          2
                      56  Monroe                     NO                      NO              NO                     NO                       NO
                      57  Washington                    1                    1               100                    100                         0
                      58  Wilcox                     NO                      NO              NO                     NO                       NO
                          Subtotal                   44              131,967                 91                     91                          4

                 Mississippi
                      59  Amite                      NO                      NO              NO                     NO                       NO

                      60  Franklin                   NO                      NO              NO                     NO                       NO
                      61  George                     NO                      NO              NO                     NO                       NO
                      62  Greene                     NO                      NO              NO                     NO                       NO
                      63  Hancock                       2                    55              100                    100                         0
                      64  Harrison                      2                    4               50                     100                         0
                      65  Jackson                       2              20,002                100                    50                          1
                      66  Lamar                      NO                      NO              NO                     NO                       NO
                      67  Lincoln                    NO                      NO              NO                     NO                       NO
                      68  Marion                        1                    20              100                    100                         0
                      69  Pearl River                NO                      NO              NO                     NO                       NO
                      70  Perry                      NO                      NO              NO                     NO                       NO
                      71  Pike                       NO                      NO              NO                     NO                       NO
                      72  Stone                      NO                      NO              NO                     NO                       NO
                      73  Walthall                   NO                      NO              NO                     NO                       NO
                      74  Wayne                      NO                      NO              NO                     NO                       NO
                      75  Wilkinson                  NO                      NO              NO                     NO                       NO
                          Subtotal                      7              20,081                86                     86                          1
                 Abbreviations: %, percent; number; NR, number of fish killed not reported;ND,no data was received.











                 58








                                                                                                                                                         Gulf of Mexico



                          .... ... ...
                        @@i Fish,-Kill E46'nisib ""di            A00 0601w@,

                                                                                                 % of events             % of events                  of events
                                                                                Killed         where # killed         where cause of            where 1 million or
                        State/County                       Events              (X100)           was reported          kill was reported       more fish were killed

                       Gulf of Mexico (Western)
                       Louisiana
                                Acadia                           5                    961              80                      80                           0
                              1 Allen                         ND                      ND               ND                      ND                        ND
                              2 Ascension                        5                    12               80                      80                           0
                              3 Assumption                       9                    547              89                      89                           0
                              4 Avoyelles                     ND                      ND               ND                      ND                        ND
                              5 Beauregard                    ND                      ND               ND                      ND                        ND
                              6 Calcasieu                        5                    33               60                      80                           0
                              7 Cameron                          3                      3              33                      100                          0
                              8 East Baton Rouge              17                      144              82                      71                           0
                              9 East Feliciana                ND                      ND               ND                      ND                        ND
                            10  Evangeline                    ND                      ND               ND                      ND                        ND
                            11  Iberia                           8                    73               38                      100                          0
                            12  lberville                     14                      222              79                      71                           0
                            13  Jefferson                        7                    13               43                      71                           0
                              * Jefferson Davis                  2                    NR                 0                     100                          0
                            14  Lafayette                        4                    970              50                      75                           0
                            15  Lafourche                     13                      56               54                      100                          0
                            16  Livingston                       1                      6             100                      100                          0
                            17  Orleans                          9                    14               44                      78                           0
                            18  Plaquemines                      5                    873              80                      100                          0
                            19  Point Coupee                  ND                      ND               ND                      ND                        ND
                            20  Rapides                       ND                      ND               ND                      ND                        ND
                            21  Sabine                        ND                      ND               ND                      ND                        ND
                            22  St. Bernard                      6                      4              33                      83                           0
                            23  St. Charles                      7                    115              29                      86                           0
                            24  St. Helena                    ND                      ND               ND                      ND                        ND
                            25  St. James                        5                    24               80                      100                          0
                            26  St. John the Baptist             1                    NR                 0                     100                          0
                            27  St. Landry                       1                      4             100                      100                          0
                            28  St. Martin                       1                    NR                 0                     100                          0
                            29  St. Mary                         4                    778              75                      100                          0
                            30  St. Tammany                   13                      109              69                      85                           0
                            31  Tangipahoa                       6                      7              67                      83                           0
                            32  Terrebonne                    14                   1,144               43                      93                           0
                            33  Vermilion                        2                    10               50                      50                           0
                            34  Vernon                        ND                      ND               ND                      ND                        ND
                            35  Washington-                   ND                      ND               ND                      ND                        ND
                            36  West Baton Rouge                 3                      9             100                      67                           0
                            37  West Feliciana                   2                    460              50                      100                          0
                                Subtotal                     172                   6,590               61                      85                           0

                       Abbreviations: %, percent; #, number; NR, number of fish killed not reported;ND, no data was received.
                         Not shown on map.














                                                                                                                                                                          59







                    Appendix A

                     117iish7llKlilli EVeilits by County, 1980-1989

                                                                                          % of events            % of events                  of events
                                                                         Killed          where # killed        where cause of           where 1 million or
                    State/County                      Events             (X100)          was reported          kill was reported       more fish were killed

                    Gulf of Mexico (Western)
                    Texas
                       38   Angelina                       NO                   NO                  NO                     NO                        NO
                       39   Aransas                        10                6,297                  30                     70                        0
                       40   Austin                         2                       5                100                    100                       0
                       41   Bee                            NO                   NO                  NO                     NO                        NO
                       42   Brazoria                       36                15,569                 69                     81                        1
                       43   Brooks                         NO                   NO                  NO                     NO                        NO
                       44   Calhoun                        11                   225                 45                     82                        0
                       45   Cameron                        8                 13,785                 63                     88                        1
                       46   Chambers                       20              160,321                  90                     90                        5
                       47   Colorado                       NO                   NO                  NO                     NO                        ND
                       48   De Witt                        NO                   NO                  NO                     NO                        NO
                       49   Duval                          NO                   NO                  NO                     NO                        NO
                       50   Fayette                        NO                   NO                  NO                     NO                        ND
                       51   Fort Bend                      19                5,928                  68                     58                        0
                       52   Galveston                      72            1,059,707                  61                     90                        8
                       53   Goliad                         NO                   NO                  NO                     NO                        NO
                       54   Gonzales                       NO                   NO                  NO                     NO                        NO
                       55   Hardin                         1                    NR                  0                      0                         0
                       56   Harris                         66              231,757                  59                     80                        3
                       57   Hidalgo                        1                       1                100                    100                       0
                       58   Jackson                        1                       0                100                    100                       0
                       59   Jasper                         3                    245                 100                    100                       0
                       60   Jefferson                      20                1,821                  75                     80                        0
                       61   Jim Hogg                       NO                   NO                  NO                     NO                        NO
                       62   Jim Wells                      1                    NR                  0                      0                         0
                       63   Karnes                         NO                   NO                  NO                     NO                        NO
                       64   Kenedy                         1                    40                  100                    0                         0
                       65   Kleberg                        4                       0                25                     100                       0
                       66   Lavaca                         3                    20                  67                     67                        0
                       67   Liberty                        6                    27                  33                     83                        0
                       68   Live Oak                       NO                   NO                  NO                     NO                        NO
                       69   McMullen                       NO                   NO                  NO                     NO                        NO
                       70   Matagorda                      24                5,969                  54                     88                        0
                       71   Newton                         4                    NR                  0                      75                        0
                       72   Nueces                         15                49,484                 60                     80                        2
                       73   Orange                         14                8,415                  79                     79                        0
                       74   Refugio                        3                       5                67                     67                        0
                       75   San Jacinto                    NO                   NO                  NO                     NO                        NO
                       76   San Patricio                   5                 33,260                 60                     100                       1
                       77   Starr                          1                       1                100                    100                       0
                       78   Tyler                          NO                   NO                  NO                     NO                        NO
                       79   Victoria                       1                    NR                  0                      0                         0
                       80   Waller                         NO                   NO                  NO                     NO                        NO
                       81   Washington                     NO                   NO                  NO                     NO                        NO
                       82   Webb                           NO                   NO                  NO                     NO                        NO
                       83   Wharton                        3                    NR                  0                      100                       0
                       84   Willacy                        NO                   NO                  NO                     NO                        NO
                            Subtotal                       355           1,592,880                  66                     81                        21

                    Total                                  830           1,881,610                  75                     84                        30
                    National Total                    3,654              4,071,630                  84                     79                        86
                    Abbreviations: %, percent; number; NRnumber of fish killed not reported;ND, no data was received.





                    60








                                                                                                                                                                      Gulf of Mexico



                          fish-X111FIEV6 s                  a           9
                                             n
                                                       gY

                                         Floridaa           Georgiaa           Alabama                Mississippi       Louisiana                     Texas                    Total

                          Year        e        k            e           k      e       k              e     k           e           k          e             k              e        k

                          1980        25           56       0           0      7             194      0         0          2        158        58     1,095,440             92   1,095,848
                          1981        32      59,704        0           0      1             0        1         2       10          76         52            56,061         96       115,843
                          1982        24       3,662        0           0      2             10       0         0          5        4          66            78,534         97       82,209
                          1983        24      30,782        1           3      3             1        0         0       17          220        52            74,994         97       106,000
                          1984        26      22,911        0           0      12      118,753        0         0       22          412        22        235,828            82       377,904
                          1985        26       1,350        0           0      3             3        1      20         22          978               0            0        52       2,352
                          1986        30      10,938        0           0      3             70       2      55         38          3,323             9            1        82       14,387
                          1987        16         115        0           0      10      12,934         1         4       16          487        15                  6        58       13,546
                          1988        21         317        0           0      2             2        1         0       17          115        53            48,687         94       49,1121
                          1989        26         243        1           11     1             2        1 20,000          23          817        28            3,328          80       24,401
                          Total       250  130,079          2           14     44      131,967        7 20,081         172          6,590    355      1,592,880             830  1,881,610



                                                                          ..... .......
                                         `4'nti:i@ Direct bi6se'@A 980-1
                          gifish-Kill Ey


                                                            Florida'           Georgisa      Alabama         Mississippi            Louisiana         Texas                   Total

                          Direct Cause                      e           k      e       k     e        k      e       k              e        k        e      k              e        k

                          Low D. O@                         116         29,947 0       0     23  131,901        0          0        63 1,577          119  1,173,795        321  1,337,220
                          Temperature                       17          421    0       0     0          0       1   20,000          5        753      is     39,617         41       60,791
                          Sedimentation                     0           0      0       0     0          0       0          0        6        359      5            20       11         379
                          Eutrophication                    15          51,206 0       0     1          2       0          0        4        5        6      13,015         26       64,228
                          Disease                           4           19     0       0     1        <1        0          0        2        <1       8            20       15          39
                          Stranding                         6           134    0       0     0          0       0          0        5        3        5      5,169          16       5,306
                          Storm Event                       7           164    0       0     0          0       1       20          17 1,009          23     43,375         48       44,569
                          Wastewater                        11          1,255  1       3     10       44        0          0        21 1,058          29     224,624        72       226,984
                          Animal Waste                      3           815    0       0     0          0       0          0        3        7        1      1,000          7        1,822
                          pH                                0           0      0       0     0          0       0          0        2        3        2            <1       4               3
                          Organic Chemicals                 2           2      0       0     1          4       0          0        3        88       1            NR       7           94
                          Inorganic Chemicals/Metals        4           84     0       0     1        NR        0          0        3        577      18     51,713         26       52,375
                          Mixed Chemicals                   10          11,647 0       0     3        12        0          0        5        4        6      6,598          24       18,261
                          Pesticides                        10          379    0       0     0          0       1       NR          2        NP       13     3,765          26       4,143
                          Nutrients                         12          1,557  0       0     0          0       0          0        2        5        5            404      19       1,966
                          Salinity Changes                  0           0      0       0     0          0       3       59          1        NR       2            13       6           72
                          Petroleum                         1           50     0       0     0          0       0          0        2        NR       20     28,594         23       28,644
                          Chlorine                          0           0      0       0     0          0       0          0        0        0        2            75       2           75
                          Red Tide                          1           1,909  0       0     0          0       0          0        0        0        8            <1       9        1,909
                          Predation                         0           0      0       0     0          0       0          0        0        0        0            0        0               0
                          Unspecified                       31          30,489 1       11    4          3       1          2        26 1,142          64     1,083          127      32,730
                          Total                             250  130,079       2       14    44 131,967         7   20,081          172 6,590         355 1,592,880         830 1,881,610-
                          Abbreviations: g number of events:knumber of fish killed in hundreds of fish; NR, number of fish killed not reported; Low D.O., low-dissolved oxygen.
                          a. Not all counties in state included; state is split between regions.






















                                                                                                                                                                                        61






                       Appendix A


                        Fish-Kill Events by Land-Use Cause, 1980-1989


                                                      Florida a         Georgia a             Alabama              Mississippi       Louisiana                     Texas                      Total

                       Land-Use Cause                 e      k              e        k        e    k               e    k            e            k         e           k                 e          k

                       Agriculture                    6          95         0        0        0         0          0         0          7         43        11          4,893             24         5,031
                       Industrial                     12  61,000            1        11       1         10         0         0       29     2,179           54         12,332             97         75,532
                       Urban                          56   3,153            1        3        10        42         0         0       21           85        58      273,098            146           276,381
                       Impoundment                    16   1,457            0        0        4         134        0         0       36     1,073           13         31,260             69         33,923
                       Water-Related                  18   2,215            0        0        1         68         5 20,079          14           927       67      594,179            105           617,468
                       Silviculture                   0          0          0        0        0         0          0         0          0         0            0             0            0                0
                       Wildland                       0          0          0        0        0         0          0         0          0         0            0             0            0                0
                       Mining                         1          4          0        0        0         0          0         0          1         NR           5             2            7                6
                       Military                       0          0          0        0        0         0          0         0          0         0            0             0            0                0
                       Unspecified                    141 62,154            0        0        28 131,713           2         2       64     2,283          147      677,116            382           873,268
                       Total                          250  130,079          2        14       44 131,967           7  20,081        172     6,590          355     1,592,880           830      1,881,610




                        Fish-Kill Events by Incident, 1980-1989


                                                      Florida'              Georgia  a        Alabama              Mississippi          Louisiana                  Texas                    Total
                       Incident                       e      k              e        k        e         k          e         k          e         k            e          k            e             k

                       Runoff                         48         279        0        0        1         NR         0            0          8          57       23        21,348        80            21,685
                       Routine Release                6    10,056           0        0        3         11         0            0       23        1,945        26            798       58            12,809
                       Accidental Release             6          207        1        3        3         24         0            0       16        138          23         3,660        49            4,032
                       Spill                          7      1,826          0        0        0            0       1         NR            2      460          32         1,835        42            4,121
                       Spraying                       5          118        0        0        0            0       0            0          1          NR           4      3,760        10            3,878
                       Natural                        26     2,570          0        0        6         204        5     20,079         43        1,251        71       615,259       151            639,364
                       Drawdown                       1            1        0        0        0            0       0            0          4          6            2         190          7            197
                       Dredging or Drilling           1      1,000          0        0        0            0       0            0          6      358          10             10       17            1,368
                       Unspecified                    150 114,022           1        11       31  131,729          1            2       69        2,376        164      946,018       416      1,194,158
                       Total                          250 130,079           2        14       44  131,967          7     20,081         172       6,590        355  1,592,880         830      1,881,610
                       Abbreviations: a number of events; k, number of fish killed in hundreds of fish; NF?, number of fish killed not reported.
                       a. Not all counties in state included; state is split between regions.






































                       62





                     Appendix A - Pacific




                                                                                              57
                                                                                         49
                                                                                         45   5
                                                                                         502  51          Washington
                                                                                         48 54
                                                                                         60 56
                                                                                         55 53
                                                                                                   62
                                                                       61
                                                                                         47
                                                                                         31 32 58
                                                                                         46
                                                                                         424  40
                                                                                         44 30

                                                                                         41
                                                                                         39 29
                                                                                         38             Oregon


                                                                                         35
                                                                           33


                                                                                         37 36


                                                                                         322



                                                                                         426





                                                                                         7
                                                                                              2      11

                                                                                              28
                                                                                         249    12
                                                                                              23
                                                                                         6
                                                                                              217
                                                                                         16

                                                                                         19
                                                                                         21   20        California

                                                                                                 13




                                                                                                     18

                                                                                                                                     14

                                                                                                                27     5


                                                                                                                          10


                                                                                                                                  15



                                                                                                                                            17,  Coastal County Number







                     64








                                                                                                                                                                                   Pacific




                            'P(sh-01"Evehi @,by 6iintv 9'' 071


                                                                                                       % of events                   % of events                        of events
                                                                                       Killed          where # killed              where cause of                 where 1 million or
                          State/County                            Events             (XII 00)          was reported               kill was reported             more fish were killed

                          California
                                  1 Alameda                             6                    516              100                           83                                 0
                                  2 Contra Costa                        6                    65               100                           67                                 0
                                  3 Del Norte                         NO                     NO               NO                            NO                              NO
                                  4 Humboldt                            1                    <1               100                           100                                0
                                  5 Los Angeles                       12                5,739                 100                           83                                 0
                                  6 Marin                             11                     25               100                           82                                 0
                                  7 Mendocino                           2                    1                100                           100                                0
                                  8 Monterey                            9                    200              100                           56                                 0
                                  9 Napa                                1                    1                100                           100                                0
                                10  Orange                              5                    66               so                            60                                 0
                                11  Placer                            NO                     NO               NO                            NO                              NO
                                12  Sacramento                          7                    28               86                            43                                 0
                                13  San Benito                        NO                     NO               NO                            NO                              NO
                                14  San Bernardino                    NO                     NO               NO                            NO                              NO
                                15  San Diego                           2                    14               100                           100                                0
                                16  San Francisco                       1                    500              100                           100                                0
                                17  San Joaquin                       27                     396              100                           78                                 0
                                18  San Luis Obispo                   13                     160              100                           85                                 0
                                19  San Mateo                         17                     280              94                            65                                 0
                                  * Santa Barbara                       5                    363              80                            60                                 0
                                20  Santa Clara                         6                    15               100                           83                                 0
                                21  Santa Cruz                          5                    525              100                           80                                 0
                                22  Siskiyou                            1                    101              100                           100                                0
                                23  Solano                              3                    3                100                             0                                0
                                24  Sonoma                              5                    107              100                           100                                0
                                25  Sutter                              1                    1                100                           100                                0
                                26  Trinity                           NO                     NO               NO                            NO                              NO
                                27  Ventura                           NO                     NO               NO                            NO                              NO
                                28  Yolo                                2                    162              100                           100                                0

                                    Subtotal                          148               9,267                 97                            74                                 0

                          Oregon
                                29  Benton                            NO                     NO               NO                            NO                              NO
                                30  Clackamas                           6                    165              67                            67                                 0
                                31  Clatsop                           NO                     NO               NO                            NO                              NO
                                32  Columbia                            8                    13               75                            88                                 0
                                33  Coos                                2                    45               50                            100                                0
                                34  Curry                               1                    5                100                             0                                0
                                35  Douglas                             3                    283              100                           67                                 0
                                36  Jackson                           NO                     NO               NO                            NO                              NO
                                37  Josephine                           1                    123              100                           100                                0
                                38  Lane                                5                    37               100                           60                                 0
                                39  Lincoln                             4                    16               100                           100                                0
                                40  Multnomah                           9                    186              89                            56                                 0
                                41  Polk                              NO                     NO               NO                            NO                              NO
   A                            42  Tillamook                           1                    2                100                           100                                0
                                43  Washington                        NO                     NO               NO                            NO                              NO
                                44  Yarnhill                          NO                     NO               NO                            NO                              NO

                                    Subtotal                          40                     874              90                            73                                 0
                          Abbreviations: NR, number of fish killed not reported; NO, no data was received.
                           Not shown on map.





                                                                                                                                                                                          65






                   Appendix A


                     Fish-Kill Events by County, 1980-1989


                                                                                               % of events                  % of events                         of events
                                                                              Killed          where # killed              where cause of                 where 1 million or
                   State/County                            Events             (X100)           was reported               kill was reported             more fish were killed

                   Washington
                         45  Clallam                             3                   4                 100                         67                                 0
                         46  Clark                               4                 16                  50                          75                                 0
                         47  Cowlitz                             2                 NR                  0                           100                                0
                         48  Grays Harbor                        2               525                   100                         100                                0
                         49  Island                              2            25,700                   50                          100                                1
                         50  Jefferson                         NO                  NO                  NO                          NO                              NO
                         51  King                              39               1,037                  79                          56                                 0
                         52  Kitsap                              1                   2                 100                           0                                0
                         53  Lewis                               1                 99                  100                         100                                0

                         54  Mason                               2                   3                 100                           0                                0
                         55  Pacific                           NO                  NO                  NO                          NO                              NO
                         56  Pierce                              9               212                   89                          100                                0
                         57  Skagit                              3                 20                  33                          106                                0
                         58  Skamania                          NO                  NO                  NO                          NO                              NO
                         59  Snohomish                         16                859                   75                          81                                 0
                         60  Thurston                            5              3,554                  80                          1.00                               0
                         61  Wahkiakum                         NO                  NO                  NO                          NO                              NO
                           * Whatcom                           16                640                   75                          75                                 0

                         62  Yakima                            NO                  NO                  NO                          NO                              NO

                             Subtotal                          105            32,670                   76                          72                                 1
                   Total                                       293            42,811                   88                          73                                 1
                   National Total                           3,654           4,071,630                  84                          79                              86
                   @bbreviations: NR, number of fish killed not reported; ND, no data was received.
                     Not shown on map.
















































                   66








                                                                                                                                                        Pacific



                     Fish-Kill Events by Year, 1980-1989


                                                        California                  Oregon                   Washington                         Total

                    Year                              e            k                e         k            e              k                  e                k

                    1980                              23           713              13        195            7            519                43         1,427
                    1981                              31           522              8         102          10         29,856                 49         30,480
                    1982                              24         6,258              5         59             8            129                37         6,445
                    1983                              13           105              0           0            6            424                19               529
                    1984                              12           315              7           2            9            178                28               496
                    1985                              19           506              2         124            6            372                27         1,002
                    1986                                5              13           5         392          12             462                22               867
                    1987                              10           711              0           0          28             706                38         1,417
                    1988                                9          124              0           0            9            13                 18               136
                    1989                                2              <1           0           0          10             12                 12               12

                    Total                            148         9,267              40        874          105        32,670              293           42,811





                                                              s6"'@'1'9'80_1 989
                                                'Dii,66t dau

                                                        California                  Oregon                   Washington                         Total

                    Direct Cause                      e            k                e         k            e              k                  e                k

                    Low D. 0.                         25           949              1         NR             7        25,986                 33         26,935
                    Temperature                         6              80           2           2            0               0               8                82
                    Sedimentation                       1          150              0           0            0               0               1                150
                    Eutrophication                      1              <1           1           2            1               1               3                3
                    Disease                             5              90           0           0            2            <1                 7                90
                    Stranding                           6          439              3         400            3            262                12         1,101
                    Storm Event                         1              51           0           0            0               0               1                51
                    Wastewater                          8          676              0           0            6            952                14         1,628
                    Animal Waste                        5              50           0           0          21             853                26               903
                    pH                                  0              0            0           0            3            30                 3                30
                    Organic Chemicals                   5              84           3         19             1               1               9                103
                    Inorganic Chemicals/Metals          7          313              6         195            3         3,160                 16         3,668
                    Mixed Chemicals                     4          108              4         176            5            104                13               388
                    Pesticides                        17           279              3           7            7            555                27               841
                    Nutrients                           1              5            0           0            0               0               1                5
                    Salinity Changes                    2          149              0           0            0               0               2                149
                    Petroleum                           5              47           3         <1             7            98                 15               145
                    Chlorine                          11         5,247              3         48           10             458                24         5,753
                    Red Tide                            0              0            0           0            0               0               0                0
                    Predation                           0              0            0           0            0               0               0                0
                    Unspecified                       38           550              11        26           29             210                78               786
                    Total                            148         9,267              40        874          105        32,670              293           42,811
                    Abbreviations: et number of events; k, number of fish killed in hundreds of fish; NR, number of fish killed not reported; Low D.O., low-dissolved oxygen.












                                                                                                                                                              67






                     Appendix A


                       Fish-Kill Events by Land-Use Cause, 1980-1989


                                                              California                      Oregon                         Washington                           Total

                     Land-Use Cause                           e             k                 e               k              e              k                  e           k

                     Agriculture                              10            226               5               52             26        1,026                   41        1,304
                     Industrial                               5         5,058                 13              719            8              567                26        6,344
                     Urban                                    10            972               2               13             19        1,344                   31        2,329
                     Impoundment                              13            510               3               5              8         3,688                   24        4,203
                     Water-Related                            5             69                1               10             8        25,723                   14       25,801
                     Silviculture                             1             101               0               0              0              0                  1            101
                     Wildland                                 0                0              0               0              0              0                  0               0
                     Mining                                   0                0              0               0              0              0                  0               0
                     Military                                 0                0              0               0              0              0                  0               0
                     Unspecified                              104       2,332                 16              75             36             323                156       2,730
                     Total                                    148       9,267                 40              874            105      32,670                   293      42,811




                       Fish-Kill Events by Incident, 1980-1989


                                                              California                        Oregon                       Washington                           Total

                     Incident                                 e             k                 e               k              e              k                  e           k


                     Runoff                                   3             33                0               0              4              487                7            519
                     Routine Release                          4         5,600                 5               51             17             1,182              26        6,834
                     Accidental Release                       3             76                3               12             7              128                13           217
                     Spill                                    10            97                8               17             10             729                28           843
                     Spraying                                 1             101               0               0              6              206                7            306
                     Natural                                  12            134               3               12             9         28,844                  24       28,990
                     Drawdown                                 3             432               1               110            3              545                7         1,086
                     Dredging or Drilling                     2             158               0               0              0                 0               2            158
                     Unspecified                              110       2,637                 20              671            49             551                179       3,859
                     Total                                    148       9,267                 40              874            105       32,670                  293      42,811
                     Abbreviations: e number of events; k, number of fish killed in hundreds of fish; NR, number of fish killed not reported.































                     68














                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      XICO
                                                                                                                 NORTH ATLANTICI                             MIDDLE ATLANTIC                              SOUTH ATLANTH                                           PACIFIC

                                                                                                                                                       eA      0'
                                                                                                                                                     kq
                                                                                                                                                                                                          10
                                                                                                                                              -k
                                                                                                                 IOP7@1 ce '@p                1@0*                                                        01

                                    Program initiated:                                           '72     '60  '60       '73    ND   '40       '65  '50       '80    '64  '69       '51    '80  '57        '75   '70    '79     '75     *75  '65       '81    '69


                                    Data available from:                                                 '70  '65       '73    ND   ND        ND   '67       '76    '64  7.9       '80    '80  '57        '75   '80    '79     '75     '78  '65       '81    '69


                                    Are records maintained in a central office?                  Y       N    N         Y      N    N         N    Y         Y      Y    Y         Y      Y    N          N     Y      Y       Y       Y    Y         Y      N


                             Z      Number of agencies in reporting process:                     3       1    2         3      2    5         2    3         1      1    2         3      2    3          2     2      2       3       2    2         2      1


                                    Are records computerized?                                    N       N    Y         N      N    N         N    Y         N      Y    Y         Y      Y    N          Y     N      N       N       Y    Y         N      Y
                             Z

                                    Are annual reports maintained?                               N       N    Y         N      N    Y         N    N         Y      Y    N         N      N    N          N     Y      N       N       N    Y         N      N
                             0
                             2
                             <      FTEs (full-time equivalents) in 1989:                        <1      1    6-10      <1     ND >10         1-2  ND        <1     3-5  6-10      ND     1-2 >10         ND >10       1-2     <1      6-10 ND        <1     1-2
                             cr
                             0
                             0
                             cc
                             EL                                 2
                                    Level of program support                                     L       M    UM        L      L    M         L    M         L      M    M         L      L    H/L        L     H      L       L       L    L         M      L



                                    Change in support during '85-'89:                            S       S    I/S       S      S    S         ND   ND        S      S    S         D      S    S/I        S     I      I       S       I    D         I      D


                                    Did reorganization occur during '85-'89?                     N       N    Y         Y      N    N         N    N         N      N    N         Y      Y    N          Y     N      Y       Y       N    Y         Y      Y


                             Lu                                         4
                             U)     Percentage of trained personnel                              100     25   100       50     0    ND        25   100       25     75   75        ND     0    100        ND 100       50      0       100  75        100    0
                             Z)


                                                                          4
                             .6     Percentage of all fish kills reported:                       100     100  100       75     50   50        50   100       100    ND   ND        100    100  75         50    75     75      75      75   25        75     25
                             U)
                             LLJ

                                    Percentage of field or laboratory chemical                   25      100  100       25     50   25        25   100       75     100  100       100    100  100        ND    100    ND      100     100  75        100    25
                             w
                             0      analyses that determines cause: 4
                             0
                             rr
                             a-
                             W                                        :4
                                    Frequency of written report filed                            100     100  100       100    100  ND        50   ND        100    50   100       100    100  100        100 100      100     75      100  75        100    25


                             U)                                                                  A,B,    B,C A-E        A,C, A,B,   A-F       B,C  A-C       A,C    A-F B,C        A-C, A-E    A-C        A,E, A-F     A-F     B-D     A-C  A-F       A-F    A-C
                             Lu     Use of fish-kill reports:
                             >                                                                   C,F                    F      C                                         D,F       E,F                    F
                             Z
                                                                                                                 NORTH ATLANTIC


























































                          Notes:    No    No response
                                      Reflects comments from two different agencies
                                      L = not adequate; M = fairly adequate/adequate; H          very good
                                      D = decreased; S = same; I = increased
                                    4 Percent intervals: 0 = 0%; 25 = 1 - 25%; 50 = 26 - 50%; 75 = 51 - 75%; 100               76 - 100%
                                      A =To indicate an emergency situation requiring immediate response; B =To determine the amount of environmental/economic damage;
                                      C =To determine the source and/or parties responsible for the kill so fines and/or penalities can be assigned; D =To indicate the health of the aquatic
                                      resources; E =To indicate a trend in the health of the aquatic resources; F To meet reporting requirements of the EPA 305(b) Water Quality Reports




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