A FRIEND FROM PA SENT THIS TO ME .
We had a major fish kill today on the Bushkill Creek (Northampton County). From what I understand it was caused when PPL requested the local quarry (Hercules Cement) to shut off their electric pumps and switch to their diesel backup pumps to perform some electrical work. The problem is that apparently the diesel pumps only put out about half the water as the electric pumps which is a problem because we have a major sinkhole problem downstream from the quarry. The quarry pumps a significant amount of water. With not enough volume, the water goes into the sinkholes and the creek dries up quickly, stranding fish. I contacted our local WCO, Jeff Sabo, and he immediately came to check on the situation. He is looking into the matter and counting dead fish (even as night approaches). Several TU volunteers and other concerned citizens bucketed some fish, but for the most part it was too late by the time we found out what was happening. Unfortunately, this section of stream (from Stockertown downstream below Tatamy, perhaps a mile and a half - two miles of class A wild brown trout) had a similar kill in 1999 and I believe the situation reoccurred a few years later. I thought things were corrected because the quarry agreed to use diesel backups and we hadn't had a reoccurrence for a number of years and the stream recovered, but obviously there wasn't enough oversight because the PFBC and TU didn't know that this was occurring until it was too late to do anything. The situation is very complex due to the significant number of sinkholes in the area. There should be more regulatory oversight. As I said, WCO Sabo is looking into the situation and I should get a report from him which I will forward. Fortunately, downstream from this area the creek picks up enough springs to start running again, but there was a significant fish kill, again. Obviously, this is very disheartening, even more so, being this is my home waters.