ANNUAL SNAPSHOT #5: SUSQUEHANNA RIVER WATER CHEMISTRY AT DANVILLE, WATSONTOWN, AND SHADY NOOK, PA

On both May 29^th and June 29^th, 2013, we collected water samples across transects of the Susquehanna River at Danville (North Branch), Watsontown (West Branch), and Shady Nook (below their confluence). In situ measurements included conductivity, dissolved oxygen, pH, and temperature. Turbidity of each sample was measured immediately upon return to shore. Each sample was then divided into the following sets of subsamples: 1) triplicate non-filtered, acidified to a pH <2; 2) triplicate filtered, acidified to a pH <2; 3) triplicate filtered, non-acidified; and 4) triplicate filtered, analyzed immediately for alkalinity and acidity. Acidified samples were analyzed for metals using ICP-OES. Non-acidified filtered samples were analyzed for selected anions and simple cations using ion chromatography. Cadmium, nickel, copper, and lead were below detectable limits. Barium, arsenic, and iron were found in trace amounts (under 0.1 ppm) at all sites. Arsenic was slightly higher at Danville and remained so in the North Branch water past the confluence. Total iron concentrations (nonfiltered samples) at Danville were almost twice as high as at most other sites. Higher amounts of both dissolved zinc and dissolved iron on the site nearest the western shore of the Watsontown transect indicate a possible point source of these metals upstream. As has been observed in previous years, manganese is notably higher in concentration in the easternmost sample south of the confluence and just downstream of the mouth of Shamokin Creek, indicating a point source for manganese. Trends of acidity, alkalinity, and pH were comparable to those observed in previous studies.