Richmond, Va.-Extensive monitoring and sampling of the Shenandoah River and its North and South Forks have not pinned down the cause, either from fertilizer or other sources, of high numbers of fish kill since 2004, according to state Game and Inland Fisheries officials. What is probably the most extensive study of its kind began earlier this year, but one of the investigators, Larry Mohn, told Green Markets, “Nothing really stands out in the water quality data collected so far.” He said there had been very little runoff this year, and especially no events during the heavier fertilizing period. “The data does indicate a high level of nutrients related to base flow conditions, but those nutrients are coming from multiple sources,” Mohn added. He expects the project to be a multi-year undertaking that requires daily water quality testing and real-time hourly around-clock monitoring in the north and south forks, along with an extensive fish health study for signs of chronic stress and immune system effects.
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain