Impacts of Mining on Fisheries, Macroinvertebrates, and Conductivity in East Fork Twelvepole Creek Tributaries

1. Effects of Mining on the Fisheries, Macroinvertebrates, and Conductivity within the tributaries of East Fork Twelvepole Creek Jonny Hart, REI Consultants, Inc. Ed J. Kirk, REI Consultants, Inc. Randy Maggard, Argus Energy-WV, LLC.

3. Study Framework • 4 Tributaries were first sampled in Spring and Fall 2000 for fish populations using triple pass electroshock • Benthic macro-invertebrate and water chemistry were sampled biannually each year since • April and October 2010 fish populations were re-sampled for taxa and population changes

4. East Lynn Lake Sampling Creeks Mining Activity Google 2010

5. Sampling Tributaries Big Laurel Creek Trough Fork Kiah Creek East Fork Twelvepole Creek Google 2010

6. Mining History • Small scale mining began in 1982 • Large scale mining began in 1987 • 50% Deep / 50% Surface • Approximately 2 million tons of coal are produced each year in this area • Impacts: Coal Prep Plant, Refuse Fill, Slurry Impoundments, Haul Roads, • Further Impacts: Logging (roughly 5,000 acres), 250 Oil/Gas Wells with pipelines

7. Stream Health Evaluation Methods and Comparison • SAMPLING: • Triple pass electroshock (Backpack) • COMPARISON: • 2000/2010 Fisheries Index of Biotic Integrity • 2000→2010 Bi-annual West Virginia Stream Condition Index • Macro-invertebrate Assemblage • Trend analysis- combined fall/spring scores • 2000 → 2010 Biannual Water Chemistry Sampling • Conductivity • Trend analysis- combined fall/spring values

8. Macroinvertebrate Assessment • West Virginia Stream Condition Index (WV-SCI) • Regulatory management/Permitting • WVDEP • Core Metrics • EPT taxa (mayfly, stonefly, caddisfly) • Total taxa • % EPT • % Chironomidae • % Top 2 Dominant taxa • HBI (Family Biotic Index)

9. Fisheries Assessment • Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) (0-100 Scale) • Based on KY-IBI • Core Metrics • Native Taxa Richness • Darter, Madtom, and Sculpin Richness • Intolerant Species Richness • Simple Lithophilic Spawning Species Richness • Relative Abundance of Insectivorous Individuals • Relative Abundance of Tolerant Individuals • Relative Abundance of Facultative Headwater Individuals • Drainages < 6 square miles

10. Conductivity Levels s

11. East Fork Twelvepole Creek, Wayne County West Va.

12. East Fork Twelvepole Creek Sampling Locations Google 2010

13. East Fork Twelvepole Creek 2010

14. East Fork Twelvepole Creek WV-Stream Condition Score (Bugs) Index of Biotic Integrity (Fish) Good

15. Kiah Creek, Wayne County West VA.

16. Kiah Creek Sampling Locations Google 2010

17. Kiah Creek TAXA

18. Kiah Creek WV-Stream Condition Score (Bugs) Index of Biotic Integrity (Fish) Grey zone

19. Trough Fork Sampling Locations Google 2010

20. Trough Fork, Wayne County West Va.

21. Trough Fork TAXA

22. Trough Fork WV-Stream Condition Score (Bugs) Index of Biotic Integrity (Fish)

23. Big Laurel Creek Sampling Locations Google 2010

24. Big Laurel Creek, Wayne County West Va.

25. Big Laurel Creek

26. Big Laurel Creek WV-Stream Condition Score (Bugs) Index of Biotic Integrity (Fish)

27. Conductivity vs. WV-SCI/Fisheries IBI

28. Fisheries IBI Scores

29. Summary • Kiah Creek: • Improving WVSCI scores, though marginal overall • Fisheries Taxa loss and conductivity concerns • East Fork Twelvepole Creek: • Improving WVSCI scores, marginally unimpaired • Fish populations remaining stable, fair IBI score • Trough Fork: • Good WVSCI scores despite conductivity levels • Fish IBI rated as fair but has taxa loss concerns • Big Laurel Creek: • Good WVSCI scores, and improving • Improving IBI scores

30. Conclusions • 3 of the 4 Tributaries have improving WVSCI trends • 3 of the 4 Tributaries have good WVSCI standing • Overall fish trophic guilds were rated as ‘Fair’ • Conductivity levels are varying across Index values

31. Questions???