ANNUAL SNAPSHOT #3: SUSQUEHANNA RIVER WATER CHEMISTRY AT MILTON, DANVILLE, WATSONTOWN, AND SHADY NOOK, PA

We collected water samples by canoe, kayak, and boat from four established sampling transects on the Susquehanna River: Milton (three sites), Watsontown (three sites), Danville (five sites), and Shady Nook (six sites, three on each side of Byer’s Island). In situ analyses of the samples included pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and conductivity. Turbidity was measured on site on unfiltered samples; alkalinity and acidity on filtered samples. Samples, both filtered and unfiltered, were preserved for later laboratory analysis for cations and anions using a Dionex 2000 ion chromatograph. Analysis of metals is underway, using our new Teledyne/Lehman Labs Profile plus ICP-OES. This project was part of an ongoing study (third annual sampling) of the chemistry of the Susquehanna River sponsored by the Susquehanna River Heartland Coalition for Environmental Studies. As noted in previous years, we found significant differences between water chemistry of the west branch and the north branch/main stem, with a pattern of lower alkalinity, lower pH, lower chloride, lower sodium and higher nitrate in the west branch. Although the pattern of relative concentrations of measured anions and cations at the sample sites is consistent year to year, their relative magnitudes vary, sometimes dramatically. Each year the water chemistry of samples in the main stem has clearly demonstrated the minimal mixing of waters from the west branch and north branch for some distance downstream in the main stem.