Susquehanna River Freshwater Research – Unassessed Waters

In May 2014, Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, PA received a grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation for a three year Freshwater Research Initiative to further research on the ecological issues currently impacting the Susquehanna River and its tributaries. The SU-Freshwater Research Initiative seeks to catalyze collaborative aquatic research, data collection, analysis and dissemination to help address environmental issues surrounding the Susquehanna River and its tributaries. The Freshwater Research Initiative aims to create a regional model for collaboration based on objective scientific study and research to provide scientific information and data to stakeholder groups about the watershed. Susquehanna University faculty and staff work collaboratively with a network of government agencies, other academic institutions, and non-profit groups within the Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay watersheds on a variety of projects. Collaborative partners include the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, Susquehanna River Basin Commission, Trout Unlimited, Penn State University, and the Susquehanna River Heartland Coalition for Environmental Studies.

Unassessed Waters Project

The Chesapeake Conservancy, in partnership with Dr. Jonathan Niles at Susquehanna University’s Freshwater Research Initiative, is mapping water chemistry and biological data collected as part of the PA Fish & Boat Commission’s Unassessed Waters Initiative. Susquehanna University has collected data at over 600 different sites since 2011, representing the largest contribution to this initiative out of a group of 13 cooperators, including non-profits and educational institutions in the Commonwealth.

Types of data collected:

Basic parameters:

  • Temperature
  • pH
  • Conductivity
  • Alkalinity

Biological data:

  • Fish species presence
  • Population and biomass estimates
  • Length and weights of all trout
  • In streams with flowing water, benthic macroinvertebrates

A major goal of this project is to inform natural resource management in the region, including the process for designating streams as supporting wild trout populations.

 

Long Term Loyalsock Creek Project

Susquehanna University has established a series of long-term study sites in the Loyalsock Creek watershed where they have collected data on 30 sites every summer since 2011.

Types of data collected:

Basic water chemistry parameters:

  • Temperature
  • pH
  • Conductivity
  • Alkalinity

Biological data:

  • Fish species presence
  • Population and biomass estimates
  • Length and weights of all trout
  • Benthic macroinvertebrates

New projects associated with these long term study now include the following projects and cooperators.

  • Evaluation of cold-water habitat fragmentation caused by inadequate stream-crossing structures.
    • Collaborators: Dr. Shawn Rummel, Trout Unlimited; Indiana University of Pennsylvania,     PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources – Bureau of Forestry; Loyalsock Creek Watershed Association; and local municipalities.
  • The population genetic structure of brook trout in the Loyalsock Creek watershed.
    • Collaborators: Dr. Ty Wagner, Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit; Penn State University; PA Fish and Boat Commission; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and Loyalsock Creek Watershed Association.
  • A regional approach to long-term monitoring and modeling of temperatures in Pennsylvanian headwater streams.
    • Collaborators: Dr. Ryan Utz, Dr. Molly Mehling, Chatham University.
  • A baseline assessment of streamside salamander communities in headwater streams of the Loyalsock Creek watershed.
    • Collaborators: Dr. Peter Petokas, Lycoming College.