ATTEMPT #2: QUEST FOR POINT SOURCES OF METALS AND SULFATE INTO THE SUSQUEHANNA RIVER NEAR BYER'S ISLAND, SHAMOKIN DAM (NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY), PA

In previous studies (2009, 2010) of the Susquehanna River water chemistry surrounding Byer’s Island near Shamokin Dam, PA, we noticed an inconsistent variation of levels of sulfate, barium, lead and copper. In summer 2011, we designed a sampling regime to try and identify the possible sources of these species. We collected water samples by canoe, kayak, and boat on four different days spanning the summer at sites below the fiber dam on the Susquehanna River upstream of Shady Nook to sites almost to the downstream end of Byer’s Island. Collection vehicle and number and location of samples collected were greatly affected by water levels in the river. In situ analyses of the samples included pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and conductivity. On site, turbidity was measured on unfiltered samples and alkalinity and acidity on filtered samples. Samples, both filtered and unfiltered, were preserved for later laboratory analyses for cations and anions by ion chromatography, and metals using an ICP-OES. This high density sampling was part of an ongoing study (3^rd annual sampling) of the chemistry of the Susquehanna River sponsored by the Susquehanna River Heartland Coalition for Environmental Studies, and demonstrates the temporal variability of water chemistry in the Susquehanna River. Metal analyses are now underway, and we will soon know if there were the same elevated levels of sulfate, barium, lead and copper in any of the same places in summer 2011 as in previous years. High density sampling in both space and time is necessary if one wants to capture any pulse of chemical species additions such as might occur from chemical spills, significant rain events, or other episodic events.