More On Water Quality

[hawkeye]

To follow up on the thread about water quality and fish biomass in the Bow River, I thought I'd pass on this link to a real short report put out by some of the guys at the U.S.G.S. in Iowa City that I used to work with.

 

http://www.iowapolicyproject.com/2006docs/...-USGS-ExSum.pdf

 

It talks briefly about contaminants from wastewater effluent that we don't always think about. Pharmaceuticals, for example. In work following up this report on numerous outings we actually were able to find physical and chemical evidence of antidepresents and hormones in the fish. Physcially, fish like the fathead minnow that in the males generally has very strong male features were becoming more feminized. In the white sucker, we found measuravle levels of antidepresants in their brains. As you might suspect, the upstream fish were free of these effects, and at and downstream from the plant outflow they were significant.

[Glenbow]

Depressed fish make me sad.

 

Amazing what we do to Ma Nature.

[fisher26]

There will come a point where the Bow is no longer able to support the massively growing numbers of out city. Unfortunately there is very little the city will do to treat storm sewer water or to reduce the amount of pesticides we use. The bow is a spectacular fishery largely by chance... I hope it stays intact.

[WoollyBuggered]

were becoming more feminized.

 

BAN THE PILL!!!!!! Wrap it up, tie your tubes or make like a catholic and pull out

[reevesr1]

There will come a point where the Bow is no longer able to support the massively growing numbers of out city. Unfortunately there is very little the city will do to treat storm sewer water or to reduce the amount of pesticides we use. The bow is a spectacular fishery largely by chance... I hope it stays intact.

But one of the reasons it is spectacular IS the city. Another balancing act.