Effects of acid mine drainage on limnological conditions and fish assemblages in the Cumberland Plateau region of the North Chickamauga Creek System, Tennessee

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is the primary water pollution problem in Appalachian streams. The Cumberland Plateau (Southwestern Appalachians ecoregion) portion of North Chickamauga Creek (NCC), a fourth-order tributary to the Tennessee River (Tennessee), has been impacted by decades of AMD from active and abandoned coal mines. I assessed stream characteristics at 19 sites in the Cumberland Plateau region of the NCC system; these data were used to create a GIS database. Limnological conditions and fish assemblage attributes were compared between AMD-impacted and reference sites. Relationships were examined among water quality, habitat, and fish assemblage variables. Stream pH averaged lower at AMD than reference sites (5.1 vs.6.3); pH values in the 3-5 range were observed at most of the AMD sites. Conductivity averaged higher at AMD than reference sites (123 .31 μSiem vs. 17.96 μSiem). Most habitat features were similar between A.MD-impacted and reference sites. Electro.fishing surveys collected a total of eight fish species (N=859 individuals), represented by the families Cyprinidae (2 species) and Centrarchidae ( 6 species). Cyprinids accounted for 93% of the catch at the reference sites, while centrarchids comprised 92% of the catch at AMD sites. Fish species richness and abundance (cyprinids and total) estimates averaged lower at A.MD than reference sites. Stream pH was positively correlated with fish species richness and abundance. Conductivity was negatively correlated with fish abundance. Findings from my study document the negative effects of AMD on stream water quality and fish assemblages in the NCC system.

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Author dc:creator

• Backer, Jennifer Copeland

Contributors dc:contributor

• Schorr, Mark
• Litchford, Gary; Spratt, Henry; Benz, George
• College of Arts and Sciences

• Stream ecology
• Acid mine drainage--Tennessee
• Fishes--Habitat--Conservation

Licence

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language

English, eng

Identifier

LB2369.2 .B323 2002

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholar.utc.edu:theses-2063