Polluted waterways

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Comment by David on April 2, 2012 at 4:06pm

Well that list sucks major butt, doesn't it?

I'm within a stones throw (15 miles) of the 4th river on the list- the Savannah. The area immediately below Augusta, Ga is where the danger zone starts. The bottom line is that today, most of the heavy contamination has been halted. What remains is the gooey stuff that settled on the bottom over the years. For this reason fish like catfish, bass and other apex predators should not be eaten. The poisons collect in their systems and make them catch and release only.

At the same time, there are still a lot of fish there. Carp are plentiful and many people bow fish for them. Bluegill are ever present. Stripers come up from the sea to breed, and the fishing gets hot around Augusta's 'Lock and Dam' - the last stop for them.

Augusta marks the last navigable water upriver from the coast, the rocky fall line between the low country and the piedmont. A lock and canal system was built here, going as far back as the War of Federal Aggression. Once a major economic center, riverboats came all the way up to Augusta and many factories were built over the decades ... which lead to the pollution.

Interestingly, 5 miles upriver from Augusta, some very good fishing may be found. We have a guy here on BBG, Troy, who pulls monster shell crackers from these waters. The Savannah river in the upcountry was part of a large flood control project going back to the 1940's. A series of dams were built all the way to the upstate of GA/SC, and include their lakes  - names like Hartwell and Clarks Hill/Strom Thurmond.

The waters coming from beneath Clarks Hill Dam, for example, are still fresh and clean upon reaching Augusta. So there is a "dividing line" in the river that the locals recognize. You'll hear the comment, "Fish here - but not THERE!" Oh, you can fish there, but you don't want to eat any but the bluegill.

Comment by John Sheehan on April 2, 2012 at 11:34am

Sorry to hear that Steve .What species live in and also what species are affected the most in the Catawba do you think?

Comment by Steve Crowder on April 2, 2012 at 11:14am

My own employer, Duke Energy has killer my beloved Catawba River with coal pollutant run off. Hopefully the Catawba River Keeper Assoc. (I'm a member of) has made Duke Energy start to clean up this mess. 

Comment by John Sheehan on April 2, 2012 at 10:58am

 

Trout and Salmon, the Canaries in the coal mine.Frogs and Salamanders also . In some cases Crayfish or Crawdads.

Comment by Leo on April 2, 2012 at 10:38am

Yep. Species like tilapia, gills, cats, and bass. Trouts and salmons are way too sensivitive. However, we do use them to gauge the water quality. When they start to belly up, we have major concern no only for the aquatic population, we also worry for our own health.

Comment by John Sheehan on April 2, 2012 at 10:23am

Some fish are incredible survivors and will adapt well Not that I like pollution at all. Other fish are  more sensitive to pollution,I believe.Trout for instance.

Comment by Leo on April 2, 2012 at 10:20am

They're not polluted..they're just..just..seasoned. =)