on the st. croix river · croix river) was formed to ensure the maintenance of water quality...

INTERNATIONAL JOINT COMMISSION I:;<

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POLLUTION ADVISORY BOARD

WORKSHOP

on the St. Croix River

September 29 - 30. 1987

Algonquin Hotel, St. Andrews, N.B.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

Forward ............................................................... v

Abstract .............................................................. vii

Acknowledgements ...................................................... ix

General Introduction .................................................. 1 Workshop Objectives ................................................. 2 The St. Croix River Basin ........................................ 3 Presentations and Workshop Organization ............................. 5

History, responsibility and involvement of the IJC on the St. Croix River - Commissioner R.S.K. Welch ........................................ 7

Session 1: Fisheries Requirements (Chairmen: R.H. Cook, A. Heister)

Diadromous Fisheries

Highlights

Progress on the restoration of the anadromous Atlantic Salmon to the St. Croix River - K. Beland ............................................... 11

Fish passage consideration relating to the re-establishdment of anadromous fisheries in the St. Croix River - W. Watt ............................ 15

The Anadramous fish resources of the St. Croix - L. Plagg ............. 23

Discussion Summary

Inland Fisheries

Highlights

Management of the inland sport fisheries of the St. Croix River System - R. Brokaw ........................................................... 29

Recreational fishery potential of the upper St. Croix River, New Brunswick - P. Cronin and P.D. Seymour ............................ 31

Discussion Summary

Shellfish Resources

Highlights

Management and development of the shellfish resources of the St. Croix estuary - W. Foster ................................................... 43

Shellfish growing areas in the St. Croix estuary - A. Henon ........... 45

Discussion Summary

Session 2: Water Quality and Quantity (Chairmen: S. Graves, D. Silliphant)

Water Quality

Highlights

U.S. geological survey's streamflow and water-quality data-collection network in the St. Croix River Basin - T. Maloney ..................... 57

St. Croix River water quality model - P. Hitnik ....................... 59

A history of upper St. Croix water quality - J. Allen ................. 6 3

The relationship of the St. Croix River water quality to pulp mill effluent - G. Howell .................................................. 65

Georgia-Pacific effluent management at woodland - J. Norton ........... 71

Biological observations and water quality on the St. Croix river - S. Davies ........................................................... 73

Requirements of the CWA of 1987a - R. Hanfredonia ..................... 75

Discussiom Summary

Water Quantity

Highlights

Models for flow regulation 1973-77 - L. Bergen ........................ 8 1

Operating procedues for St. Croix River basin - R. Peck .............. 89

A comparison of regulated and naturalized streamflow in the international St. Croix River - R.A. Pol and D.C. Ambler .............. 95

Discussion Summary

Session 4: Other River Uses (Chairmen: $3. Norrena, E. Conley)

Highlights

Role of the St. Croix Waterway ~oint Advisory Commission (JAC) - J. Elder and J. Cormier .............................................. 117

I Discussion Summary

Session 4: j~iscussion Group Reports (Chairmen: !E. Norrena, E. Conley)

I ........................ Fisheries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 I , ................ Waste Management ...................................... 125 I I Flow Management ........................................................ 127 t

I

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i Appendix A: List of Participants ...................................... 132

I

FORWARD

The St. Croix River, like many of our rivers, has a long history of abuse. From the construction of partial dams for log driving in the early 1800's, through the blocking of fish passage by dams in the mid 1800's to early 1900fs, to the contamination of its waters from pulp mill waste and other sources in the 1930rs, the St. Croix has suffered. By 1955, the river between Woodland and Calais was grossly polluted, mainly by the St. Croix Paper Company at Woodland, but also by a textile mill, untreated sewage and the results of log driving. Anadromous fish species were completely eliminated from the river.

In 1909, an outstanding advance was made in Canada/U.S. relations by the signing of the Boundary Waters Treaty. This remarkable piece of legislation enabled governments to move toward better control of levels and flows, and eventually toward pollution controls. It also led to the establishment of the International Joint Commission to oversee these moves and to advise governments. In 1915, the St. Croix Board of Control was established to supervise the control of levels and flows. In 1962, the Pollution Advisory Board (the International Advisory Board on Control of Water Pollution: St. Croix River) was formed to ensure the maintenance of water quality objectives and to encourage the re-establishment of the anadromous fisheries.

It has been through the influence of the IJC Pollution Advisory Board and Board of Control, and the combined efforts of the various federal, provincial and State agencies, municipalities and industries with interests in the river, that significant strides have been made in improving the water quality of the St. Croix and in bringing back anadromous fish species. The cooperative atmosphere under which monitoring, research, pollution controls and flow management have been carried out helps us face the challenge of understanding more about this particular ecosystem so that it can be managed in an enlightened way for all users.

This workshop was convened by the Pollution Advisory Board at this time because it seems we are at a turning point in management needs for the river and could benefit from a close examination of where we are and where we should be going.

E.J. Norrena E.J. Conley

Co-Chairmen IJC Pollution Advisory Board

P

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ABSTRACT

This workshop on the St. Croix River was sponsored by the IJCfS International

Advisory Board on Water Pollution: St. Croix River, in order to examine the

state of scientific knowledge on the river and to look at the problems and

issues associated with a growing utilization of the river.

Papers were presented in sessions on diadromous and inland fisheries, the

shellfish resource, water quality, water quantity, and other river uses and

dealt with such research topics as salmon migration, salmon habitat, small

mouth bass populations, benthic community changes, and river hydrology. Major

conflicting issues include recreational use of resevoir lakes and low water

levels, canoeing on the river and low flows, pollution loading and salmon

migration, water temperature and fish habitat suitability. Most problems

surround the competing uses for the limited water resources of the river.

Discussion of issues relating to waste management, flow management and

fisheries management resulted in clarification of many of the issues and

problems and the consideration of management options.

The International Advisory Board on Control of Water Pollution: St. Croix

River would like to express their thanks to the International Joint Commission

for their encouragement and support, and especially to Commissioner R.S.K.

Welch, for his personal interest and involvement in the workshop. Thanks are

also given for support provided by the New Brunswick Department of Municipal

Affairs and Environment, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection,

Environment Canada, and the Environmental Protection Agency. The Board is

especially grateful to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection for

their offer to print these proceedings. The Board would also like to thank

Dr. R. Cook for his assistance in liaison with the Huntsman Marine Laboratory,

who were the workshop facilitators, and-Irene Pohle of the Huntsman Marine

Laboratory.

P. Eaton, the Board Secretary, is also acknowledged for his efforts in

organizing the workshop and editing these proceedings.

Last, but most important, thanks are given to all those who participated in

presenting papers and discussing the problems, issues and resolutions which

were the meat of this workshop. It was their enthusiastic involvement which

toned the workshop's success.

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this workshop was to bring together a broad cross section of

people with expertise and knowledge of the St. Croix River, and to discuss

problems and concerns with the water quality and quantity and the management

and use of the waterway.

The workshop provided an opportunity, as well, to air the findings of the

various monitoring studies and research being carried out in the watershed.

Primarily, a technical session to review the scientific facts, the workshop

was attended by some 45 specialists, including scientists, managers,

academics, regulators, researchers, advisors, as well as representatives from

industry, development, tourism and external affairs.

Of special interest was an examination of the various uses of the watershed

ranging from recreational fishing, canoeing, camping and hunting to industrial

power generation, pulp mill operation, municipal waste disposal and commercial

shellfish operations. One of the major objectives was to draw out management

options which would help to ameliorate some of the activities which are

presently in conflict.

Other objectives of the workshop included a review of existing water quality

and water quantity standards and regulations, and the criteria upon which they

are based, as well as an examination of current research and monitoring

programs, particularly those involved with restoration of the fishery.

This workshop provided an opportunity t'o discuss the long term use of the

river and its impact on the quality of the waterway. It also provided a forum

for discussing the results of research and monitoring and evaluating the

success of water quality and resource management in the basin. From this

point, it should be possible to look toward future management programs with

new and better informed direction.

The papers which are presented here provide the basis for assessing progress

in river management and for identifying present and future use conflicts and

their resolution. Although they are presented in the separate disciplines of

water quality, water quantity, fisheries, and river uses, an atmosphere of

integration was evident in the discussions which made the inevitable linkages

between the quality of water, success of salmon restoration, and improved

ability of the water to support various recreational uses. Also, the linkage

between water quantity and its impact on water quality and recreational use of

storage lakes was clearly evident.

Workshop Objectives

1. Review existing standards for water quality and water quantity to see if

they satisfy existing needs. These relate to drinking water standards, and

standards for salmon migration, shellfish harvesting, and recreational water

uses as well as flow requirements and water levels.

2. Review the criteria upon which present standards for the St. Croix River

are based. This includes such criteria as swimable/fishable, potable,

canoeable, as well as ability to generate power, dilute effluents and satisfy

other recreational needs.

3. Examine present monitoring and research and assess data requirements and

interpretation needs.

4. Look at the various uses of the watershed, including development plans,

and assess the associated needs.

5. Discuss management options for the St. Croix Waterway.

The St. Croix River Basin*

The St. Croix River basin, situated along the Maine-New Brunswick border, has

had a history of conflicting water use demands. Hydroelectric power

production, forest products processing, pollution abatement and fisheries and

recreational uses demand both adequate lake storage and downstream maintenance

flows. These combine to create a major water management problem in the basin.

The St. Croix River basin (see map) covers an area of 4230 km2, straddling the

Canada and United States border between southwestern New Brunswick and

southeastern Maine. The basin in bounded on the north by the Saint John River

basin, on the west by the Penobscot River basin, and the south and east by

coastal streams.

The basin has a continental climate characterized by cold winters and warm

summers. The mean annual precipitation for the basin is 1140 mm, with fairly

uniform distribution throughout the year.

The basin has the shape of an irregular "Y" with two principal chains of lakes

- the northern group along the international boundary, and the western group

in the State of maine - both of which join at Kellyland along the main stem of the river. The river then flows southeasterly along the international

boundary, becoming tidal at St. Stephen and emptying into Passamaquoddy Bay.

The headwaters of the S t . Croix River begin with Monument.Brook which flows

into North Lake, then into Grand Lake (known as East Grand Lake in the U.S.),

passing through Forest City and into Spednic Lake (spelled Spednik Lake in the

U.S.), forming the Chiputneticook Lakes System or the northern group.

* Taken from: St. Croix River Integrated. Data Interpretation Technical

Report, 1987, Inland Waters Directorate, Atlantic Region.

In the western group, Sysladobsis Lake, Junior Lake, West Grand Lake, Big Lake

and others all contribute to the Grand Falls Flowage, which enters the river

at Kellyland. Of far lesser importance, there are adjoining watersheds in

Maine which probably contribute some flow to the St. Croix River, such as

Meddybemps Lake, which can flow into the St. Croix River under high level

conditions.

Land use in the St. Croix River Basin is predominantly (80%) forestry related

and has been since the late 1800's. This historic pattern is similar on both

sides of the Canada/U.S. border. Agriculture is a distant second land use,

occupying about 10% of the basin on the Canadian side and somewhat less on the

American side. Agricultural land use has changed little over the last few

decades, but some land is being brought back into production. Blueberry

production is expanding in the basin.

The other 10% of land uses include urban and outdoor recreation uses, and

these have remained stable, but more emphasis can be expected in the future on

recreational activities.

Georgia-Pacific Corporation owns approximately 75% of the watershed which

reflects forestry land use activities, and Georgia-Pacific also regulates the

watershed through various reservoirs and control dams. Water levels and

maintenance flow from regulated lakes along the Canada-U.S. border are subject

to requirements set and enforced by the IJC through their Board of Control.

The IJC Advisory Board on Pollution Control further established water quality

objectives for dissolved oxygen and pH.

Georgia-Pacific utilizes water for hydroelectric power production and in their

pulp and paper processes, and also for effluent disposal of mill wastes at

Woodland, Maine. The New Brunswick Electric Power Commission (New Brunswick

Power) also generates hydroelectric power at Milltown, but they essentially

use whatever run-of-the-river flow is available.

The designation of part of the river system as the St. Croix Recreational

Waterway ~rea, and as a Heritage River should lead to more emphasis on tourism

and recreation in the basin. Current recreational activities include

canoeing, kayaking, fishing and the use of the lakes and waterways as cottage

sites. The maintenance of lake levels, in particular on Spednic Lake, is an

issue that has been raised several times over the years. Even though

Georgia-Pacific has had a good record of meeting the required water levels and

maintenance flows, the question of changing the rule curve and required lake

levels has been raised. Changing of operating rules to provide higher lake

levels could lead to problems in maintaining specified maintenance flows below

the dam, as well as reducing hydroelectric power generating during critical

periods. There has also been pressure to increase maintenance flows below

Woodland. This in effect would conflict with the wishes of Spednic Lake

residents, as water levels would have to be drawn down to meet this

requirement. Any such changes could only be addressed through international

agreement.

The river receives discharges from sewage treatment plants and other domestic

sewage sources. This has been identified by Environment Canada as a source of

fecal coliform contamination in shellfish in the estuary.

Presentations and Workshop Organization

The papers presented at the workshop were organized into three major

categories: Fisheries Requirements, including diadromous and inland

fisheries, and shellfish; Water Quality and Quantity; and Other River Uses.

Presentations were made by representatives of federal, provincial and State

government agencies, industry, and the International Joint Commission.

The first day of the one and one-half day workshop was dedicated to the

presentation and discussion of the individual which appear in this

proceedings. Highlights from each session (e.g. Diadromous Fisheries, Inland

Fisheries, etc.) precede the papers from that session, and the papers are

followed by discussion points which have been extracted from the transcript

and edited into a "discussion summaryn.

The second day was dedicated to discussion groups which were assigned the task

of considering issues related to one of three themes: Waste Management, Flow

Management, and Fisheries Concerns. The discussion groups were asked to

consider conflicting river uses and potential.management options and report

back to a plenary session. An edited transcript of the reports by the

discussion group chairmen makes up the latter part of these proceedings.

HISTORY, RESPONSIBILITY AND INVOLVEMENT OF THE IJC ON THE ST. CROIX RIVER

Commissioner R. S. K. Welch, Q.C. Canadian Sect ion , I n t e r n a t i o n a l J o i n t Commission

100 Me tca l f e St reet , Ottawa, On ta r i o K IP 5M1

A year ago, a number o f us f rom the I n t e r - n a t i o n a l J o i n t Commission had t h e p r i v i l e g e o f a t t e n d i n g a meet ing here i n St. Andrews a t tended by t h e C o m i s s i o n ' s two St. C r o i x R i v e r Boards and. w h i l e here, we had t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o en joy t h e d e l i g h t f u l surroundings and exper ience your grac ious and warm h o s p i t a l i t y . It was t l l e r e f o r e a p leasure and an honor f o r me t o accept your i n v i t a t i o n t o r e t u r n t o St. Andrews and t o speak t o you a t t h e opening o f t h i s workshop. I should add t h a t t h e Commission i s pleased w i t h t he i n i t i a t i v e s t h a t have been taken i n p lann ing t h i s workshop f o r t h e purpose o f exchanging i n f o r m a t i o n and address ing a broad range o f issues r e l a t e d t o t h e sha r i ng o f t h e St. C ro i x R i ve r and i t s resources by a number o f users.

The agenda i n d i c a t e s t h a t my p resen ta t i on w i l l touch on t h e h i s t o r y and r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s o f t h e IJC w i t h p a r t i c u l a r re fe rence t o i t s involvement i n t h e a f f a i r s o f the St. C ro i x R iver . Whi le those of you who have served t h e Commission as a member o f an IJC Board o r i n some o the r capac i t y w i l l be f a m i l i a r w i t h t h e Commission and have an unders tand ing o f how i t works, l e t me begin w i t h a b i t o f h i s t o r y f o r those who may no t be f a m i l i a r w i t h t h e IJC.

To s e t t h e stage, we must go back t o t h e e a r l y years o f t h i s century and pay t r i b u t e t o some i n t e l - l i g e n t and f a r s i g h t e d people i n Washington and Ottawa who perce ived the sha r i ng o f a con t i nen t would be more o r d e r l y and peacefu l i f some r u l e s governing c e r t a i n k inds o f t ransboundary behav ior were es tab l ished. This pe rcep t i on l e d t o t he Boundary Waters Treaty o f 1909, a landmark i n s t r u - ment which has served f o r almost 80 y r as t h e p r i n c i p a l bas i s f o r r espons ib le Canada-United States dea l ings w i t h respec t t o these shared boundary waters.

The Treaty was designed t o c rea te a framework o f p r i n c i p l e s and an i n s t i t u t i o n a l mechanism t o b r i n g about t h e r a t i o n a l management o f issues concern ing the l eve l s , f lows and q u a l i t y o f waters f l o w i n g across or along t h e boundary. An impor tan t unde r l y i ng concept was the acceptance by both Canada and t h e Un i ted States t h a t t h e i n t e r e s t s o f t he o the r coun t r y would not be d is regarded when d e c i d i n g upon some a c t i o n w i t h respect t o shared waterways which cou ld a f f e c t the o the r count ry . The Treaty t h e r e f o r e l i m i t e d each coun t r y ' s r i g h t t o do as i t wished w i t h an impor tant segment o f the coun t r y ' s waterways.

To h e l p ensure t h a t these impor tant commitments and o b l i g a t i o n s were respected, t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l J o i n t Commission, c o n s i s t i n g o f t h r e e Canadian and th ree American members, was created by t he Treaty . I have had the p r i v i l e g e o f s e r v i n g on the Commission s ince my appointment i n January 1986, w i t h Mr. Robert McEwen from Ogdensburg who i s t h e U.S. Co-Chairman, t he Canadian Co-Chairman, Mr. Andre B issonnet te f rom Chelsea, Quebec, K e i t h Bulen from I n d i a n a p o l i s , Indiana, Donald Tot ten from Schaumberg, I l l i n o i s and E. Oavie F u l t o n f rom Vancouver. Each o f us i s expected t o ac t as a member o f a c o l l e g i a l body, one o r two steps removed from competing n a t i o n a l i n t e r e s t s i n order t o seek

common, i m p a r t i a l s o l u t i o n s i n t he mutual i n t e r e s t o f bo th coun t r i es . Th i s i s an impor tan t concept as t h e Commission would have l i t t l e unique t o o f f e r t o t he b e t t e r management o f r e l a t i o n s between t h e two coun t r i es if, w i t h i n it, business were conducted a long n a t i o n a l 1 ines .

As d e f i n e d i n t h e Boundary Waters Treaty , t h e Commission exerc ises i t s r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s i n two general areas. One r e s p o n s i b i l i t y i s t h a t of

' p l a y i n g a q u a s i - j u d i c i a l r o l e i n approv ing app l i ca - t i o n s f o r dams o r o t h e r s t r u c t u r e s t h a t w i l l a f f e c t water l e v e l s o r f lows on t h e oppos i t e s i d e o f t he boundary. A second r e s p o n s i b i l i t y i s c a r r y i n g ou t s tud ies o r m o n i t o r i n g s p e c i f i c problems when requested by Governments. Here i n t h e St. C r o i x R i ve r basin, t h e Commission has been c a l l e d upon t o exe rc i se b o t h r o l e s .

To h e l p i t c a r r y o u t i t s r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s , t h e Commission i s a s s i s t e d by a smal l number o f adv i se rs i n Ottawa and Washington, and a modest r e g i o n a l o f f i c e i n Windsor, Ontar io , devoted s p e c i f i c a l l y t o i t s Great Lakes water q u a l i t y a c t i v i t i e s .

The s t r e n g t h o f t h e Commission, however, l i e s i n i t s use o f groups o f exper ts o r boards. Boards a r e es tab l i shed by t h e Cbmmission t o a s s i s t i t i n c a r r y i n g o u t s p e c i f i c tasks . For example, I n v e s t i g a t i v e Boards a s s i s t i n c a r r y i n g o u t s t u d i e s ; Boards o f Con t ro l superv ise t h e ope ra t i on o f dams o r o t h e r works t o ensure compliance w i t h IJC Orders o f Approval. P o l l u t i o n Adv isory Boards c a r r y ou t m o n i t o r i n g and s u r v e i l l a n c e a c t i v i t i e s . A l l IJC Boards, now numbering about 20, p rov ide t h e Commission w i t h t h e i n f o r m a t i o n and adv i ce necessary f o r t h e Commission t o d ischarge i t s d u t i e s . As mentioned e a r l i e r , two o f these boards a r e t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l St. C ro i x R i ve r Board o f Con t ro l and t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l Adv isory Board on P o l l u t i o n Con t ro l f o r the 'S t . C ro i x R i ve r .

Members o f IJC Boards g e n e r a l l y come from f e d e r a l o r p r o v i n c i a l agencies, b u t may a l s o be se lec ted from u n i v e r s i t i e s o r t he p r i v a t e sec to r . The concept o f independent o b j e c t i v i t y app l i es t o t h e Commission's Boards as i t does t o t h e Commission i t s e l f . Board members a re expected t o opera te i n a c o l l e g i a l manneq, o f f e r i n g t h e i r bes t p ro fess iona l adv ice t o t he Commission, n o t s imply r e l a y i n g views o f t h e i r r e s p e c t i v e employers.

4

Since 1909! t h e IJC has been d i r e c t l y i nvo l ved over a dozen t imes i n t he Maine/New Brunswick area i n respond ing t o requests f rom Governments t o c a r r y out s tud ies o r i,n d e a l i n g w i t h a p p l i c a t i o n s reques t i ng permiss ion f o r t h e c o n s t r u c t i o n o r a l t e r a t i o n o f dams o r f ishways. Much o f t h i s a t t e n t i o n has been focussed on t h e St. C ro i x R i v e r bas in . As f a r back as 1912, t h e newly e s t a b l i s h e d I n t e r n a t i o n a l J o i n t Commission was asked by t he Governments o f Canada and the Un i ted States t o examine a numbec o f r i v e r s and lakes a long t h e i n t e r n a t i o n a l boundary, and t o r e p o r t on t he e x t e n t , causes and l o c a t i o n o f p o l l u t i o n i n these boundary waters. As f o r t h e St. C ro i x R i ve r , t he Commission found t h a t chemical waste r e s u l t i n g from t h e

manufacture o f p u l p was p o l l u t i n g t h e r i v e r and t h a t t h i s form o f p o l l u t i o n was i n j u r i o u s t o f i s h l i f e and t h e f i s h i n g i n d u s t r y . It would appear t h a t t h e genera l b e l i e f a t t h a t t ime was t h a t t h e r e was an i n e x h a u s t i b l e supply o f c lean f r e s h water t o d i l u t e a l l wastes and t h e advent o f c h l o r i n a t i o n o f muni- c i p a l water supp l i es a l l a y e d any sense o f urgency f o r t h e expend i t u re o f l a r g e sums o f money on waste t rea tment . Governments saw no apparent need t o g i v e t h e Commission any f u r t h e r d i r e c t i o n o r a u t h o r i t y w i t h respec t t o t h e p o l l u t i o n o f these waters, even though i n h i n d s i g h t , t h e r e i s l i t t l e doubt t h a t t h i s was a c o n t r i b u t i n g f a c t o r t o t he demise o f t he once famous A t l a n t i c salmon i n t h e St. C r o i x R i ve r .

A few years l a t e r , i n 1915, t h e Commission approved the c o n s t r u c t i o n o f t he dam and power canal a t Grand F a l l s and es tab l i shed t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l St . C ro i x Board o f Con t ro l t o superv ise and r e g u l a t e t h e ope ra t i on o f these works. Over t h e years , t h e Board's r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s have expanded t o i n c l u d e r e s p o n s i b i l i t y f o r t h e dams a t Fores t C i t y , Vanceboro and M i l l t o w n , as w e l l as a number o f f ishways i n t h e r i v e r . The St. C ro i x Board o f Cont ro l i s one o f the Commission's o l d e s t Boards, hav ing served t h e IJC f o r over seven decades. Not l ong ago, t h e Board a s s i s t e d t h e Commission i n a

- p r e l i m i n a r y rev iew o f concerns r a i s e d r e c e n t l y rega rd ing t h e r e g u l a t i o n o f water l e v e l s , p a r t i c u - l a r l y those o f Spednic Lake. The water l e v e l and f l o w requirements o f t he va r i ous uses i n c l u d i n g r e c r e a t i o n , tour ism, f i s h e r i e s and i n d u s t r y are, o f course, d i f f e r e n t . There may be t imes, p a r t i c u l a r l y i n d ry pe r i ods , when even w i t h t h e bes t e f f o r t s i t may no t be p o s s i b l e t o comple te ly s a t i s f y a l l users. The forum prov ided by t h i s workshop f o r t h e d i s - cussion and exchange o f i n fo rma t i on shou ld p rov ide a b e t t e r unders tand ing o f t h e St. C ro i x R i v e r system and the requirements o f i t s var ious users so t h a t t h e resource can be b e t t e r managed t o t h e increased b e n e f i t o f a l l users.

The Commission's c u r r e n t i n v e s t i g a t i v e a c t i v i t i e s i n t he St . C r o i x bas in began i n 1955 when i t undertook, a t t h e request o f Governments, a s tudy o f the water resources o f the St . C r o i x R i ve r bas in i n o rde r t o develop recommendations f o r t h e improvement o f t he use, conservat ion and r e g u l a t i o n o f t he b a s i n ' s waters. When t h e s tudy was completed i n 1961, t h e Governments adopted the water q u a l i t y o b j e c t i v e s recommended by t h e IJC and agreed t o undertake p o l l u t i o n abatement measures t o meet these o b j e c t i v e s . The Commission was i n s t r u c t e d t o moni tor water q u a l i t y through a t e c h n i c a l adv i so ry board and t o i n v e s t i g a t e t h e p o s s i b l e r e s t o r a t i o n o f salmon t o t h e r i v e r . Since 1962, t h e Commission's St. C ro i x R i ve r Advisory Board on P o l l u t i o n Con t ro l has repo r ted on the water q u a l i t y o f t he r i v e r and p o l l u t i o n abatement e f f o r t s o f i n d u s t r i e s and m u n i c i p a l i t i e s a long the r i v e r .

Many changes have occur red s ince 1962 when the Board cha rac te r i zed the St . C ro i x as a r i v e r severe ly p o l l u t e d by un t rea ted discharges o f domestic and i n d u s t r i a l waste. By 1977, f o l l o w i n g t h e successfu l i n s t a l l a t i o n and ope ra t i on o f a number o f i n d u s t r i a l and mun ic ipa l p o l l u t i o n c o n t r o l systems a long t h e r i v e r , water q u a l i t y had improved s i g n i f i c a n t l y . I n f a c t , t h e ~dmmiss ion concluded t h a t improvements had advanced t o the p o i n t where the St. C ro i x R iver cou ld accommodate programs t o beg in r e s t o r a t i o n o f t h e salmon f i s h e r y and t h a t such programs should be considered by t he app rop r i a te Government agencies. And i t was n o t l ong a f te rward. a ided by t he cont inued improvement

o f water q u a l i t y , a he ightened env i ronmenta l awareness by i n d u s t r y and comnunit ies a long t h e r i v e r , improved f i s h passage f a c i l i t i e s and coope ra t i ve American and Canadian f i s h s t o c k i n g programs, t h a t t h e f i r s t salmon run s ince t h e 1950's occurred. Whi le t h e number o f r e t u r n i n g salmon i s s t i l l modest and some water q u a l i t y and q u a n t i t y problems h i n d e r i n g f i s h passage s t i l l remain, t h e Commission i s encouraged t h a t i n i t i a t i v e s begun about 25 y r ago a r e showing p o s i t i v e r e s u l t s .

Cons ider ing these developments, t h e Commission r e c e n t l y concluded t h a t t h e r e were new tasks t h a t t h e Board should be under tak ing. I n a d d i t i o n t o i t s ongoing work w i t h t h e va r i ous enforcement agencies t o ensure t h e maintenance o f adequate t rea tment measures f o r i n d u s t r i a l and domest ic sewage, we asked t h e Board t o under take s t u d i e s t o assess changes i n t h e h e a l t h o f t h e St. C r o i x exosystem us ing salmon o r o the r a p p r o p r i a t e i n d i c a t o r s and t o make recommendations f o r a d d i t i o n a l programs and a c t i v i t i e s t o c o r r e c t env i ronmenta l problems o f t h e St . C ro i x R i ve r . The Board has begun t h i s work and i s l o o k i n g a t f a c t o r s i nvo l ved i n i n h i b i t i n g salmon r e s t o r a t i o n and a t b a c t e r i a l contaminat ion t h a t has r e s u l t e d i n t h e c l o s i n g o f a major p a r t o f t h e es tua ry t o commercial s h e l l f i s h i n g . We a n t i c i p a t e t h a t t h i s workshop w i l l p rov ide a major c o n t r i b u t i o n t o a s s i s t t he Board and o t h e r s as they address these problems.

Through t h e e f f o r t s o f t h e two boards, t h e Commission has had a l o n g and success fu l involvement w i t h issues concern ing t h e water resources o f t h e St. C ro i x R i ve r . But, as I have i n d i c a t e d , some problems remain and t h e r e i s s t i l l much t h a t remains t o be done. The St:Croix R i ve r now supports a number o f major users i n c l u d i n g i n l a n d f i s h e r i e s , t h e re -es tab l i shed salmon f i s h e r y , s h e l l f i s h i n g i n t h e es tuary , r e c r e a t i o n , m u n i c i p a l i t i e s and indus- t r i e s . Each has i t s own requ i rements i n terms o f water q u a n t i t y and q u a l i t y and sometimes t h e r e a r e c o n f l i c t i n g demands. The purpose o f t h i s workshop i s t o b r i n g t oge the r s c i e n t i s t s , r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s of t he major users o f t h e r i v e r and agencies t h a t have management r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s on t h e r i v e r t o d i scuss and address water q u a l i t y and q u a n t i t y problems as they r e l a t e t o these va r i ous users. We look t o your p a r t i c i p a t i o n i n t h i s workshop t o a s s i s t i n moving towards s o l u t i o n s and dec i s i ons f o r t h e b e n e f i t o f a l l .

SESSION 1 I

FISHERIES REQUIREHENTS I

I

DIADROHOUS FISHERIES

Highlights

1. Salmon, the most important diadromous species in the St. Croix system, have exhibited a good recovery since 1980. This successful recovery is due to improved water quality and an enhancement program operated under the guidance of the St. Croix River Steering Committee.

2. In addition to suitable upper reaches of Ithe St. Croix River, salmon appear to utilize the section of river between ~ildtown and Woodland and below Grand Falls Dam. Maintenance of good water qual$ty in this lower portion of the river is essential for successful survival of salmon eggs, fry and other juvenile stages, since these salmon are resident and don't just migrate through . 3. It is apparent that successful restoration of the full salmon potential of the St. Croix River will require the provision of adequate upstream fish passage. Downstream fish passage also needs to be improved in order to reduce high smolt mortality during downstream migrations.

4 . The Alewife has made a massive recovery on the St. Croix River with 2.5 million fish returning annually. Full potential is approximately 5 million fish which would be worth about 3 / 4 of a million dollars if supplied to the lobster bait industry.

5. Potential exists for development of recreational fisheries for striped bass and American shad in the lower reaches of the river, but restoration feasibility has not been fully evaluated as yet. A commercial eel fishery could support an annual harvest of 50,000 lbs (25,000 kg).

PROGRESS ON THE RESTORATION OF ANAOROMOUS ATLANTIC SALMON TO THE ST. CROIX RIVER

K. F. Beland . S ta te o f Maine

A t l a n t i c Sea Run Salmon Commission P.O. Box 1298, Bangor, Maine 04401 USA

The Maine A t l a n t i c Sea Run Salmon Commission and Department o f F i she r i es and Oceans, Canada a r e i nvo l ved i n a coope ra t i ve program t o r e s t o r e anadromous A t l a n t i c salmon t o t h e St. C r o i x R i ve r . Recent improvements t o water q u a l i t y i n t h e lower r i v e r , and t h e c o n s t r u c t i o n o f a pool and we i r f i shway a t M i l l t o w n i n 1980, have a l lowed t h e c u r r e n t r e s t o r a t i o n e f f o r t t o begin. Upstream f i s h passage i n t he form o f Den i l f ishways has been i n p lace a t t h e Woodland and Grand F a l l s dams s i n c e t h e mid 1960's. Components o f t he r e s t o r a t i o n program i n c l u d e s tock ing , assessment o f a d u l t r e t u r n s , and assessment o f j u v e n i l e salmon abundance. The salmon program opera tes under t h e guidance o f a St. C r o i x R i ve r S tee r i ng Committee, t o which t h e ASRSC and DFO are o a r t i e s .

ADULT RETURNS

Adu l t A t l a n t i c salmon r e t u r n i n g t o t h e St. C ro i x R i ve r a re t rapped and counted as they pass the M i l l t o w n f ishway, l oca ted a t t h e lowermost dam on the r i v e r . The t r a p has been opera ted between May and November s i nce 1981, and t h e catches a r e presented i n Table 1. The St . C ro i x R i ve r i s

Table 1. St . C ro i x R i ve r , M i l l t o w n A t l a n t i c salmon t r a p catches 1981-87.

Year No. o f salmon

338 ( th rough Sept. 30) 320 342 244 122 99 79

be l i eved t o have the p o t e n t i a l t o even tua l l y produce approx imate ly 77,000 smolts and produce r e t u r n s t o t h e r i v e r of approx imate ly 4600 a d u l t salmon. Many o f the salmon r e t u r n i n g t o t he St. C ro i x a r e t he r e s u l t o f r ecen t i n t r o d u c t i o n s o f ha tchery- reared j u v e n i l e s t h a t a re l i s t e d i n Table 2.

STOCKING

The St. C ro i x R i ve r s tock ing program t o da te has cons i s ted o f s tock ings o f smolts, f r y and p a r r .

SMOLTS

The A t l a n t i c salmon smolt s t o c k i n g t a r g e t f o r the St. C ro i x R iver i n recent years has been 75,000 per year. The a c t u a l numbers stocked (Table 2 ) has been a f u n c t i o n o f the numbers produced a t the Green

Lake Na t i ona l F i s h Hatchery. A l l smolts s tocked i n t o t h e St. C r o i x come f rom t h i s f a c i l i t y which meets t h e f i s h h e a l t h p o l i c y requ i rements o u t l i n e d i n t h e Diadromous F i s h e r i e s Plan f o r t h e St. C r o i x R i ve r . Smolts a r e t y p i c a l l y stocked i n l a r g e numbers a t s u i t a b l e t r u c k access s i t e s a long t h e main stem ,of t h e r i v e r .

FRY

The St. C r o i x r e c e i v e s a v a r i a b l e f r y a l l o c a t i o n each year depending upon a v a i l a b i l i t y f rom Maine ha tche r i es . As many as 250,000 f r y (1977) have been s tocked i n t o t h e St. C r o i x and i t s t r i b u t a r i e s i n recen t years (Tab le 2). D i s t r i b u t i o n o f f r y has been a demanding task and i s accomplished bo th on f o o t a long t h e main stem and t r i b u t a r i e s , and by canoe i n o t h e r p a r t s o f t h e main stem. Fry a r e d ispersed throughout areas o f s u i t a b l e h a b i t a t i n o rde r t o maximize t h e i r growth and s u r v i v a l .

PARR

F a l l f i n g e r l i n g and s p r i n g y e a r l i n g A t l a n t i c salmon p a r r have been s tocked i n t o t h e St. C r o i x R i v e r s i nce 1981 on an as -ava i l ab le bas i s (Tab le 2 ) . Par r a r e a by-product o f the c u r r e n t Federal ha tchery system i n Maine and a r e s tocked i n t o vacant o r u n d e r u t i l i z e d nu rse ry areas. Parr a r e r o u t i n e l y stocked a t t r u c k access s i t e s i n t he dra inage upstream from Grand F a l l s i n numbers app rop r i a te f o r t h e a v a i l a b l e h a b i t a t . Parr have a l s o been stocked i n t o i n a c c e s s i b l e areas us ing a h e l i c o p t e r and f i r e f i g h t i n g bucket prov ided by Georg ia -Pac i f i c Corpora t ion .

ADULT TRANSFER

I n 1980, DFO personnel t r a n s f e r r e d 440 salmon and g r i l s e f rom the Sa in t John R ive r t o t he St. C ro i x immediately p r i o r t o t h e spawning season.

STOCK ASSESSMENT

ADULTS

Adu l t salmon r e t u r n s have been counted s i n c e 1981 by DFO a t the M i l l t o w n f ishway t r a p . Basic b i o l o g i c a l da ta ( s c a l e sample, l eng th , sex, e s t i - mated weight, f i n c l i p s and genera l f i s h c o n d i t i o n ) a r e recorded a t t h a t t ime. Salmon o f bo th hatchery and w i l d o r i g i n have been c o l l e c t e d a t the f a c i l i t y i n s i g n i f i c a n t numbers. F i s h t r a p s were opera ted a t Woodland and Grand F a l l s f o r p a r t o f t he 1985 and a l l o f t h e 1986seasons i n o rde r t o o b t a i n p r e l i m i n - a ry es t imates o f f i s h passage e f f e c t i v e n e s s a t those s i t e s . A r a d i o t e l eme t r y s tudy was i n i t i a t e d i n 1986 and y i e l d e d impor tant data on the movements o f salmon i n t h e lower St. C r o i x dra inage. A smal l amount o f t ime has been expended search ing f o r salmon redds i n t h e St. C ro i x dra inage i n o rde r t o document n a t u r a l r ep roduc t i on i n p o r t i o n s o f the watershed. Very l a r g e salmon redds , apparen t l y o f sea-run salmon o r i g i n , were found i n seve ra l

Table 2. A t l a n t i c salmon s tock ing h i s t o r y , 1981-87, St. Cro ix R i ve r .

Year o f Year Age Number Loca t i on a d u l t r e t u r n

1987 Fry 66,000 Vanceboro t o L i t t l e F a l l s 1991 156,000 L i t t l e Fa1 1s t o Canoose R ive r 1991 8,000 Tomah Stream 1991 6,000 L i t t l e Tomah Stream 1991 12,000 Jim Brown Brook 1991 6,000 Scot t Brook 1991 1,500 L i t t l e Simsquish Brook 1991

Parr 11,250 L i t t l e F a l l s t o Canoose R ive r 1990 (age I+) 29,750 . Vanceboro t o L i t t l e F a l l s 1990

Smolt 23,850 Grand F a l l s 10,550 Wood1 and Landing 25,350 C a l a i s / M i l l t o w n

1986 Fry 51,600 Vanceboro t o L i t t l e F a l l s 104,200 L i t t l e F a l l s t o Canoose R ive r 9,700 Tomah Stream 4,000 L i t t l e Tomah Stream 13,700 Jim Brown Brook 9,700 Wapsaconhagan Stream

Smolt 51,000 C a l a i s / M i l l t o w n 22,400 Grand F a l l s (below)

Fry 63,700 100,600 4,500 9,000

Vanceboro t o L i t t l e F a l l s L i t t l e F a l l s t o Canoose R ive r L i t t l e Tomah Stream Jim Brown Brook

Parr (0+) 21,400 25,000

Vanceboro t o L i t t l e F a l l s L i t t l e F a l l s t o Canoose R ive r

Parr (I+) 10,900 2,000

Vanceboro t o L i t t l e F a l l s L i t t l e F a l l s t o Canoose R ive r

Smolt 55,600

Fry 54.000 L i t t l e F a l l s t o Canoose R ive r

Parr (I+) 13,800 L i t t l e F a l l s t o Canoose R ive r

Smolt 22,600 Vance boro 24,000 Grand F a l l s (below) 48,900 C a l a i s / M i l l t o w n

1983 Parr (I+) 7,300 Vanceboro t o L i t t l e F a l l s 1986 (I+) 15,400 L i t t l e F a l l s t o Canoose R ive r 1986 (I+) 2,800 Tomah Stream 1986

Smolt 7,000 Vance boro 6,600 Grand F a l l s 6,400 C a l a i s / M i l l t o w n

1982 Fry 20,000 Vanceboro t o L i t t l e F a l l s 1986 81,000 L i t t l e F a l l s t o Canoose R ive r 1986

Parr (0+) 9,500 Vanceboro t o L i t t l e F a l l s 1986 10,500 L i t t l e F a l l s t o Canoose R ive r 1986

Parr (I+) 16,700 .Vanceboro t o L i t t l e F a l l s 1985 33,300 L i t t l e F a l l s t o Canoose River 1985

Smolt 7,000 Vanceboro 6,700 Grand F a l l s (below) 6,300 C a l a i s / M i l l t o w n

1981 Smolt 7,000 Vanceboro 1983 6,500 Grand F a l l s (below) 1983 6,300 C a l a i s / M i l l t o w n 1983

s u i t a b l e areas between Vanceboro and L i t t l e Fa1 l s , as w e l l as i n downstream areas o f t h e watershed. Spawning sea-run A t l a n t i c salmon were a l s o observed i n areas downstream o f t h e Woodland and Grand F a l l s dams.

JUVENILES

Nursery areas w i t h i n t h e St. C r o i x R i ve r and i t s t r i b u t a r i e s have been sampled by e l e c t r o f i s h i n g t o c o l l e c t da ta on t h e d i s t r i b u t i o n and abundance o f j u v e n i l e A t l a n t i c salmon. Popu la t ion es t imates us ing d e p l e t i o n methods have been obta ined f o r severa l years a t s i t e s l oca ted on t r i b u t a r y streams such as J im Brown Brook and L i t t l e Tomah Stream. Oata -have been c o l l e c t e d u s i n g popu la t i on es t imates and one-run methods a t severa l main stem s i t e s between Vanceboro and Canoose R ive r as w e l l as on severa l t r i b u t a r y streams on a more i r r e g u l a r bas i s .

CONCLUSIONS

Although s i g n i f i c a n t progress has been made toward r e s t o r i n g a run o f A t l a n t i c salmon t o t h e St . C r o i x R i ve r , cons ide rab le work i s necessary t o assure t h e success o f t h i s p r o j e c t . Fu r the r assessment o f t h e e f f e c t i v e n e s s o f upstream f i s h passage i s needed, as i s a c o m i t m e n t by dam owners t o e f f e c t any improvements deemed necessary. Oown- stream f i s h passage f a c i l i t i e s a r e needed a t t h e t h r e e main stem h y d r o e l e c t r i c dams ( M i l l t own , Woodland and Grand Fa 11s). An a d d i t i o n a l source o f s u i t a b l e hatchery salmon would a c c e l e r a t e t h e r e s t o r a t i o n o f A t l a n t i c salmon t o t h e St . C r o i x R iver . Both OF0 and t h e ASRSC a re unde rs ta f f ed , which hampers t he agencies' a b i l i t y t o c o l l e c t t h e b i o l o g i c a l da ta needed f o r in formed d e c i s i o n making by resource managers.

The d a t a t h a t have been c o l l e c t e d a r e t o o l i m i t e d i n ex ten t t o a l l o w drainage-wide es t imates o f j u v e n i l e salmon p roduc t i on on t h e St. C ro i x . Those data have been u s e f u l t o c o n f i r m t h a t (1) stocked f r y and p a r r s u r v i v e i n s i g n i f i c a n t numbers t o c o n t r i b u t e t o f u t u r e salmon runs; ( 2 ) growth o f f r y .and p a r r i n t h e St. C r o i x watershed i s comparable t o t h a t observed on o t h e r Maine r i v e r s ; ( 3 ) f r y and p a r r a r e found i n p a r t s o f t h e St. C r o i x a t d e n s i t i e s s i m i l a r t o those observed on o t h e r Maine r i v e r s .

The e f f ec t i veness o f e l e c t r o f i s h i n g t h e main stem o f the St. C ro i x i s ex t remely l i m i t e d , and l i t t l e can be i n f e r r e d rega rd ing t h e d e n s i t y o f salmon p a r r i n those areas. Low water d u r i n g t h e s u m e r o f 1987 a l lowed spot checks o f nu rse ry areas below the Uoodland dam. Those checks conf i rmed t h e presence o f age 0+ and age I + p a r r below Woodland dam. Since no f r y were stocked i n t h a t p o r t i o n o f t h e watershed, t h e f r y captured were undoubtedly o f w i l d o r i g i n . Some f r y were stocked i n t o Wapsaconhegan Stream i n 1986, so t h e p a r r captured below Woodland cou ld be o f bo th w i l d and hatchery o r i g i n .

The presence o f land locked salmon i n p o r t i o n s o f the drainage confounds at tempts t o q u a n t i f y t he numbers o f sea-run salmon p a r r p resent i n t he St. Cro ix R i v e r . The widespread abundance o f p a r r throughout t h e watershed cannot be a t t r i b u t e d s o l e l y t o land locked salmon reproduct ion .

SUMMARY AN0 CONCLUSIONS

Res to ra t i on progress on t h e St. C r o i x R i ve r t o da te inc ludes:

1. Returns o f a d u l t A t l a n t i c salmon t o t h e St. C ro i x R i ve r t h a t a re i nc reas ing over t ime i n response t o a s tock ing program.

2. S i g n i f i c a n t numbers o f ha tchery and w i l d f r y - s tocked A t l a n t i c salmon found i n t h e a d u l t r un .

3. Documentation o f a d u l t salmon spawning i n a number o f areas throughout the watershed.

4. Juven i l e salmon are abundant i n many areas, r e s u l t i n g from both s tock ing and n a t u r a l r ep roduc t i on .

FISH PASSAGE CONSIDERATIONS RELATING TO THE RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF ANAOROMOUS FISHERIES I N THE ST. CROIX RIVER

Walton D. Watt Department o f F i she r i es and Oceans, B i o l o g i c a l Sciences Branch

P.O. Box 550, H a l i f a x , Nova Sco t i a 835 2S7

INTRODUCTION

The anadrmous f i s h e r i e s o f t h e St. C r o i x R i v e r (New BrunswicklMaine) were dest royed by dam c o n s t r u c t i o n i n t h e n ine teen th century . The major species i nvo l ved were A t l a n t i c salmon and shad. At present , t h e major o b s t r u c t i o n s a re a Canadian-owned dam (N.B. Power Commission) a t M i l l t o w n , about a k i l ome te r above h i g h t i d e ; and two U.S.-owned power dams (Georgia P a c i f i c Co.), on t h e main stem, a t Woodland and a t Grand F a l l s . There a r e a l s o a number o f s torage dams i n t he St. C r o i x system, bo th i n t h e U.S. and i n Canada.

I n t h e l a t e n ine teen th and e a r l y t w e n t i e t h century , seve ra l at tempts t o r e s t o r e t h e A t l a n t i c salmon r u n were thwar ted by inadequate f ishways and t o x i c i t y f rom t h e growing i n d u s t r i a l and mun ic ipa l sewage p o l l u t i o n . i n 1965. t h e U.S. b u i l d two modern h igh capac i t y f ishways a t Woodland and Grand F a l l s and requested Canada t o f o 1 l . o ~ s u i t a t M i l l t o w n . Canadian a u t h o r i t i e s d i d n o t g i v e t h e St. C ro i x se r i ous cons ide ra t i on , however, because t h e h igh l e v e l s o f t o x i c p o l l u t i o n f rom the U.S. p u l p m i l l a t Woodland precluded successfu l f i s h passage a t M i l l t o w n . I n 1978, a t rea tment system f o r t h e p u l p m i l l e f f l u e n t was i n s t a l l e d a t Woodland which s u c c e s s f u l l y main ta ined downstream oxygen l e v e l s above 5 ppm and, i n 1980, Canada ( t h e N.B. Power Commission) b u i l t a h igh capac i t y f ishway (DFO designed) a t M i l l t own .

I n 1981, a coope ra t i ve research p r o j e c t was launched by the Canadian f i s h e r i e s a u t h o r i t i e s ( t h e F i s h e r i e s Research and Operat ions Branches) and t h e Sta te o f Maine f i s h e r i e s a u t h o r i t i e s (Department o f Marine Resources, Department o f I n l a n d F i she r i es and W i l d l i f e and the A t l a n t i c Sea-Run Salmon Corranission) t o i n v e s t i g a t e t he p o t e n t i a l f o r r e s t o r a t i o n o f t h e anadromous f i s h e r i e s f o r salmon and shad, and the development o f an a l e w i f e run.

Havey (1963) es t imated t h a t t h e St. C ro i x R i ve r system has s u f f i c i e n t j u v e n i l e r e a r i n g t o suppor t an annual r un o f about 6000 A t l a n t i c salmon, b u t most o f the a v a i l a b l e r e a r i n g h a b i t a t i s above Grand F a l l s dam (Tab le 1 ) . Upstream migrants a re thus sub jec t t o t h ree f ishway bo t t l enecks ( a t M i l l t o w n , Woodland and Grand Fa1 1s ) . and downstream migrants are sub jec t t o m o r t a l i t i e s a t t h r e e t u r b i n e i n s t a l l a t i o n s . To achieve t h e f u l l p o t e n t i a l o f t h e St. C ro i x f o r A t l a n t i c salmon, i t w i l l be necessary

Table 1. D i s t r i b u t i o n o f A t l a n t i c salmon h a b i t a t i n the St. C ro i x R iver system.

- - - ----- -

R i ve r reach Rearing h a b i t a t (m2)

t o p rov ide s a f e upstream and downstream f i s h passage around these t h r e e mainstem hydro dams.

The a l e w i f e p o t e n t i a l has been cons ide rab l y enhanced by t h e c r e a t i o n o f impoundments. The a l e w i f e p o t e n t i a l o f t h e St. C r o i x R i v e r Basin, e x c l u s i v e o f t h e West Branch above Pr inceton, i s es t imated a t 20 m i l l i o n f i s h (about 5000 t o n s ) .

The shad h a b i t a t has l a r g e l y been dest royed by those same impoundments t h a t have enhanced t h e a l e w i f e p o t e n t i a l . No a t tempt has been made t o r e i n t r o d u c e shad, b u t n a t u r a l s t r a y s ( f i v e i n 1985 and s i x i n 1986) have ascended t h e M i l l t o w n f ishway. The remain ing shad p o t e n t i a l (es t imated a t l e s s than 1000 f i s h per yea r ) w i l l p robab ly be n a t u r a l l y reseeded.

FISH PASSAGE FOR ALEWIVES

The a l e w i f e popu la t i on was seeded by a s ina l l remnant run a t M i l l t o w n and has grown t o a run o f 2.6 m i l l i o n f i s h i n 1987 (Tab le 2) . The e f f e c t i v e n e s s w i t h which t h e a lewives have been a b l e

Table 2. The annual a l e w i f e r u n a t M i l l t o w n .

Year To ta l count o f f i s h

t o u t i l i z e t h e f ishway (measured as f i s h l d a y ascending) a t M i l l t o w n has shown cons ide rab le improvement w i t h i nc reas ing m i g r a t i o n d e n s i t y . A t run d e n s i t i e s o f 10,000-30,000 f i s h l d a y , t h e a lewives u t i l i z e t h e f ishway p r i m a r i l y i n t h e a f te rnoon. Morning m i g r a t i o n a c t i v i t y increases as t h e m i g r a t i o n a c t i v i t y b u i l d s f rom 30,000 t o 80,000 f i s h l d a y . F i n a l l y , a t a m i g r a t i o n r a t e near 100,000 f i s h l d a y , t h e r a t e r i s e s t o a p la teau s h o r t l y a f t e r dawn and t h i s r a t e i s main ta ined throughout t h e day (about 14 h ) w i t h a r a p i d drop o f f a t t h e onset o f darkness. The average f o r t h i s p la teau (105,000 f i s h l d a y ) can be taken as an es t ima te o f t he maximum d a i l y f i s h passage capac i t y f o r a lewives i n t h e M i l l t o w n f ishway ( t h e design capac i t y was 100,000 f i s h l d a y ) .

A t a maximum r a t e o f near 100,000 f i s h l d a y , t h e East Branch above Grand F a l l s 2,242,000 (73%) M i l l t o w n f ishway has the capac i t y t o pass about Grand F a l l s t o Woodland 242.000 (8%) 4 m i l l i o n a lewives annua l l v fassumino a 6-wk Woodland t o M i l l t o w n 579,000 ( i 9 % j season). The a v a i l a b l e h a b i t a t can p o t e n t i a l l y

To ta l 3,063,000 suppor t a f a r l a r g e r popu la t i on than t h e f ishway can pass. I n f u t u r e , as many as 20 m i l l i o n a lewives may

enter the r i v e r and c o l l e c t below the M i l l t o w n dam, seeking u p r i v e r f i s h passage. This a n t i c i p a t e d surp lus i s an o p p o r t u n i t y f o r t he development o f a commercial f i s h e r y . Large numbers o f alewives b lock ing the f ishway i n June and Ju l y a re expected t o cause de lays f o r e a r l y r u n salmon. There i s evidence t h a t A t l a n t i c salmon do no t r e a d i l y use fishways t h a t a re crowded w i t h alewives.

Alewives a re a l s o sub jec t t o downstream f i s h - passage problems. I n J u l y 1987. t h e r e was a l a r g e a l e w i f e k i l l (about 1 m i l l i o n spent f i s h ) when t h e M i l 1 town headpond was dra ined v i a the tu rb ines . It i s q u i t e l i k e l y t h a t a s i m i l a r f i s h k i l l occurs annual ly, b u t spread o u t over severa l months. S i m i l a r f i s h k i l l s can a l s o be presumed f o r Woodland and Grand F a l l s . Thus f a r , i t would seem t h a t t he fecund i t y o f a lewives i s s u f f i c i e n t t o compensate f o r t h i s problem.

DOWNSTREAM PASSAGE FOR SALMON SMOLTS

I n 1981, 1982 and 1983, approximately 7000 smolts from Green Lake Hatchery were f i t t e d w i t h smal l C a r l i n tags and re leased above each o f t he th ree mainstem dams on the St. C ro i x R iver . The o b j e c t i v e was t o eva luate downstream m o r t a l i t y a t t he Woodland and Grand F a l l s dams. Smolt m o r t a l i t y a t the upstream dams can be est imated by t a g r e t u r n s from the ang l i ng and c o m e r c i a l f i s h e r i e s and from t h e M i l l t o w n f ishway t rap . To ta l t a g r e t u r n s were 111 from 59,719 tagged smolts (0.19%). D e t a i l s o f t h e re lease s i t e s and year o f s tock ing are g iven i n Table 3.

Using chi-square ana lys i s and sunning over years, i nd i ca tes h i g h l y s i g n i f i c a n t d i f f e rences i n t a g r e t u r n by s i t e , bu t a s i m i l a r ana lys i s summed over s i t e s i n d i c a t e s t h a t t h e r e were a l s o h i g h l y s i g n i f i c a n t d i f f e r e n c e s from year t o year. Year-by- year analyses i n d i c a t e h i g h l y s i g n i f i c a n t d i f f e r e n c e s i n t a g r e t u r n s from the t h r e e r e l e a s e s i t e s f o r 1981, bu t no s i g n i f i c a n t d i f f e rences f o r the 1982 and 1983 re leases. This v a r i a t i o n i n s i g n i f i c a n c e o f the re lease s i t e e f f e c t from year t o year i s a s t rong i n d i c a t i o n o f heterogenei ty , which would i n v a l i d a t e the e r r o r es t imate i n the mu l t i - yea r chi-square t e s t . The heterogenei ty has apparent ly a r i s e n from a s h i f t i n hatchery product ion from 2-yr -o ld smolts i n 1981 t o 1-yr -o ld smolts i n 1982 and 1983. The 1-yr -o ld .smol ts have a lower r e t u r n r a t e .

To examine the s i t e t o t a l s f o r s i g n i f i c a n c e r e l a t i v e t o the heterogenei ty , the n ine tag r e t u r n percentages were converted w i t h the angular t rans - format ion and a var iance r a t i o ca l cu la ted us ing the s i te -year i n t e r a c t i o n as the e r r o r var iance. With t h i s approach, s i t e o f re lease i s no t s t a t i s t i c a l l y s i g n i f i c a n t .

The average m o r t a l i t y r a t e est imates f o r t h e th ree years were 23% m o r t a l i t y a t Grand F a l l s and 38% m o r t a l i t y a t Woodland ( the m o r t a l i t y es t imates i nc lude both p reda t i on and t u r b i n e m o r t a l i t y ) . Ove ra l l m o r t a l i t y f rom Grand F a l l s t o M i l l t o w n i s es t imated a t 52%. Although these m o r t a l i t y r a t e est imates a re n o t based on s i g n i f i c a n t l y d i f f e r e n t t a g r e t u r n r a t e s r e l a t i v e t o t h e he te rogene i t y component o f the var iance, f o r f i s h e r i e s management purposes, they a re t h e bes t c u r r e n t l y a v a i l a b l e es t imates o f the average smol t m o r t a l i t y r a t e s a t these s i t e s .

Downstream m o r t a l i t y a t M i l l t o w n i s probably lower than a t Woodland o r Grand F a l l s . Th is i s so because t h e maximum capac i t y o f t h e M i l l t o w n tu rb ines i s abot 70 ml/s, whereas capac i t y a t Woodland and Grand F a l l s i s 85 m3/s (R.W. Feck, 1987, pers . corn.) . Since M i l l t o w n i s downstream o f t h e o the r two, t h e r e i s u s u a l l y more s p i l l a g e a t M i l l t o w n d u r i n g the s p r i n g smol t m i g r a t i o n pe r iod .

An attempt was made i n 1984, 1985 and 1986 t o assess downstream m o r t a l i t y a t M i l l t o w n by r e l e a s i n g f i s h w i t h anal f i n c l i p s ( r i g h t and l e f t ) above and below M i l l t o w n dam. Approximately 20,000 marked f i s h were re leased annual ly . The s tudy was handicapped by poor sea s u r v i v a l o f these f i s h . and by a s t o c k i n g acc iden t which i n v a l i d a t e d t h e f i r s t yea r ' s r e s u l t s . Marked f i s h re leased above the dam i n 1984 showed 0.34% r e t u r n ( t o t a l o f 1985 g r i l s e and 1986 salmon). The 1985 f i s h re leased above t h e dam re tu rned a t o t a l o f 0.32% i n 1986 and 1987 (1987 data n o t y e t complete). F ish re leased below t h e dam i n 1985 re tu rned 0.15%. The d i f f e r e n c e i s s i g n i f i - cant t o t he p (0.025 l e v e l . G r i l s e r e t u r n s from the 1986 re leases show 0.23% r e t u r n from above the dam and 0.17% from below. Since passage over t he dam o r through t h e t u r b i n e s i s u n l i k e l y t o improve sea s u r v i v a l , i t must be concluded t h a t downstream m o r t a l i t y a t M i l l t o w n dam i s low r e l a t i v e t o the behav iora l homing b ias o f f i s h stocked i n t h e M i l l t o w n headpond.

A la rge-sca le t e s t o f t h e adequacy o f downstream fish-passage cond i t i ons was prov ided by t h e r e t u r n s i n 1984 and 1985 o f t he progeny o f 444 a d u l t t r a n s f e r s from the Sa in t John R ive r . These f i s h were t r a n s f e r r e d t o t h e St. C ro i x R ive r i n October o f 1980, and stocked i n t o the s e c t i o n o f the East Branch between Grand Fa1 1 s Flowage and Vanceboro. The r e t u r n s t o M i l l t o w n ( f rom the I983 smolt r u n ) were 186 g r i l s e i n 1984 and 294 salmon i n 1985. This t o t a l s 480 f i s h , and these two years probably account f o r 90% o f r e t u r n s (except ions a r e 3-yr-old smolts and 3-sea-winter salmon), b u t a t l e a s t 100 o f these f i s h a r e o f o the r o r i g i n s ( j u v e n i l e s tock ing and w i l d ) , so the t o t a l r e t u r n t o M i l l t o w n o f t he Sa in t John s tock was probably about 400 f i s h . I n e i t h e r case, it i s apparent t h a t

Table 3. Smolt releases and t a g r e t u r n s by year o f re lease.

1981 1982 1983 S i t e - t o t a l s S i t e Releases Returns Rel. Ret. Rel.. Ret. Rel. Ret.

G r a n d F a l l s 6,932 14 7,000 0 7,038 13 20.970 27 Wood 1 and 6,535 20 6,598 2 .6,600 11 19,733 33 M i l l t o w n 6,236 39 6,380 3 6,400 9 19,016 51

Year t o t a l s 19,703 73 19,978 5 20,038 33 59,719 111

r e t u r n s were n o t s u b s t a n t i a l l y i n excess o f the o r i g i n a l a d u l t t r a n s f e r . Ba r r i ng an unusual ly h igh s tock ing m o r t a l i t y ( f o r which t h e r e i s no evidence), t he p r i n c i p a l cause fo r such a low s u r v i v a l r a t e appears t o be downstream smolt m o r t a l i t y .

A downstream bypass designed by t h e Department o f F i she r ies and Oceans i s p resen t l y under construc- t i o n a t t h e M i l l t o w n hydro dam (N.B. Power Commission). Arrangements have a1 so been made f o r c o n t r o l l e d s p i l l i n g a t a l l mainstem dams when accumulations o f smolts are seen.

UPSTREAM FISH PASSAGE FOR SALMON

Over the pe r iod September 5-17, 1984, a t o t a l o f 18 1-sw salmon ( g r i l s e ) were marked w i t h C a r l i n tags a f t e r capture i n t h e M i l l t o w n f ishway t r a p . and re leased about 1 km downstream from the dam. A t o t a l o f 13 (72%) o f these f i s h were recaptured i n the fishway t r a p a f t e r an average t ime-at - la rge o f 26.7 d (median - 24 d ) . No adjustment has been made

Saint John -

f o r ang l i ng m o r t a l i t y . The r e c o v e r y r a t e es t ima te i s a l so biased low because o f t he h igh t ime-at- l a rge . Several f i s h re leased e a r l i e r i n t h e year were no t employed i n t h i s es t imate because o f a h i g h m o r t a l i t y r a t e assoc ia ted w i t h hand l i ng a t h igh water temper a t ures .

I n 1985, a l l 342 salmon captured a t M i l l t o w n were f i t t e d w i t h C a r l i n tags (Semple 1986). From Ju l y 3 on, these f i s h were counted a t Woodland and a t Grand F a l l s , and t a g da ta were taken a t Grand F a l l s (Beland 1986). The data a v a i l a b l e f rom t h i s study a r e numbers passing through each f ishway, and t r a n s i t t imes between M i l l t o w n and Grand F a l l s . The 1985 salmon run was expected t o c o n s i s t p r i m a r i l y (70%) o f 2-sw progeny from an a d u l t t r a n s f e r o f 444 a d u l t salmon from the Sa in t John River i n October o f 1980. The 1985 2-sw salmon r e t u r n s t o M i l l t o w n (F ig . 1) show run t i m i n g t y p i c a l o f t he Sa in t John Stock, w i t h an e a r l y r u n peak i n June-July and a l a t e run peak i n August-September.

Narra- guagus

m m m

JUNE

5 10 15 20

WeeksiMon ths JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER

Fig. 1. Returns o f 2-sw A t l a n t i c salmon t o the M i l l t o w n f ishway t r a p i n 1985 (Sa in t John s t r a i n ) and i n 1986 (Narraguagus s t r a i n ) .

The 1986 salmon run was expected t o c o n s i s t p r i m a r i l y (80%) o f r e t u r n s o f 2-sw salmon from stocked salmon smolts reared a t the Greenlake hatchery. The broodstock was taken from t h e Penobscot R ive r , which has been reco,lonized w i t h donor s tock f rom t h e Naraguagus River . The r u n t i m i n g i n 1986 (F ig . 1) i s considered t y p i c a l o f t he e a r l y r u n Naraguagus stock. I n 1986, as a check on the e f f e c t s o f hand l i ng a t the M i l l t o w n t r a p on u p r i v e r m ig ra t i on , salmon were examined and tagged on l y on a l t e r n a t e days. Tagging was d iscont inued from August 21 t o September 2 d u r i n g a p a r t i a l drawdown, and t h e f ishway was inoperab le from September 3 t o October 14 due t o headpond drawdown f o r dam

r e p a i r s (Watt 1987). A l l f i s h were examined and tags read a t Woodland and Grand F a l l s f ishway t r a p s (Beland and Roberts 1987). The data from t h i s study a re t h e t o t a l numbers o f tagged and untagged f i s h passing each f ishway, and t r a n s i t t imes o f tagged f i s h from M i l l t o w n t o Woodland and f rom Woodland t o Grand F a l l s .

The frequency d i s t r i b u t i o n o f t h e t ime spent i n t r a n s i t between f ishway t r a p s i s skewed (F ig . 2a). and can be approximated by t h e log-normal p r o b a b i l i t y d i s t r i b u t i o n (F ig . 2b). The mean t r a n s i t t ime from t h e M i l l t o w n f ishway t r a p t o t h e Woodland f ishway t r a p was 22.4 d i n 1986. The

EXPECTED F I G 2a. Nom,al Probabi l i ty P lo t

VALUE -+--------------+--------------+----------------+--------------+-

3 + + I I I * I

2 + * * + I *** * I I 2 * 2* I

1 + 32*2 + I 2 2 2 *2 * I I 83 I

0 + 245* + I 37 I I 3 5 I

-1 + 3 3 + I 3 * I I **

-2 + * I +

I * I I I

-3 + + -+--------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+- 0 5 10 1 5 2 0

WEEKS

EXPECTED VALUE FIG 2b. Log-Normal Probahi l i ty P lo t

Fig. 2 . Cumulative p r o b a b l i l t y p l o t s o f t r a n s i t t imes ( i n weeks) from M i l l t o w n t o Grand F a l l s . Fig. 2a i s a normal p r o b a b i l i t y p l o t ; the curved appearance i nd i ca tes skewness. F ig . 2b i s a s i m i l a r p l o t us ing the logar i thms o f the t r a n s i t t imes. The s t r a i g h t l i n e appearance o f 2b i nd i ca tes good agreement t o a log-normal p r o b a b i l i t y d i s t r i b u t i o n .

geometr ic mean was 18.5 d . The t r a n s i t t ime from Woodland t o Grand F a l l s averaged 13.7 d and t h e geometr ic mean was 4.9 d . .The geometr ic means show good correspondence w i t h the modes. Log transformed t r a n s i t t imes from M i l l t o w n t o Grand F a l l s showed no s i g n i f i c a n t seasonal (monthly) o r y e a r l y (1985 and 1986) v a r i a t i o n . The o v e r a l l geometr ic mean t r a n s i t t ime from t h e M i l l t o w n t r a p t o t h e Grand F a l l s t r a p was 28.9 d.

I n 1986, s c a l e samples and o the r data were taken from 119 salmon which were then re leased i n t o t h e M i l l t o w n headpond w i t h spaghe t t i (F loy ) tags and caudal f i n punches. On a l t e r n a t i n g days and when the headpond was p a r t i a l l y drawn down ( l a t t e r two weeks o f August), a t o t a l o f 182 f i s h were re leased w i t h an adipose punch and no a d d i t i o n a l hand l ing. Recovery r a t e s f o r tagged and adipose punched f i s h a t t h e Woodland t r a p were almost i d e n t i c a l . A t o t a l of 73 f i s h (61%) were recaptured w i t h tags o r obvious signs o f t a g l oss , and 115 f i s h (63%) were recaptured w i t h the a p i p i s e punch mark.

An a d d i t i o n a l 18 salmon were recovered a t Woodland w i thou t v i s i b l e s igns o f tagg ing o r an adipose punch. S ix o f these f i s h (captured i n September and October) may have passed through the dam d u r i n g t h e 6-wk drawdown f o r dam r e p a i r s ( t h ree f i s h were seen t o do t h i s ) . The remain ing 12 f i s h must be e i t h e r t a g l oss f i s h w i t h healed scars o r

healed adipose punched f i s h , b u t they cannot be r e l i a b l y assigned t o e i t h e r category. Also, i n a d d i t i o n t o the forego ing, 15 f i s h were re leased from M i l l t o w n w i t h m i n i a t u r e r a d i o t r a n s m i t t e r tags i nse r ted i n t o t h e i r stomachs, and 7 (50%) o f these were recovered a t Woodland.

I n t o t a l , 320 salmon (exc lud ing known m o r t a l i t i e s ) were re leased from the M i l l t o w n t r a p i n 1986, and t h e Woodland t r a p recaptured between 215 (67%) and 221 (69%) o f these. I n 1985, 272 f i s h were re leased and t h e Woodland t r a p recaptured between 96 (35%) and 103 (39%). S u p e r f i c i a l l y , i t appears t h a t t h e r e was an improvement i n t h e recap tu re r a t e a t Woodland, b u t t he two years a r e no t d i r e c t l y comparable. I n 1985, t h e Woodland t r a p was no t i n use d u r i n g the month o f June and, i n 1986, t h e M i l l t o w n f ishway was i nope rab le from September 3 t o mid October.

I n 1985 and i n 1986, t h e r e were seasonal dec l i nes i n t he recap tu re r a t e s a t t he Grand F a l l s t r a p (F ig . 3). When t h i s dec ine i s taken i n t o account (monthly), t h e recap tu re r a t e f o r tagged salmon i s lower i n 1986 than i n 1985, b u t t he d i f f e r e n c e i s no t s t a t i s t i c a l l y s i g n i f i c a n t . This suggests t h a t t he apparent ly h ighe r t o t a l recap tu re r a t e i n 1986 noted a t Woodland may be an a r t i f a c t o f t h e l a t e s t a r t u p i n 1985 (June 1, 1986 vs. J u l y 4, 1985) and the h igh recap tu re r a t e i n June.

JUNE JULY AUG SEPT

Month of Release from Milltown OCT

Fig. 3. Recapture ra tes a t Grand F a l l s f ishway (by re lease month) f o r salmon re leased from M i l l t o w n i n 1985 and 1986.

The monthly d e c l i n e i n recap tu re r a t e s can be accounted f o r by the p r o b a b i l i t y d i s t r i b u t i o n of t r a n s i t t imes. A f i t t e d log-normal d i s t r i b u t i o n can be used t o assign a p r o b a b i l i t y o f upstream recap- t u r e f o r succeeding weeks, f o r each f i s h re leased from M i l l t own . When these p r o b a b i l i t i e s a re then summed, the expected recap tu re r a t e s show a seasonal d e c l i n e w i t h t o t a l annual expected recovery o f 80% ( i .e . t h e t r a n s i t t ime p r o b a b i l i t y d i s t r i b u t i o n accounts f o r a 20% l o s s ) .

Assuming a constant f i s h passage e f f i c i e n c y (FPE) and a log-normal p r o b a b i l i t y d i s t r i b u t i o n f o r t r a n s i t t imes, upstream f i s h passage can be model led f o r 1985 and 1986 ( s i n g u l a r l y and toge the r ) t o y i e l d expected monthly a r r i v a l s a t Grand F a l l s , expected t r a n s i t t imes between M i l l t o w n and Grand F a l l s and expected recap tu re r a t e s by month o f re lease.

The output o f a f i t t e d model f o r both years combined i s given i n Table 4. The model was f i t t e d by s e t t i n g FPE = 32.25% t o y i e l d a t o t a l o f 192 expected recaptures a t Grand F a l l s . The f i v e monthly expected a r r i v a l s a re tes ted aga ins t observed a r r i v a l s w i t h a f o u r d. f . c h i square. I n d i v i d u a l ' t ' t e s t s are used t o compare monthly observed and expected t r a n s i t t imes. One d.f . c h i squares are used t o compare observed w i t h expected monthly recap tu re ra tes , and these are then summed f o r a f i v e d. f . comparison. The goodness-of - f i t

t e s t s f o r t h i s nodel s a t i s f y the observed monthly t r a n s i t t imes and t h e month ly recap tu re r a t e s , bu t the observed a r r i v a l s by month a t Grand F a l l s a re s i g n i f i c a n t l y d i f f e r e n t f rom the model expec ta t i ons . The model values a re t o o low i n J u l y and October and t o o h igh i n August and September. This same divergence between model and obse rva t i on occurs when t h e years a re model led separate ly .

It i s reasonable t o expect t h a t t h e FPE may vary i n response t o changing environmental parameters. Weekly FPE's were c a l c u l a t e d by s u b t r a c t i n g the t r a n s i t t ime c o r r e c t i o n from the weekly re leases a t M i l l t o w n t o y i e l d an es t ima te of t o t a l f i s h a v a i l a b l e f o r recapture . The r a t i o between observed weekly recaptures and t h e es t ima te o f t o t a l f i s h a v a i l a b l e i s then an es t ima te o f t r a n s i t t ime co r rec ted FPE:

Observed recaptures FPE - Releases - expected t r a n s i t t ime losses

The est imated weekly FPE's were then regressed aga ins t weekly means f o r water temperature, pH, con- d u c t i v i t y , co lo r , d i sso l ved oxygen and r i v e r d i s - charge. The 1986 data show a s i g n i f i c a n t weighted reg ress ion w i t h water temperature. For t h e 1985 data, and when both years a re combined (F ig . 4),

Table 4. St. C ro i x R iver s imu la t i on model f o r up - r i ve r salmon m i g r a t i o n from M i l l t o w n t o Grand F a l l s i n 1985 and 1986 (combined da ta ) . TT50 = 4.12 wk; f i s h passage e f f i c i e n c y - 0.3225.

Monthly a r r i v a l s a t G.F. Expected Observed

Month a r r i v a l s a r r i v a l s

S t a t i s t i c a l t e s t s

Ca lcu la te Chi sq

June 6 3 1.50 For 0.05 s i g . l e v e l J u l y 45 58 3.76 c h i sq. va lue = August 50 38 2.88 9.49 ( 4 d . f . ) . September 56 50 0.64 October 3 5 43 1.83

TOTAL 192 192 10.61 = Chi sq.

T r a n s i t t imes Re1 . mo. Exp. TT Obs. TT (wk) 'T ' t e s t s

June 5.4 4.0 0 .22- ' t ' For .05 s i g . J u l y 5.3 6.0 0 .13 - ' t ' l eve l ' t ' value - August 4.9 4.7 0 .04 - ' t o 2.05 (29 d . f . ) . September 4.3 5.0 0 .09- ' t ' October 2.8 1.8 0 .06= ' t1

Recapture r a t e s a t G.F. Release Expected Observed month recap tu re ( X ) r ecap tu re ( % ) Chi sq

June 27.14 31.03 J u l y 26.89 23.53 August 25.74 17.27 September 22.83 14.02 October 7.88 5.26 June-October 24.74 18.69

0.30 For 0.05 s i g . 0.25 l e v e l c h i sq. 1.95 1 d . f . - 3.84 1.08 5 d . f . = 11.07 0.03 3.61

FPE -+--------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+-

I I + ... * . +

* * * I

I I \ I + * * \ * * * * * * + I I I

** *% I

+ + I * I I *

* * * * I + + -+--------------+--------------+--------------+-------------- +- 10 15 20 25 3 0

TEMP

Fig . 4. A weighted l e a s t squares reg ress ion l i n e f i t t e d t o a p l o t o f weekly es t imates o f f i s h passage e f f i c i e n c y (FPE) versus mean weekly water temperatures (combined 1985 and 1986 da ta ) .

t he s i g n i f i c a n c e l e v e l i s b o r d e r l i n e (O.l>p>0.05). The angu lar t r ans fo rma t i on does no t a f f e c t t h e s i g n i f i c a n c e l e v e l s . There i s no evidence o f s i g n i f i c a n t c o r r e l a t i o n w i t h any o f t h e o t h e r environmental va r i ab les .

When t h e weighted l e a s t squares reg ress ion equat ion f o r both years combined i s used t o compute weekly FPE's i n t h e upstream f i s h passage model, t h e output s a t i s f i e s a l l goodness-o f - f i t t e s t s (Tab le 5) and t h i s i s a l s o t r u e when each year i s model led sepa ra te l y . The evidence i s q u i t e good f o r some form o f i nve rse r e l a t i o n s h i p between upstream f i s h passage recap tu re r a t e s and t h e p reva i 1 i n g water temperature. The agreement between t h e model expec ta t i on and the obse rva t i ona l da ta (compare Tables 4 and 5) i s achieved because t h e reg ress ion on water temperature increases the expec ta t i on i n coo le r months (no tab le October) and reduces t h e expec ta t i on i n t h e warmer months (no tab l y August) .

I n e s t i m a t i n g annual r ecap tu re r a t e s , it i s necessary t o bear i n mind t h a t these r a t e s a re f o r whole r i v e r sec t i ons between f ishway t raps; hence, they do not n e c e s s a r i l y r e f l e c t on l y t he a t t r a c t i o n and ascension cond i t i ons o f t h e f ishway. Even w i t h t h i s p rov i so , i t i s d i f f i c u l t t o es t ima te an annual r ecap tu re r a t e because:

1. The recap tu re r a t e s show a seasonal dec l i ne ; hence annual r ecap tu re r a t e s may be dependent on run t i m i n g ( i .e . a salmon run peaking i n June would show a h igher upstream recap tu re r a t e than a run peaking i n September.

2. There i s evidence t h a t d u r i n g t h e r u n t h e recap tu re r a t e s vary i n v e r s e l y w i t h water temperatures.

On average, t h e annual r ecap tu re r a t e a t Grand F a l l s f ishway f o r f i s h re leased from Woodland i s about 50%. With e a r l y r u n f i s h , and c o r r e c t i n g f o r the shutdown o f M i l 1 town i n September and October, Woodland's annual r ecap tu re r a t e was near 60% i n 1986, bu t appears t o have been nearer 50% i n 1985, w i t h a predominant ly l a t e run, and making al lowance f o r the absence o f f i s h counts i n June.

I t i s now apparent t h a t success i n r e s t o r i n g . ,

the f u l l salmon ~ o t e n t i a l o f the St . C ro i x R iver

w i l l be very dependent on t h e p r o v i s i o n o f adequate upstream f i s h passage. The f u l l p o t e n t i a l cannot be reached i f c o n d i t i o n s cont inue t o d i c t a t e t h a t o n l y one-quarter o f t h e r u n spawns on th ree -qua r te rs o f t h e h a b i t a t . Also, t h e f a c t t h a t 40-50% o f t h e annual r u n spawns on t h e 18% o f t h e h a b i t a t t h a t 1 i e s between t h e M i l l t o w n and Woodland dams pu ts a very h igh p r i o r i t y on assu r i ng adequate water q u a l i t y c o n d i t i o n s f o r j u v e n i l e salmonids i n t h i s s e c t i o n o f t h e r i v e r .

A f i e l d i n v e s t i g a t i o n by Canadian and U.S. f i s h e r y b i o l o g i s t s has conf i rmed successfu l spawning i n t h e r i v e r sec t i on between M i l l t o w n and Woodland, and t h e presence i n 1987 o f some 3000-5000 f r y ( f r om an es t imated 380,000 eggs i n f i s h t h a t passed M i l l t o w n bu t no t Woodland i n 1986). I f the q u a l i t y o f e f f l u e n t t rea tment can be c o n s i s t e n t l y main ta ined, and b a r r i n g t o x i c s p i l l s , then t h i s s e c t i o n o f t h e St. C ro i x has t h e p o t e n t i a l t o suppor t a s e l f - s u s t a i n i n g salmon run o f t he o rde r o f 500 f i s h l y r . U n t i l upstream and downstream f i s h passage i s improved, t h i s sec t i on o f r e a r i n g h a b i t a t i s t he best hope o f t h e St. C ro i x R i ve r salmon.

CONCLUSIONS

1.. The anadromous a l e w i f e resource o f t h e St . C r o i x R iver i s growing and expanding i n t o t h e newly a v a i l a b l e h a b i t a t i n s p i t e o f h i g h downstream m o r t a l i t i e s o f spent a d u l t s .

2 . Downstream smolt m o r t a l i t y averages about 20% a t Grand Fa1 1s and 40% a t Woodland.

3. Annual upstream f i s h passage r e c a p t u r e r a t e s f o r salmon a r e approx imate ly 70% a t M i l l t o w n , 50-60% a t Woodland and 50% a t Grand F a l l s .

4. The upstream recap tu res r a t e s show a month ly d e c l i n e d u r i n g the m i g r a t i o n season t h a t can be accounted f o r by t h e log-normal ly d i s t r i b u t e d t r a n s i t t imes.

5. There i s evidence o f an i nve rse c o r r e l a t i o n between weekly f i s h passage e f f i c i e n c i e s and water temperatures.

Table 5. St . C r o i x R i ve r s i m u l a t i o n model f o r u p - r i v e r salmon m i g r a t i o n f rom M i l l t o w n t o Grand F a l l s i n 1985 and 1986 (combined da ta ) . TT50 = 4.12 wk; f i s h passage e f f i c i e n c y = 0.778-0.02356*OC. F ish passage e f f i c i e n c y f i t t e d by weighted l e a s t squares.

Month ly a r r i v a l s a t G.F. Expected Observed

Month a r r i v a l s a r r i v a l s

June 7 3 J u l y 46 58 August 44 38 September 55 50 October 40 43

TOTAL 192 192

T r a n s i t t imes Rel. mo. Exp. TT Obs. TT (wk)

June 5.4 4.0 J u l y 5.3 6.0 August 4.9 4.7 September 4.3 5.0 October 2.8 1.8

Recapture r a t e s a t G.F. Re1 ease Expected Observed month recap tu re (%) recap tu re (%)

June 29.71 31.03 J u l y 23.02 23.53 August 23.16 17.27 September 27.98 14.02 October 12.71 5.26 June-October 24.71 18.69

S t a t i s t i c a l t e s t s

C a l c u l a t e Chi sq

2.29 For 0.05 s ig . l e v e l ' 3.13 c h i sq. va lue -

0.82 9.49 ( 4 d . f . ) . 0.45 0.23 6.91 - Chi sq.

' T o t e s t s 0 .22- ' t ' For .05 s i g . 0 .13- ' t ' l e v e l ' t ' va lue - 0 .04 - ' t ' 2.05 (29 d . f . ) . 0.10-'t ' 0 .05- ' t '

Chi s q

0.04 For 0.05 s i g . 0.01 l e v e l c h i sq. 0.91 l d . f . - 3 . 8 4 2.92 5 d . f . - 11.07 0.26 4.13

6. S i g n i f i c a n t f i s h passage improvements w i l l be r e q u i r e d be fo re a salmon run can be es tab l i shed i n the h a b i t a t above Grand F a l l s .

7. A smal l salmon run can be es tab l i shed i n t h e h a b i t a t between M i l l t o w n and Woodland dams, i f adequate water q u a l i t y c o n d i t i o n s f o r j u v e n i l e salmonid r e a r i n g can be assured.

REFERENCES

Beland, K. F. 1986. St . C r o i x R i ve r 1985 Woodland and Grand F a l l s f ishway t r a p p i n g s tud ies . Progress r e p o r t t o t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l St. C ro i x R iver B i o l o g i c a l Working Par ty . A t l a n t i c Sea Run Salmon Commission, Bangor, Maine, 8 p. (unpub l ished) .

Havey, K . A. 1963. St. C ro i x R i ve r dra inage. Maine Oept. I n l a n d F i s h e r i e s and Game, Machias. Maine. 29 p . (mimeo.).

Semple, R. 1986. Progress r e p o r t on A t l a n t i c salmon i n v e s t i g a t i o n s a t M i l l t o w n h y d r o e l e c t r i c dam, 1985. Report t o t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l St. C ro i x R i ve r B i o l o g i c a l Working Pa r t y . F ish . Res. Branch, Hal i f a x , N.S., 16 p. (unpub l ished) ;

Watt, W. D. 1987. The 1986 A t l a n t i c salmon run a t M i l l t o w n , St. C ro i x R i ve r (New BrunswickIMaine). Report t o t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l St . C r o i x R iver B i o l o g i c a l Working Pa r t y . B i o l . Sci . Branch, H a l i f a x , N.S., 16 p . (unpub l ished) .

Beland, K. F., and J. L. Roberts. 1987. St. C r o i x R iver : 1986 A t l a n t i c salmon s t u d i e s . Progress r e p o r t t o t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l St. C r o i x R i ve r B i o l o g i c a l Working Pa r t y . A t l a n t i c Sea Run Salmon Commission, Bangor, Maine, 64 p, (unpub l ished) .

THE ANAOROMOUS FISH RESOURCES OF THE ST. CROIX RIVER

L. N. F lagg Maine Department o f Marine Resources

S ta te House S t a t i o n #21, Augusta, Maine 04333 USA

The Maine Department o f Marine Resources i s t he l ead f i s h e r y agency respons ib le f o r t h e r e s t o r a t i o n , enhancement and management o f anadromous f i s h s tocks , o t h e r than anadromous A t l a n t i c salmon, i n the S ta te o f Maine. I n a d d i t i o n , t h e DMR a l s o serves as a member o f t h e Maine A t l a n t i c Sea-Run Salmon Comnission. Since t h e l a t e 19601s, t h e DMR's ongoing program focused p r i m a r i l y on t h e sma l l e r coas ta l drainages where water q u a l i t y was adequate t o suppor t f i s h popu la t ions . Removal o f o l d dams and lor c o n s t r u c t i o n o f f i s h passages, coupled w i t h t h e s t o c k i n g o f pre-spawner alewives, brought about r a p i d r e c o l o n i z a t i o n o f these smal le r coas ta l drainages. I n t h e 1970's. t h e a c c e l e r a t i o n o f water p o l l u t i o n abatement programs on l a r g e r Maine r i v e r s s t i m u l a t e d i n t e r e s t i n expansion o f r e s t o r a t i o n e f f o r t s t o these l a r g e r systems. Renewed i n t e r e s t i n hydropower development t o reduce r e l i a n c e on imported o i l generated concur rent i n t e r e s t i n hydropower development and r e s t o r a t i o n / p r o t e c t i o n o f anadromous f i s h stocks. Th is i n t e r e s t cu lminated i n t he 1983 passage o f t h e Maine R ive rs Act and t h e Maine Waterway Development and Conservat ion Act. Besides assu r i ng o r d e r l y development o f hydropower, t h i s comprehensive l e g i s l a t i o n a l s o recognizes and encourages t h e r e s t o r a t i o n o f anadromous f i s h t o t h e r i v e r s i n Maine.

A c t i v e r e s t o r a t i o n e f f o r t s a r e ongoing on t h e '

Kennebec, Androscoggin, Penobscot and the St. C r o i x R ivers where water q u a l i t y improvement and f i s h passage c o n s t r u c t i o n have a l lowed anadromous f i s h species t o r e c o l o n i z e i n l a n d waters where these species have been absent, i n some ins tances, f o r per iods i n excess o f 170 y r . The St. C ro i x R i ve r r e s t o r a t i o n e f f o r t s have been a c c e l e r a t i n g s i nce t h e c o n s t r u c t i o n o f a new f i s h passage f a c i l i t y a t t h e M i l l t o w n Dam i n 1980.

Endemic anadromous f i s h resources o f t h e St. C ro i x R i ve r i nc lude A t l a n t i c salmon, rainbow smel t , American shad, blueback h e r r i n g , a l e w i f e , sea lamprey and brook t r o u t . Spawning popu la t ions o f s t r i p e d bass, A t l a n t i c sturgeon and shortnose s turgeon a re no t known t o p r e s e n t l y occur i n t he St. C ro i x . The o n l y catadromous f i s h represented i n t he St . C ro i x i s the American e e l . Other than A t l a n t i c salmon, anadromous species o f spec ia l concern t o t he S ta te o f Maine i nc lude the s t r i p e d bass, rainbow smelt , a l ew i fe , American shad and American e e l .

Al though s t r i p e d bass a r e not known t o reproduce i n t he St. C ro i x R i ve r , t he m ig ra to ry popu la t ions which seasona l ly i n h a b i t t h e es tuary d e r i v e b e n e f i t from growth w h i l e feed ing i n New England and A t l a n t i c mar i t ime waters. The s t r i p e d bass resource i s o f n a t i o n a l concern and, s i nce 1981, has been under r e g u l a t o r y a u t h o r i t y o f t he I n t e r s t a t e S t r i p e d Bass Management Board, a s u b d i v i s i o n o f t h e A t l a n t i c States Marine F i she r i es Commission, an i n t e r s t a t e compact o f the f i f t e e n (15) A t l a n t i c coast s t a t e s f rom Maine through F l o r i d a . Par t o f the i n t e r s t a t e management s t r a t e g y f o r s t r i p e d bass inc ludes p r o t e c t i o n and enhancement o f spawning,nursery and coas ta l growing areas. Since t h e St. C ro i x es tuary i s considered a p a r t o f the growing area f o r s t r i p e d bass, coast-wide

management r e g u l a t i o n s on t h i s species app ly t o U.S. waters o f t h e St. C r o i x R iver .

Due t o t h e i r i n a b i l i t y t o use f ishways, spawning popu la t i ons o f anadromous rainbow smel t a r e r e s t r i c t e d t o t h e f reshwater h a b i t a t immedia te ly below t h e M i l l t o w n dam. The major management s t r a t e g y t o ma in ta in h e a l t h y popu la t i ons o f ra inbow smel t i s t o assure adequate water q u a l i t y and s t a b l e r i v e r f l ows d u r i n g spawning and e a r l y l i f e stages o f t h i s spec ies . Smelts a r e r e l a t i v e l y weak swimmers and unable t o n e g o t i a t e v e r t i c a l drops g r e a t e r than 6-8 i n . The l o c a t i o n o f t he M i l l t o w n dam i s an area o f r e l a t i v e l y s teep g r a d i e n t and suggests t h a t sea- run smel t p robab ly d i d n o t ascend the r i v e r above t h i s p o i n t . Based on c m e r c i a l smelt ha rves ts i n o the r eas te rn Maine r i v e r s , i t i s c o n s e r v a t i v e l y es t imated t h a t t h e St. C r o i x cou ld produce a ha rves t o f 10-40,000 l b annua l l y . Recent improvements i n water q u a l i t y shou ld l ead t o renewed i n t e r e s t i n s p r i n g d i p n e t smel t f i s h e r i e s , which were a c t i v e i n t h i s area p r i o r t o t h e advent o f severe water p o l l u t i o n .

The a lew i fe , which u t i l i z e s l a k e systems f o r spawning and nu rse ry areas, i s w e l l s u i t e d t o t h e St. C r o i x dra inage which i s composed o f about 100,000 su r face acres o f l ake h a b i t a t . H i s t o r i c a l l y , over 270,000 su r face acres o f l a k e h a b i t a t i n Maine were access ib le t o anadromous alewives. O f t h i s t o t a l , t h e St. C ro i x R i ve r represents 34%. The c u r r e n t OMR goa l i s t o r e s t o r e and manage a lewives i n 56,650 acres o f l a k e h a b i t a t i n t he main stem and eas t branch o f the St. C ro i x R i ve r . Th is h a b i t a t represents 56% o f t h e t o t a l l ake h a b i t a t i n t he St. C ro i x dra inage and approx imate ly 21% o f t h e h i s t o r i c a l h a b i t a t a v a i l a b l e t o a lewives i n Maine. The west branch o f t h e St. C r o i x i s n o t c u r r e n t l y be ing cons idered f o r r e s t o r a t i o n u n t i l such t i m e as t he main s temleast branch a r e f u l l y u t i l i z e d . A l l ow ing f o r a 15% spawning escapement, t he es t imated ha rves tab le y i e l d o f a lewives f rom t h e main s temleast branch i s 4370 tons (9.6 m i l l i o n l b ) . Alewives c u r r e n t l y have access t o about 52,000 acres o f l a k e su r face area, o f which 19,000 a r e access ib le th rough t h r e e f ishways; an a d d i t i o n a l 17,000 through a f o u r t h f ishway; and 16,000 through a f i f t h . Since c o n s t r u c t i o n o f a new f ishway a t t h e M i l l t o w n dam i n 1980, anadromous a l e w i f e passage a t M i l l t o w n has increased from 170,000 i n 1981 t o 2,000,000 i n 1986. I n recen t years , l a r g e numbers o f a lewives have ascended t h e eas t branch t o Spednik Lake, over 50 r i v e r m i l e s above t i dewa te r , and have a l s o been present a t t h e o u t l e t o f West Grand Lake, 26 r i v e r m i l e s above t i dewa te r .

H i s t o r i c a l l y , l a r g e runs o f American shad ascended the St. C ro i x R i ve r . Major spawning areas were probab ly t h e main stem below the conf luence o f t h e eas t and west branches, p l u s the lower main stem reaches o f t he eas t and west branches. Remnant popu la t i ons o f shad e x i s t below M i l l t o w n and a few f i s h have passed through the M i l l t o w n f ishway i n recen t years . Due t o low numbers o f f i s h present i n t h e St. C ro i x R iver , r e c o l o n i z a t i o n o f shad may r e q u i r e a d u l t t r a n s f e r s from o the r r i v e r systems.

This method has been successfu l on t h e Merrimack and Susquehanna Rivers , bu t r e q u i r e s t h e t r a n s f e r o f r e l a t i v e l y l a r g e numbers ( seve ra l hundred) t o e s t a b l i s h a r e t u r n i n g a d u l t popu la t ion . Al though shad a r e known t o pass through a v a r i e t y o f f ishway types, i n c l u d i n g f i s h l i f t s , t h e l a r g e a l e w i f e r u n on the St . C r o i x may a f f e c t movement o f American shad due t o t h e i r m i l l i n g behav ior i n f ishways. Due t o l ack o f a v a i l a b l e donor s tocks o f American shad, t h i s spec ies i s no t be ing a c t i v e l y r e s t o r e d a t t h i s t ime i n t h e St. C r o i x R i ve r .

The American ee l i s a h igh va lue comnercial f i s h e r y resource i n t h e S ta te o f Maine. Landed va lue i n recen t years has ranged f rom $0.85 t o $1.25 per pound. Based on a 15-yr p roduc t i on o f 2 l b l a c r e l y r f o r one New Brunswick l a k e (Smith 1966), t h e St. C r o i x R i ve r cou ld produce over 200,000 l b l y r . However, r e c r u i t m e n t o f e l v e r s i n t o u p r i v e r p roduc t i on areas w i l l p robab ly be l e s s than optimum due t o upstream passage i n e f f i c i e n c i e s . Th is problem, t oge the r w i t h downstream t u r b i n e losses o f adu l t s , would probab ly r e s u l t i n a sus ta ined ha rves t o f 50,000 l b annua l l y .

I n sumnary, b e n e f i t s a n t i c i p a t e d from r e s t o r a t i o n a re as f o l l ows :

A l e w i f e - The development o f an a l e w i f e r u n i n t h e main stem and eas t branch o f t he St. C r o i x R i ve r cou ld produce an annual ha rves tab le y i e l d o f 9.6 m i l l i on l b wor th $700,000, based on t h e 1987 Maine landed va lue o f $0.73/lb. Thomas (1977) es t imated t h a t a t o t a l o f 52.3 m i l l i o n l b o f b a i t was used t o ca tch 18.4 m i l l i o n l b o f l o b s t e r d u r i n g t h e 1977 l o b s t e r f i s h i n g season, r e s u l t i n g i n a b a i t requirement o f 2.83 l b o f b a i t per pound o f l o b s t e r landed. The Maine l o b s t e r ca tch i s approx imate ly 20 m i l l i o n l b annua l ly , r e s u l t i n g i n b a i t needs o f 56.6 m i l l i o n l b l y r . Since a lewives a r e an impor tant b a i t source f o r t h i s f i s h e r y , t h e St. C ro i x R i ve r p roduc t i on cou ld s a t i s f y 17% o f the t o t a l annual b a i t needs o f t h e Maine l o b s t e r f i s h e r y .

American e e l - Enhancement o f American ee l resources cou ld produce a ha rves tab le y i e l d o f 50,000 l b w i t h an annual landed va lue o f $39,500, based on a 1986 landed va lue o f $0.79/ lb.

S t r i ped bass and American shad - S i g n i f i c a n t r e c r e a t i o n a l f i s h e r i e s f o r m ig ra to ry s t r i p e d bass and a r e s t o r e d American shad r u n should develop i n the lower reaches o f the St . C r o i x R i ve r . Although p o t e n t i a l values o f these resources a re not y e t q u a n t i f i a b l e , they should r e s u l t i n s u b s t a n t i a l economic b e n e f i t t o t h e St. C ro i x R i ve r bas in .

REFERENCES

Anon. 1982. S ta te o f Maine: Statewide R ive r F i she r i es Management Plan. Maine Dept. I n l and F ish . W i l d l . , Dept. o f Mar ine Resources, and A t l a n t i c Sea-Run Salmon Commission, 164 p.

Flagg, L. N., and T. S. Squiers. 1983. Status o f shad s tocks i n Maine waters. Maine Dept. o f Marine Resources, S ta te House S t a t i o n #21, Augusta, ME (mimeo) .

Flagg, L. N.. and T. S. Squiers. 1983. Sta tus o f a l e w i f e s tocks i n t h e S ta te o f Maine. Maine Dept. o f Mar ine Resources, S ta te House S t a t i o n #21, Augusta. ME (mimeo).

F le t che r , J. S., and A. L. Me is te r . 1982. The S t . C ro i x R i ve r : an A t l a n t i c Salmon R ive r Management Report. S t a t e o f Maine A t l a n t i c Sea-Run Salmon Commission, Bangor, ME, 42 p.

Havey. K. A. 1963. St. C r o i x R i ve r : f i s h management and r e s t o r a t i o n . Maine Dept . o f I n l a n d F ish & Game, Machias, ME, 27 p. (mimeo).

MacKenzie, C., L. S. Weiss-Glanz, and J. R. Mor ing. 1985. Species p r o f i l e s : l i f e h i s t o r i e s and environmental requ i rements o f coas ta l f i s h e s and i n v e r t e b r a t e s (mid-At lant ic)---American shad. U.S. F i s h W i l d l . Serv. B i o l o g i c a l Rep. 82 (11.37), U.S. Army Corps o f Engineers, TR EL-82-4, 18 p.

Mul len , D. M., C. W. Fay, and J. R. Mor ing. 1986. Species p r o f i l e s : l i f e h i s t o r i e s and env i ron - mental requ i rements o f coas ta l f i s h e s and i n v e r t e b r a t e s (No r th A t l a n t i c ) - - - a l e w i f e / b lueback h e r r i n g . U.S. F i s h W i l d l . Serv., B i o l o g i c a l Rep. 82 (11.56), U.S. Army Corps o f Engineers. TR EL-82-4, 21 p.

Thomas, J. 1980. Measures o f e f f o r t . Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci . 932.

Fay, C. W., R. J. Neves, and G. B. Pardue. 1983. Species p r o f i l e s : l i f e h i s t o r i e s and env i ron- mental requirements o f coas ta l f i s h e s and i n v e r t e b r a t e s (m id -A t l an t i c ) - - - s t r i ped bass. U.S. F i s h U i l d l . Serv., D iv . o f B i o l o g i c a l Serv., FWS/OBS 82111.8, U.S. Army Corps o f Engineers, TR EL-82-4, 36 p.

DIADROI4OUS FISHERIES

Discussion Summary

Poaching was discounted as a major cause of fish loss between Milltown and

Grand Falls. Fish are not necessarily lost but simply choose to stay below

the Grand Falls dams, possibly because of less "motivation" to move to the

headwater habitats. Stocked fish may have a weaker "homing instinct" although

there is no apparent difference in the physical condition of returning wild

fish or stocked fish. Salmon may also fail to ascend the river above the

upper fishway because low population pressure encourages them to stay and

utilize the lower river.

It was apparent that the extent of suitable habitat should be surveyed so that

accurate estimates of the maximum carrying capacity of the river for salmon

could be determined. Proper management of the salmon fishery requires this,

as does the management of other anadromous species.

The papers here present little on the physiological needs of migrating or

spawning salmon which is an especially important question when considering

management of river flows, industrial discharges, and habitat protection to

satisfy multiple uses of the watershed.

SESSION 1 (CONTINUED)

FISHERIES REQUIREHENTS

INLAND FISHERIES

Highlights

1. Significant inland sport fisheries exist for landlocked salmon, lake

trout, brook trout, smallmouth bass, white perch, and pickerel; but the most

important of these are the smallmouth bass and the landlocked salmon fisheries

upon which a thriving tourist industry is based. Angling is the most popular

recreational activity of visitors to the St. Croix waterway.

2. Factors which have changed the inland fisheries of the S t . Croix Basin

over the past century are: a) the introduction of species such as the

smallmouth bass; b) construction of dams for water storage and hydro-electric

development; c) increased angling pressure; and, d) land use practices in the

watershed.

3. Since 1982 there has been a significant decline in the smallmouth bass

fishery in Spednic Lake. It would appear that drawdown of lake levels and

competition with a recently growing alewife population are factors in the

decline of the bass fishery.

MANAGEMENT OF THE INLAND SPORT FISHERIES OF THE ST. CROIX RIVER SYSTEM

R. Brokaw Maine Oept. o f I n l a n d F i s h e r i e s and W i l d l i f e 68 Water S t ree t , Machias, Maine 04654 USA

The St. C r o i x R i ve r system, w i t h i t s & v e r s i t y o f h i g h - q u a l i t y h a b i t a t , p rov ides s i g n i f i c a n t i n l a n d s p o r t f i s h e r i e s f o r land locked salmon, l a k e t r o u t , brook t r o u t , smal lmouth bass, w h i t e perch and p i c k e r e l . O f these, t h e f i s h e r i e s f o r smallmouth bass and land locked salmon a r e c l e a r l y t h e most impor tan t . A cons ide rab le number o f s p o r t i n g camps ga in s u b s t a n t i a l revenues from ang lers ( p r i n c i p a l l y nonres idents) who journey t o eas te rn Maine each year t o f i s h f o r t h e h i g h l y p r i z e d bass and salmon.

East Grand and West Grand a r e t h e two major salmon lakes i n t h e drainage. Both have l ong been noted f o r t h e q u a l i t y o f t h e i r salmon f i s h e r i e s as w e l l as t h e i r scen ic , r e l a t i v e l y undeveloped charac- t e r . The salmon f i s h e r i e s a r e main ta ined by annual s tock ings o f s p r i n g y e a r l i n g s a t r a t e s rang ing from 0.7-1.25 salmonlacre. Over 90% o f t h e salmon ca tch on each l ake i s comprised o f age 11-111 hatchery- rea red f i s h . East Grand Lake, w i t h a more abundant smel t popu la t ion , c o n s i s t e n t l y produces l a r g e r salmon than West Grand even though i t i s stocked a t a h ighe r r a t e . The average ang ler ca tch per day a t East Grand d u r i n g t h e s p r i n g salmon f i s h e r y ranges from 0.45-0.60 l e g a l salmon which average around 450 mn (17.7 i n . ) i n l e n g t h and 850 g ( 1 l b , 14 oz ) i n we ight . A t West Grand, angler-caught salmon have r e c e n t l y averaged 431 mm (17.0 in.) i n l eng th and 740 g ( 1 l b , 10 oz) i n we ight , w i t h t he s p r i n g ca tch r a t e rang ing from 0.26-0.38 l e g a l sa lmonlang ler .

Grand Lake Stream, t h e o u t l e t o f West Grand Lake, supports one o f the t o p f i v e r i v e r f i s h e r i e s f o r land locks i n t h e s t a t e o f Maine. To h e l p main- t a i n t h i s h igh q u a l i t y f i s h e r y , a n g l i n g i s r e s t r i c t e d t o f l y f i s h i n g on l y , w i t h a d a i l y bag l i m i t o f one salmon. The b u l k o f t he ca tch cons i s t s o f f i n - c l i p p e d salmon which have dropped down ou t o f Uest Grand Lake. Na t i ve salmon t y p i c a l l y comprise from 5-12% o f t he catch. An i n t e r e s t i n g aspect o f t h i s f i s h e r y i s t h a t from 80-90% o f t he l e g a l salmon caught a r e released. The average ca tch r a t e approximates one l e g a l sa lmonlang ler . I n order t o g i v e ang lers t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o ca tch salmon i n pr ime c o n d i t i n a t the beg inn ing o f t h e i r f a l l spawning run , t h e season has been extended f o r an a d d i t i o n a l 2 wk u n t i l Sept. 30.

Lake t r o u t , o r togue as they are commonly r e f e r r e d t o i n Maine, occur i n o n l y a few waters i n t he drainage. Popu la t ions a r e l a r g e l y s e l f - s u s t a i n i n g i n the t h r e e p r i n c i p a l togue waters: East Grand Lake, West Grand Lake and West Musquash Lake. Angler-caught togue from East Grand average from 2.35-2.85 kg (5-6 l b ) i n we ight w h i l e West Grand togue average about 1.5 kg (3Y. l b ) i n weiqht. Each o f - t h e s e waters annua l ly produces.some "1 i n k e r n togue i n the 5.5-8.2 kg (12-18 l b ) range.

The smallmouth bass resource i s an e s p e c i a l l y impor tan t one which i s w e l l u t i l i z e d by f ishermen. Many o f t h e s p o r t i n g camps r e f e r t o bass as t h e i r "bread and b u t t e r " f i s h , and r i g h t l y so, f o r t h i s i s t he p r imary species ang lers seek d u r i n g t h e mid-June t o mid-September per iod . R e a l i z i n g t h e t r u e importance o f t h i s spo r t f i s h i n eas te rn Maine, b i o l o - g i s t s i n recen t years have a l l o c a t e d an i n c r e a s i n g number o f man-days t o c o l l e c t da ta on our bass f i s h e r i e s . B i g Lake, Grand F a l l s Flowage and Woodland Flowage ( t h a t p o r t i o n o f t h e r i v e r impounded by t h e Woodland dam) a r e w e l l known f o r t h e i r bass f i s h e r i e s . Most angler-caught bass from these waters range i n l e n g t h f rom 267-305 m (10.5-12.0 i n . ) , b u t they a l l produce reasonab ly good numbers o f l a r g e r f i s h i n t h e 0.9-1.6 kg (2-3Yt l b ) range. Maine f i s h e r y b i o l o g i s t s have r e c e n t l y endorsed a Maine Bass Federa t ion proposa l which would increase t h e l e g a l minimum l e n g t h on bass f rom 254 mm (10 i n . ) t o 305 mn (12 i n . ) .

Management o f c e r t a i n s p o r t f i s h popu la t i ons i s compromised by two pr imary problems/concerns: the water management p r a c t i c e s o f Georg ia-Pac i f i c , and recen t s u b s t a n t i a l increases i n t h e a l e w i f e runs up t h e r i v e r . Al though coopera t ion f rom Georgia- P a c i f i c i s g e n e r a l l y good, t h e r e a r e occasions wher t h e company's man ipu la t i on o f water l e v e l s / f l o w s :o accommodate t h e i r n e e d s l i n t e r e s t s i s c l e a r l y ha rmfu l t o f i s h popu la t i ons . Problem areas i n t he past inc lude: drawdowns o f West Grand Lake a f t e r October 15 which adverse ly a f f e c t s u r v i v a l o f togue eggs depos i ted on rocky bars i n sha l low water; f l u c t u a t i o n s i n B i g Lake water l e v e l s d u r i n g June which reduce spawning success o f smallmouth bass; and severe drawdowns o f Spednic Lake water l e v e l s f rom June through November which impact s u r v i v a l o f bass f r y . I t i s impor tan t t o n o t e than i n 1987, i n response t o a request , Georg ia-Pac i f i c d i d an e s p e c i a l l y good j o b o f s t a b i l i z i n g B i g Lake water l e v e l s d u r i n g the c r i t i c a l l y impor tant bass spawning season.

Recent, s i zeab le increases i n t h e a l e w i f e runs up the St. C ro i x R iver a r e o f some concern t o f i s h e r y managers. This concern i s underscored by ac t i ons taken a t West Grand and Spednic Lakes. Each sp r i ng , a b l o c k i n g screen i s p laced i n t h e f i shway i n t he dam a t West Grand t o keep a lewives out o f t h e lake. This reduces the p o s s i b i l i t y o f i n t r o d u c i n g an a lewi fe-borne f i s h d isease i n t o t he Grand Lake Stream salmon hatchery , and ensures t h a t t h e l akes ' c r i t i c a l l y impor tant smel t popu la t i on w i l l no t have t o compete w i t h l a r g e numbers o f j u v e n i l e a lewives f o r food.

Some Maine and Canadian f i s h e r y b i o l o g i s t s now b e l i e v e i t i s l i k e l y t h a t t h e a l e w i f e has Dlaved a r o l e i n t he dramat ic d e c l i n e o f t he p r e v i o u s l y The brook trout fisheries in the system are not w ide l y acclaimed smallmouth bass f i s h e r y a t Spednic e s p e c i a l l y notewor thy . Trout f i s h e r i e s a re main-

t a i n e d i n some smal l ponds by annual s tock ings o f Lake. Four years o f i n t e n s i v e SCUBA obse rva t i ons

f a l l f i n g e r l i n g s p lan ted a t d e n s i t i e s approx imat ing have documented an a larming s c a r c i t y o f j u v e n i l e

40Iacre. Many o f t he brooks and streams prov ide bass i n t he 101-229 mn (4-9 i n . ) range. Successful

seasonal f i s h e r i e s i n May and June f o r 178-229 mn spawning occurs each June, bu t t he overwhelming

(7-9 i n . ) n a t i v e t r o u t . m a j o r i t y o f f r y f a i l t o s u r v i v e i n t o t h e i r second o r t h i r d sumner. O f course, these m iss ing year -c lasses have ominous i m p l i c a t i o n s f o r t h e f u t u r e f i s h e r y .

I n a d d i t i o n t o the s t r e s s placed on j u v e n i l e bass by t h e severe drawdowns, i t i s thought t h a t an a d d i t i o n a l s t ress may be placed on the bass by a harmful i n t e r a c t i o n w i t h alewives. Although the exact na tu re o f the i n t e r a c t i o n ( i f any) has y e t t o be determined, any one o r a combinat ion o f t he f o l l o w i n g a r e p o s s i b i l i t i e s : l a rge numbers o f young- of- the-year a lewives a r e out-competing the bass f r y f o r t he l i m i t e d amount o f food a v a i l a b l e i n t he 1 i t t o r a l zone; post-spawning a d u l t a lewives are p rey ing on bass f r y ; an a lewi fe-borne pathogen (such as v i r a l e u r e t h r o c y t i c nec ros i s ) i s causing heavy mor ta l i t y o f j u v e n i l e bass. Regarding the second p o s s i b i l i t y o u t l i n e d above, Maine f i s h e r y b i o l o g i s t s i n 1987 made a s i g n i f i c a n t f i nd ing , which i s con t ra ry t o the genera l l y e x i s t i n g op in ion, t h a t a d u l t a lewives w i l l occas iona l l y feed on smal l f i s h . Desp i te d i f f e r e n c e s i n v iewpoin ts between some Maine f i s h e r y b i o l o g i s t s and t h e i r Canadian counterpar ts on the ma t te r o f bass-alewife i n t e r a c t i o n a t Spednic, an agreement was reached t o keep alewives out o f t h e l ake i n 1987 t o assess t h e r e l a t i v e s u r v i v a l o f bass f r y i n t he absence o f alewives. Un fo r tuna te l y , t h i s management i n i t i a t i v e was thwarted as alewives migra ted i n t o Spednic i n 1987, and i t i s now hoped t h e p lan can be implemented i n 1988.

Most o f t h e systems' f i s h e r i e s are c u r r e n t l y i n good shape, and "General Law" f i s h i n g r e g u l a t i o n s p r e v a i l . The most common r e s t r i c t i v e r e g u l a t i o n i n e f f e c t i s the c l o s i n g o f c e r t a i n l ake t r i b u t a r i e s t o the t a k i n g o f smelt t o a s s i s t i n ma in ta in ing s a t i s f a c t o r y l e v e l s o f smelt f o r salmonltogue forage. Other types o f spec ia l r e g u l a t i o n s i nc lude "No s i z e o r bag l i m i t on bass" i n c e r t a i n waters ~ h i c h a re managed p r i m a r i l y f o r salmon, and an extended season ( the month o f October) on se lec ted waters t o p rov ide ang lers w i t h a d d i t i o n a l f i s h i n g oppor tun i t y f o r warmwater s p o r t f i s h .

RECREATIONAL FISHERY POTENTIAL OF UPPER ST. CROIX RIVER, NEW BRUNSWICK

P. J. Cron in and P. D. Seymour Department o f Na tu ra l Resources and Energy

R.R. #6, Freder ic ton, N. B. E3B 4x7

INTRODUCTION

The f i s h e r y resources o f t h e St. C r o i x R i ve r watershed, by v i r t u e o f i t s i n t e r n a t i o n a l o r boundary water s ta tus , a r e j o i n t l y managed by f i s h e r i e s agencies i n both Canada and t h e Un i ted States. The i n l a n d f i s h e r i e s o f t h e St. C r o i x have changed cons ide rab l y i n t h e past cen tu ry w i t h t h e i n t r o d u c t i o n o f species such as smallmouth bass M ic rop te rus do lomieu i , c o n s t r u c t i o n o f dams f o r water s torage and h y d r o e l e c t r i c power development, increased a n g l i n g pressure f o r t h e more d e s i r a b l e f i s h species and land use p r a c t i c e s i n t h e watershed. The r e s t o r a t i o n and management o f f i s h s tocks r e q u i r e s t h e c lose c o o r d i n a t i o n o f f i s h e r i e s agencies i n Canada and t h e Un i ted Sta tes .

By an Order- in-Counci l i n 1982, t h e government of New Brunswick des ignated a s p e c i f i c a rea i n t h e watershed as t h e St. C r o i x Waterway Recreat ion Area. The p r o v i n c i a l government i s p repa r i ng a conceptual p l an f o r long-term development o f t h e r e c r e a t i o n a l use o f the area w i t h o u t de t r imen t t o t he resource base.

This paper descr ibes t h e major s p o r t f i s h e r i e s o f the upper St . C ro i x Waterway, t h e p o t e n t i a l f o r development o f those f i s h e r i e s and f a c t o r s l i m i t i n g the increased p roduc t i on o f d e s i r a b l e f i s h species.

GOAL OF FISHERIES MANAGEMENT

( f ) The c o s t o f management e s s e n t i a l t o p r e s e r v i n g v i a b l e popu la t i ons o f t h e f i s h e r y resource shou ld be borne by a l l New Brunswickers. Speci a1 management measures r e q u i r e d t o pe rm i t i n t e n s i v e uses shou ld be supported by t h e users.

(g ) F i she ry management and enhancement programs w i l l be admin is tered through a c o n s u l t a t i v e process i n v o l v i n g o the r government, p r i v a t e and p u b l i c o rgan i za t i ons .

(h ) New Brunswick 's f i s h e r i e s resources w i l l be a l l o c a t e d through a de f i ned process whereby s p e c i f i c resources a r e assigned t o s p e c i f i e d uses.

DESCRIPTION OF THE WATERSHED

The St. C r o i x R i v e r Basin i s i n t e r n a t i o n a l l y l oca ted i n southwestern New Brunswick and and southeastern Maine (F ig . 1). The f i s h e r i e s resources and assoc ia ted h a b i t a t s o f t he St. C r o i x dra inage have p r e v i o u s l y been descr ibed by many authors . One o f t he e a r l y r e p o r t s which desc r i bes t h e watershed was prepared by t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l St. C r o i x R i ve r Eng ineer ing Board (1957) w i t h a l a t e r d e s c r i p t i o n o f t h e f i s h e r y resources prepared by Havey (1963). I n summary, t h e dra inage area i s 4235 km2, o f which 1619 km2 i s i n New Brunswick (Tab le 1). The Canadian p o r t i o n o f the watershed i s

The pr imary goal o f f i s h e r i e s management o f t h e Table 1. Areas o f some sub-drainages i n t h e St . New Brunswi ck Department o f Na tu ra l ~ e s o u r c e s and Cro i x R i ve r Basin, New Brunswick and Maine. Energy f o r t h e St. C ro i x Watershed i s t o p r o t e c t , enhance and manage the i n l a n d f i s h e r i e s resources and aqua t i c h a b i t a t f o r t h e sus ta ined p u b l i c b e n e f i t s o f the people o f New Brunswick.

The f o l l o w i n g fundamental p recepts suppor t t he p r o v i n c i a l f i s h e r i e s management goal :

( a ) The f i s h e r i e s resource w i l l be admin is tered as a Crown resource i n a manner which prov ides optimum susta ined b e n e f i t s ' t o t he c i t i z e n s o f New Brunswick.

( b ) Product ive popu la t i ons o f n a t i v e f i s h species w i l l be main ta ined i n t h e i r n a t u r a l h a b i t a t s .

( c ) New Brunswickers a re f r e e t o en joy ahd may use the f i s h e r y resources o f the p rov ince sub jec t t o laws aimed a t secu r i ng i t s sus ta inab le ex is tence.

( d l The o v e r a l l p roduc t i ve capac i t y o f f i s h h a b i t a t w i l l be main ta ined by p reven t i ng o r m in im iz ing the impacts o f l and o r water d is turbances which might r e s u l t i n losses t o the f i s h e r y resource.

Sub-drainage Area ( k m z )

St. C ro i x New Brunswick and Maine 4235 New Brunswick on l y 1619 New Brunswick and Maine upstream

f rom Vanceboro-St. C r o i x dam 1080 New Brunswick o n l y upstream f rom

Vanceboro-St. C ro i x dam 80 6

de f i ned geog raph i ca l l y by two cont iguous, b u t d i s t i n c t zones, be ing t h e Upper St. C r o i x ~ a t e r s h e d o r Ch iputnet icook Lake System and t h e St. C ro i x R i ve r . The Upper St. C ro i x Watershed, t h a t area upstream from t h e Vanceboro-St. C ro i x dam on the o u t l e t o f Spednic Lake, has a dra inage area o f 1080 km2, 806 o f which a re l o c a t e d i n New Brunswick. This p o r t i o n o f t he watershed con ta ins 25 named lakes hav ing a t o t a l area o f 17,634 ha and 135 km o f r i v e r s and streams (Tab le 2 ) .

( e l Management programs w i l l be promoted on sound eco log iba l p r i n c i p l e s .

BRUNSWICK 0 5 10 15 -

MILES

MAINE

Figure 1. St. Croix River Basin , Maine, U . S . A . and New Brunswlck, Canada

Table 2 . Surface area, s h o r e l i n e l eng th , maximum depth and major s p o r t f i s h e r i e s f o r lakes i n t h e Upper St. C r o i x watershed.

Surface Shore1 i n e Maximum Major Lake area (ha) (m) depth (m) f i s h e r i e s a

Bo l ton East Brook East Grand F i f t h F i r s t Foster Grassy Green 1 and LaCoote Mc Adam Modsley Moose Mud Mud Musquash Nor th P a l f r e y P i r a t e S i x t h S k i f f Spednic Th i rd Tomi 1 son T u t t l e 9 unnamed lakes

b t , smb smb 11s. b t , smb, It, wp b t , WP smb, CP, WP smb, cp c P

l l s , b t smb, cp smb, cp

b t , smb smb

smb, CP, WP l l s , b t , smb, wp

b t , WP l l s , b t , smb l l s , b t , smb, wp smb, CP, WP smb, cp

To ta l 17,634 333,488

ails = l and lock salmon; b t = brook t r o u t ; smb = sinallmouth bass; I t - lake t r o u t ; cp = cha in p i c k e r e l ; wp = w h i t e perch.

INLAND FISHERIES

Angl ing i s t h e most popu lar r e c r e a t i o n a l a c t i v i t y o f v i s i t o r s t o t h e St. C ro i x Waterway (Amulet Consu l t i ng L td . 1987). The St. C r o i x dra inage suppor ts a l a r g e v a r i e t y o f spo r t and non-game f i s h e s (Tab le 3) . The St. C ro i x watershed supported a v i a b l e land locked salmon Salmo s a l a r f i s h e r y p r i o r t o t h e C i v i l War and, f-9=, rece i ved world-wide r e c o g n i t i o n f o r i t s smallmouth bass f i s h i n g (Havey 1963). The Upper St. C r o i x watershed c u r r e n t l y suppor ts bo th s m e r and w i n t e r r e c r e a t i o n a l f i s h e r i e s f o r severa l co ldwater and warmwater f i s h soecies. The maior s o o r t f i s h i n c l u d e brook t r o u t Sa l ve l i nus T o n t i n a l i s , land locked A t l a n t i c salmon, l a k e l v e l i n u s namaycush, smallmouth bass and w h i t e p e r c h o r o n e americana (Tab le 3) . The lakes and streams= suppor t l ' imited f i s h e r i e s f o r ra inbow smel t Osmerus

Table 3. Fishes o f t h e St. C r o i x dra inage ( a f t e r Havey 1963).

Comon name S c i e n t i f i c name

Sea-run A t l a n t i c salmon Landlocked A t l a n t i c salmon Brook t r o u t Lake t r o u t arown t r o u t Brook t r o u t x brown

t r o u t h y b r i d Smal l n o u t h bass White perch Yellow perch Chain p i c k e r e l Brown b u l l head American smelt Lake w h i t e f i s h Round w h i t e f i s h American ee l White sucker Longnose sucker A lew i fe Amer i can shad Cusk (burbot ) Banded k i 11 i f i s h Threespine s t i c k l e b a c k Ninespine s t i c k l e b a c k Pumpkinseed s u n f i s h Redbreast s u n f i s h Blacknose dace Pear l dace Redbell y dace F inesca le dace Blacknose sh ine r Fathead minnow Golden sh ine r Commonshiner Northern creek chub F a l l f i s h

Salmo s a l a r S a T m a S m l i n u s f o n t i n a l i s S a l v e l i n u s namaycush Salmo t r u t t a S I i i E t r u t t a x m v - f o n t i n a l i s M ic rop te rus do lomieu i Roccus americanus P e r c a f l a v e s c e n s Esoxniger m l u r u s nebulosus Osmerus mordax

Catostomus commersoni Catostomus catostomus

Lota l o t a F u n d u r d i a hanus -+ Gasterosteus acu eatus

~ t h a t u l u s d a r g a r i t a Chrosomus eos

Semot i l i s c r o p o r a l i s

Lake, t h e l a r g e s t l a k e i n t h e Upper St. C ro i x , has been documented (Cron in 1985; Smith 1985). Sport f i s h e r i e s management programs , o f t h e New Brunswi ck, Department o f Na tu ra l Resources and Energy and t h e Maine Department o f I n l a n d F i s h e r i e s and W i l d l i f e have enhanced t h e land locked salmon f i s h e r i e s i n S k i f f and East Grand Lakes. The major s p o r t f i s h e r i e s by l a k e a r e i d e n t i f i e d i n Table 2.

Recent ang le r p r o f i l e i n f o r m a t i o n on e f f o r t and ha rves t on t h e New Brunswick p o r t i o n o f t h e St. C r o i x watershed i s l i m i t e d . S t ra t i f i ed - random o n s i t e ang ler i n t e r v i e w s have n o t been conducted i n t h e waterway s i n c e 1976. However, t h e Na t i ona l Fede ra l -P rov inc ia l ang ler survey r e s u l t s i n d i c a t e an i n c r e a s i n g t r e n d i n e f f o r t f rom 32,036 ang le r days i n 1970 t o approx imate ly 53,000 ang le r days i n 1985 (Tab le 4). The r e s u l t s o f t h e 1980 Na t i ona l survey

Table 4. Angler e f f o r t (days) expended on t h e New Brunswick p o r t i o n o f t h e St. C r o i x watershed, 1970-85.

P r o v i n c i a l St . C r o i x Year Reference a n g l i n g days a n g l i n g days

1970 Hooper 1974 1,017,000 32,036 1975 Hooper 1979 1,363,015 49,680 1980 Hooper , unpub. 1,529,010 16,235 1985 Hooper , unpub. '* 1,471,194 53.000

*P re l im ina ry es t imate .

lHooper, W. C. 1982. 1980 New Brunswick ang le r survey, Sumnary t ab les , F i sh & W i l d l i f e Branch, Dept. Na tu ra l Resources, F rede r i c ton , N.B.

2Hooper, W. C. 1987. 1985 New Brunswick ang le r survey, Summary t a b l e s , F i sh & W i l d l i f e Branch, Oept. Na tu ra l Resources, F rede r i c ton , N.B.

on t h e St. C r o i x a r e suspect and, t h e r e f o r e , shou ld no t be used w i t h o u t q u a l i f i c a t i o n . The average a n g l i n g e f f o r t per km2 i n New Brunswick i n 1970, 1975 and 1985 was approx imate ly 18 ang le r days w h i l e t h e St. C ro i x watershed rece i ved an e f f o r t o f approx imate ly 23 ang le r days per km2 o f watershed.

Sport f i s h i n g , as a r e c r e a t i o n a l p u r s u i t i n 1986. was the mainstay a c t i v i t y o f commercial . o u t f i t t e r s on t h e waterway, seconda r i l y supported by h u n t i n g and canoeing (Amulet Consu l t i ng L td . 1987).

Sport f ishermen a n g l i n g o n - t h e St . C ro i x waterway i n 1986 appeared t o have mixed f e e l i n g s on t h e i r o v e r a l l exper ience and catch (Tab le 5 ) . The m a j o r i t y o f Canadian ang lers appeared t o be s a t i s i f i e d o r very s a t i s f i e d w i t h t h e i r a n g l i n g exper ience and catch w h i l e t h e m a j o r i t y o f American ang lers , a l though s a t i s f i e d w i t h t h e o v e r a l l a n g l i n g exper ience, were n o t as s a t i s f i e d w i t h t h e i r ca tch (Amulet Consu l t i ng L td . 1987).

I n recen t years , pos t 1982. a s i g n i f i c a n t d e c l i n e i n t he smallmouth bass resource i n Spednic

Table 5. Angler s a t i s f a c t i o n w i t h t h e i r o v e r a l l a n g l i n g exper ience and ca tch on t h e St. C ro i x Waterway, 1986 ( a f t e r Amulet Consu l t i ng L td . 1987).

Canadian American ang ler ang ler

Ove ra l l a n g l i n g exper ience d i d n o t s t a t e - 4.3 very d i s s a t i s f i e d - 3.2 d i s s a t i s f i e d 21.4 12.8 s a t i s f i e d 57.1 58.5 very s a t i s f i e d 21.4 21.3

Ang l i ng ca tch d i d no t s t a t e 7.1 2.1 very d i s s a t i s f i e d 7.1 6.4 d i s s a t i s f i e d 21.4 37.2 s a t i s f i e d 42.9 39.4 very s a t i s f i e d 21.4 13.0

SPORT FISHERY POTENTIAL

The 17,634 ha o f lakes and 135 km o f streams i n t he Upper St. C r o i x Watershed cou ld suppor t increased ang ler e f f o r t p rov ided proven f i s h e r i e s management s t r a t e g i e s a re implemented. An impor tant p r i n c i p l e t o cons ider , however, i s t h e maintenance o f optimum spawning escapement by n o t o v e r e x p l o i t i n g t h e f i s h e r y resources o f t h e area. The maximum e f f o r t t he watershed cou ld suppor t i s i n t h e o rde r o f 100,000 ang ler days, hav ing a d i r e c t expend i tu re o f 3ver $2.0 m i l l i o n . Having s t a t e d t h a t , however, cons ide ra t i on should be g i ven t o n o t s i g n i f i c a n t l y i nc reas ing e f f o r t o f t he watershed, bu t r a t h e r improving the q u a l i t y o f t h e f i s h e r y . A l l o c a t i o n o f the resource, t h e r e f o r e , shou ld be addressed by t h e agencies i nvo l ved i n t h e i n t e r n a t i o n a l f i s h e r y .

I n o rde r t o o p t i m i z e t h e use o f t h e resource f o r t h e b e n e f i t o f bo th New Brunswick and Maine c i t i z e n s , seve ra l f i s h e r y s t r a t e g i e s must be implemented. These inc lude:

( a ) Oevelop and implement a f i s h h a b i t a t p r o t e c t i o n and enhancement program t o ensure a s u f f i c i e n t q u a n t i t y and q u a l i t y o f h a b i t a t t o suppor t a d i v e r s i t y o f , f i s h and f i s h i n g o p p o r t u n i t i e s .

(b ) Assess i n l a n d f i s h s tocks and ang ler demand i n an a t tempt t o meet t he a n t i c i p a t e d needs o f t he c i t i z e n s o f New Brunswick and Maine.

( c ) Manage and p r o t e c t f i s h popu la t i ons by deve lop ing f l e x i b l e and reasonable r e g u l a t i o n s f o r a n g l i n g waters and des ign ing r e g u l a t i o n s t o harvest optimum susta ined y i e l d s by s p e c i f y i n g quotas, l e n g t h l i m i t s , seasons and gear.

(d) Prepare i n d i v i d u a l spec ies management pl'ans ,which would i nc lude f ive-year management plans

. and one-year ope ra t i ng p lans.

PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH INLAND FISHERIES MANAGEMENT

WATER DISCHARGE REGULATION

The hyd ro logy o f t h e St. C r o i x R i v e r Basin i s h i g h l y r e g u l a t e d w i t h approx imate ly 30 dams i n t h e watershed cons t ruc ted p r i m a r i l y f o r power genera t ion , water s torage, l a k e l e v e l r e g u l a t i o n o r wa te r fow l management (S t . C ro i x R i v e r S tee r i ng Committee 1986). The o p e r a t i n g regimes o f t h e water s to rage dams owned by Georg ia-Pac i f i c Co rpo ra t i on on Spednic and East Grand Lakes have been t h e s u b j e c t o f many c o n t r o v e r s i a l debates. The con t rove rsy cent res on t h e es tab l ishment o f acceptab le l a k e water l e v e l s w h i l e m a i n t a i n i n g accep tab le f l o w r a t e s downstream o f t he water c o n t r o l s t r u c t u r e s . The d i f f i c u l t y i n de te rm in ing what i s acceptab le depends upon t h e user group concerned. Al though r e c e n t l y addressed by t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l Sa in t C r o i x R i ve r Board o f Con t ro l (1987), t h e authors f a i l e d t o recogn i ze t h i s l e g i t i m a t e cont roversy , l e t a l one a t tempt t o r e s o l v e it.

The l o s s o f young-of-the-year smallmouth bass i n Spednic Lake i s probab ly r e l a t e d t o water l e v e l f l u c t u a t i o n s (Smith 1985). Lake drawdowns a r e a l s o probab ly i n f l u e n c i n g growth o f r oo ted a q u a t i c vege ta t i on and i n v e r t e b r a t e product ion . Smith (1985) s t a t e s t h a t f i s h species i n Spednic Lake t h a t r e l y on t h e l i t t o r a l zone f o r a l l o r p a r t o f t h e i r 1 i f e c y c l e a r e seve re l y depressed.

. PREDATION AND COMPETITION

- Predat ion and cbmpe t i t i on among the 35 known f i s h species i n t h e St . C ro i x dra inage a r e impor tan t b i o l o g i c a l and e c o l o g i c a l f a c t o r s r e l e v a n t t o f i s h e r i e s management. The day-to-day i n t e r a c t i o n s o f these f i s h e s w i l l no t be discussed here. Ins tead, t h e authors p r e f e r t o concent ra te on two man-made i n t e r f e r e n c e s w i t h es tab l i shed f i s h communities i n t he Upper St. C r o i x Watershed. These i n t e r f e r e n c e s may be i n f l u e n c i n g p r e f e r r e d s p o r t f i s h p roduc t i on by i n f l u e n c i n g " n a t u r a l " p reda t i on - compe t i t i on r e l a t i o n s h i p s .

The f i r s t o f these impacts i s r e l a t e d t o water l e v e l drawdowns i n t h e Ch iputnet icook Lakes. The authors suggest t h a t species more t o l e r a n t t o drawdowns may a l s o be o p p o r t u n i s t i c , thereby b e n e f i t i n g f rom the d e c l i n e i n smallmouth bass popu la t i ons . It can be expected t h a t smallmouth bass may have some d i f f i c u l t y r e c o l o n i z i n g h a b i t a t s t h a t o the r f i s h species now occupy.

The second s i t u a t i o n where t h e p r i n c i p l e s o f p reda t i on and compe t i t i on w i t h i n t he l a k e ecosystem a r e s i a n i f i c a n t l v imoor tan t i s t h e recen t e n t r v o f l a r g e numbers o f -a lew ives Alosa pseudoharen us i n t o Spednic Lake. I t has b e e n m u b d r e l a t i o n s h i p e x i s t s between t h e bass d e c l i n e and t h e presence o f a lewives. The r e l a t i o n s h i p may r e s u l t f rom compe t i t i on between j u v e n i l e a lewives and bass f r y f o r food and space o r through p reda t i on by a d u l t a lewives on bass f r y .

(e ) Encourage t h e p u b l i c t o recogn ize the values o f "no k i l l " o r hook and r e l e a s e ang l i ng .

( f ) Encourage a n g l i n g f o r u n d e r u t i l i z e d game f i s h species.

FISH STOCKING AND FISH HEALTH

The St. C r o i x R i v e r S tee r i ng Committee has es tab l i shed a F i s h Hea l th Management Plan (S t . C r o i x R i ve r S tee r i ng Committee 1986). The imp1 i c a t i o n s o f t he p lan have seve re l y r e s t r i c t e d t h e a b i l i t y o f t he New Brunswick Department o f Na tu ra l Resources and Energy t o m a i n t a i n v i a b l e popu la t i ons o f land locked salmon and brook t r o u t i n seve ra l l akes i n t h e upper St. C r o i x watershed. The major concern w i t h s t o c k i n g hatchery land locked salmon rea red i n New Brunswick f i s h c u l t u r e f a c i l i t i e s i s t h e p o t e n t i a l t h r e a t o f i n t r o d u c i n g I n f e c t i o u s Pancreat ic Necros is V i rus (IPNV) i n t o t h e waterway. Al though t h e Department o f Na tu ra l Resources and Energy, i n coopera t ion w i t h F i s h e r i e s and Oceans, have attemp-

'

t e d t o f i n d IPNV i n t h e watershed, t h e pathogen has not been detec ted i n w i l d samples c o l l e c t e d i n 1987. The importance o f supplement ing land locked salmon popu la t ions w i t h hatchery s tock has l ong been recognized by t h e Maine Department o f I n l a n d F i she r i es and W i l d l i f e .

ST. CROIX STEERING COMMITTEE

The St. C ro i x S tee r i ng Committee i s represented by s i x members, t h r e e o f which a r e American and t h r e e Canadian. The t h r e e American rep resen ta t i ves i nc lude a member o f each f rom the Maine A t l a n t i c Sea-Run Salmon Commission, Maine Department o f I n l and F i she r i es and W i l d l i f e and t h e Maine Department o f Mar ine Resources. A l l t h r e e Canadian rep resen ta t i ves a re f rom the Federal Oepartment o f F i she r i es and Oceans. The New Brunswick Department o f Na tu ra l Resources and Energy at tempted i n 1984 t o be recogn ized as a committee member. The request was based on p r o v i n c i a l p r o p r i e t a r y r i g h t s and the p r o v i n c i a l department assuming, by d e f a u l t , t he i n l a n d f i s h e r i e s management f u n c t i o n s i n New arunswick. The department f e l t it impor tan t t o be i nvo l ved i n dec i s i ons i n v o l v i n g a l l o c a t i o n o f a p r o v i n c i a l resource. The request was denied.

RECOMMENDATIONS

WATER LEVELS AND DISCHARGES

(a ) The I n t e r n a t i o n a l J o i n t Commission and lo r t h e New Brunswick-Main J o i n t Adv isory Comnission should rev iew the p h y s i c a l , chemical , b i o l o g i c a l and s o c i a l impacts o f t he e x i s t i n g h y d r o l o g i c a l o p e r a t i n g regime on t h e St. C r o i x waterway. I n r e c o g n i t i o n o f the m u l t i p l e use o f the waterway, t h e compromise p r o v i d i n g t h e optimum b e n e f i t s t o t h e c i t i z e n s o f Maine and New Brunswick shou ld be implemented.

(b) F i s h e r i e s management agencies on bo th s ides o f the i n t e r n a t i o n a l border should cont inue and, i f poss ib le , increase t h e i r e f f o r t s t o assess t h e b i o l o g i c a l impact o f e x i s t i n g and f u t u r e o p e r a t i n g regimes.

PREDATORS AND COMPETITORS

(c ) The e x t e n t o f t h e drawdowns on the Ch iputnet icook cha in o f lakes, e s p e c i a l l y Spednic Lake, should be reduced. The r e s u l t a n t e f f e c t would reduce d i r e c t and i n d i r e c t p reda t i on and compe t i t i on between va luab le f i s h spec ies and l e s s d e s i r a b l e spec ies .

( d ) The drawdowns shou ld occur d u r i n g seasons when t h e impact on va luab le f i s h e r i e s would be reduced and p o s s i b l y even p rov ide some c o n t r o l on p reda to r and/or compet i to r spec ies .

(e) Alewives shou ld no t be pe rm i t t ed t o ascend upstream from the Vanceboro-St. C r o i x Dam i n t o Spednic Lake.

FISH STOCKING AND FISH HEALTH

( f ) The f i s h h e a l t h p o l i c y shou ld be rev iewed and c o n s i d e r a t i o n be g iven t o t h e s t o c k i n g o f f i s h f rom a c u l t u r a l f a c i l i t y r e v e a l i n g no evidence o f emergency and c e r t i f i a b l e f i s h pathogens i n t h e pas t year.

(g ) The S ta te o f Maine shou ld r e a r and s t o c k land locked A t l a n t i c salmon and brook t r o u t f o r t h e New Brunswick p o r t i o n o f t h e watershed. The Prov ince o f New Brunswick c o u l d re imburse the S t a t e f o r t r a n s p o r t a t i o n and r e a r i n g cos ts .

(h ) Federal , p r o v i n c i a l and s t a t e agencies shou ld increase e f f o r t s t o c o n f i r m t h e presence o f s p e c i f i c pathogens such as t h e I n f e c t i o u s Panc rea t i c Necros is v i r u s .

REGULATIONS

( i ) The Federal Department o f F i s h e r i e s and Oceans shou ld irrunediately e s t a b l i s h a mechanism whereby r e g u l a t o r y changes can be implemented w i t h o u t unnecessary de lay .

HABITAT

(j) Extens ive f i s h h a b i t a t p r o t e c t i o n and enhancement p lans shou ld be developed and implemented on t h e St. C ro i x waterway.

COMMITTEES

( k ) The New Brunswick Department o f Na tu ra l Resources and Energy shou ld be represented on f u t u r e comnit tees d e a l i n g w i t h management and a l l o c a t i o n o f p r o v i n c i a l f i s h e r i e s resources i n t h e St. C r o i x watershed.

REFERENCES

Amulet Cons lu t i ng Ltd. 1987. A market demand a n a l y s i s f o r outdoor r e c r e a t i o n a l o p p o r t u n i t i e s on t h e St. C r o i x Waterway. Amulet Consu l t i ng Ltd., F rede r i c ton , N. B. 210 p .

Cronin, P. J. 1985. E f f e c t s o f water l e v e l drawdowns on r e s i d e n t s p o r t f i s h i n Spednic Lake. N.B. Dept. Na tu ra l Resources Sumnary Report .

Havey, K. A. 1963. St. C r o i x R i v e r f i s h management and r e s t o r a t i o n . Maine Dept. I n l and F i s h and W i l d l i f e .

Hooper, W. C. 1974. D i s t r i b u t i o n o f a n g l i n g e f f o r t i n New Brunswick, 1970. F ish . Ygmt. Rep. No. 3, N. B. Dept. Na tu ra l Resources, 28 p.

Hooper, W. C. 1979. The I975 New Brunswick s p o r t f i s h e r y . F ish . Mgmt. Rep. 9, N.B. Oept. Na tu ra l Resources.

I n t e r n a t i o n a l S t . C r o i x R i ve r Board o f Con t ro l . 1987. P r e l i m i n a r y r e p o r t on t h e s t a t u s o f Spednic Lake r e g u l a t i o n . Submitted t o t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l J o i n t Commission, 14 p.

I n t e r n a t i o n a l St . C ro i x R i ve r Eng ineer ing Board. 1957. Water resources o f t h e St. C r o i x R i ve r Basin. Report on p r e l im ina ry i n v e s t i g a t i o n s t o t he I n t e r n a t i o n a l J o i n t Commission, 125 p.

Smith, M. R. 1982. Status o f smallmouth bass popu la t i ons i n Spednic Lake, Maine. Maine Dept. I n l a n d F i s h and W i l d l i f e , a s m a r y r e p o r t , 10 p.

St . C r o i x R i v e r S tee r i ng Committee. 1986. Long-term management p lan f o r t h e diadromous f i s h e r i e s o f t h e St. C r o i x R i ve r .

INLAND FISHERIES

Discussion Summary

An explanation for the decline of the bass fishery in Spednic Lake was based

on the combined effect of drawdown and a new and growing alewife population.

It was noted that small mouthed bass were introduced in the 1870ts, and that

the population fluctuates, but the combination of the alewife and drawdown is

more recent. There is still uncertainty as to the actual cause of the demise

of the bass fishery. The decline continues even though angling pressure is

markedly reduced.

I In Spednic Lake the bass spawn successfully, however, survival of juveniles is

very poor resulting in a population of predominantly older (and fewer) fish.

Low productivity in Spednic Lake, particularly of invertebrates, was also

suggested as contributing to poor survdval.

SESSION 1 (CONTINUED)

FISHERIES REQUIREMENTS

SHELLFISH RESOURCES

Highlights

1. There are no conditional closures (which allow commercial harvesting under certain conditions) in the St. Croix area. In some restricted areas harvesting is permitted for relaying to specified clean areas or for purifying in controlled conditions (i.e. depuration plants). Oak Bay is harvested for depuration.

2. In Maine, shellfish resources are commonly managed (by Maine Department of Marine Resources) by closure of depleted flats, seasonal closures of certain flats, and provision of hydraulic dredging of stunted clams for transplantation in flats known to produce good clam growth.

3. Surveys of Maine's shellfish growing waters in the St. Croix River in 1983, 1984, and 1987 revealed high coliform levels. The.main sources are thought to be streams flowing into coastal waters mainly at times of high run-off. The identity of these suspected sources are normally reported by the Department of Marine Resources to Maine's Department of Environmental Protection.

4. A cooperative effort amongst Maine's Department of Environmental Protection and Department of Marine Sources and Canada's Environment Canada to survey water quality shore-to-shore in the estuary, is one of the recommended ways to assess water quality and pollution sources.

5. The St. Croix area clam industry, producing more than 90,000 kg/yr in the early 401s, was closed due to bacterial contamination in 1950. It still remains closed to direct harvesting, but depuration facilities have allowed restricted harvesting in recent years.

6. Sources of bacterial contamination in the St. Croix estuary include inadequate or malfunctioning sewage treatment systems at most of the major towns, industrial parks and institutions and effluent from the pulpmill at Woodland. Landwash and other non-point sources, possibly cottages at certain locations, provide an additional variable and undefined source of contamination.

MANAGEMENT AN0 DEVELOPMENT OF THE SHELLFISH RESOURCES OF THE ST. CROIX RIVER ESTUARY

W. S. Foster Department o f Mar ine Resources

S ta te House S t a t i o n #21, Augusta, Maine 04333 USA

SUMMARY

The s o f t s h e l l c lam i s t h e o n l y s h e l l f i s h resource c u r r e n t l y cons idered commercial ly s i g n i f i - cant on t h e west shore o f t h e St. C r o i x es tuary . The shore f rom Ca la i s t o L i b e r t y Po in t i s c l a s s i f i e d as p r o h i b i t e d t o s h e l l f i s h ha rves t . Water q u a l i t y surveys i n 1987 i n d i c a t e p o l l u t e d streams i n Lamb and Brooks Coves c o n t r i b u t e t o l o c a l l y h i g h c o l i f o r m concen t ra t i ons . Some popu la t i ons o f clams i n t h e area may q u a l i f y f o r r e s t r i c t e d c l a s s i f i c a t i o n . The Na t i ona l S h e l l f i s h S a n i t a t i o n Plan, Manual o f Operat ions Pa r t I became e f f e c t i v e January 1, 1987, and es tab l i shes new c r i t e r i a f o r s h e l l f i s h growing area c l a s s i f i c a t i o n . The c l a s s i f i c a t i o n system i s o u t l i n e d . Oppor tun i t i es f o r mun ic ipa l s o f t clam management prov ided by s t a t u t e a r e o u t l i n e d . A coopera t ive Canadian-Maine survey o f c o l i f o r m b a c t e r i a l concen t ra t i ons i n t h e St. C r o i x es tuary i s recommended.

THE ESTUARY AN0 THE SHELLFISH RESOURCES

For t h i s conference on t h e St. C ro i x , we can assume t h e es tuary ends a t Joe's P o i n t , St. Andrews o r a t L i b e r t y Point , Robbinston on t h e oppos i t e shore. Although b lue mussels, M t i l u s edu l i s , a r e present and have c o m e r c i a l i n t k t m y s h e l l f i s h o f commercial ly i n t e r e s t i n g d e n s i t y a t p resent i s t h e s o f t s h e l l clam, M a a rena r i a . Lamb Cove and Brooks Cove a re areas t& m e a t e d l y been i d e n t i f i e d as hav ing s i g n i f i c a n t popu la t i ons o f clams.

Clam management o p p o r t u n i t i e s i n Maine depend upon water q u a l i t y r e l a t i v e t o p u b l i c h e a l t h i n s h e l l f i s h growing areas; s h e l l f i s h popu la t i on , t h e i n t e r e s t o f the t he m u n i c i p a l i t y and,. t o an ex ten t . t h e i n t e r e s t o f commercial harvesters . A d e s c r i p t i o n o f these r e l a t i o n s h i p s f o l l ows .

SHELLFISH GROWING AREA CLASSIFICATION

N a t i o n a l l y adopted s h e l l f i s h s a n i t a t i o n standards cove r i ng assessment o f s h e l l f i s h growing areas have r e c e n t l y been r e v i s e d and adopted by t he I n t e r s t a t e S h e l l f i s h S a n i t a t i o n Conference (ISSC), Na t i ona l S h e l l f i s h S a n i t a t i o n Plan, Manual o f Operat ions, Par t I. The Na t i ona l She l l f i s h S a n i t a t i o n Plan i s more a c c u r a t e l y an I n t e r n a t i o n a l S h e l l f i s h S a n i t a t i o n Plan s ince Canada i s a p a r t i c i - pant. Through membership i n t h e I n t e r s t a t e She l l f i s h S a n i t a t i o n Conference, t h e p a r t i c i p a t i n g s t a t e s , i n d u s t r y and t h e U.S. Pub l i c Hea l t h Service, Food and Drug Admin i s t ra t i on develop standards f o r s h e l l f i s h growing waters. A d d i t i o n a l standards govern o the r aspects o f p rocess ing s h e l l f i s h .

i n f l u e n c e i s es t imated and a t l e a s t 15 samples o f water f rom s t a t i o n s s t r a t e g i c a l l y s i t u a t e d and sampled t o p r o f i l e wo rs t p o l l u t i o n c o n d i t i o n s analyzed p r i o r t o e l e v a t i n g an a rea ' s c l a s s i f i - c a t i o n . Two standards o f b a c t e r i o l o g i c a l q u a l i t y a r e a v a i l a b l e t o t h e ; tate s h e l l f i s h c o n t r o l agency. I t may use a broad spectrum, t o t a l c o l i f o r m b a c t e r i a l group o r a narrower spectrum, f e c a l c o l i- form b a c t e r i a l group. For "approved" c l a s s i f i c a t i o n which a l l ows ha rves t d i r e c t f o r market geometr ic mean o f b a c t e r i a concen t ra t i ons a r e n o t t o exceed 70 per 100 mL f o r t o t a l c o l i f o r m s and 14 per 100 mL f o r f e c a l c o l i f o r m s . I n a d d i t i o n , t h e v a r i a b i l i t y o f t h e sampl ing f rom which these means a r e es t imated should be low enough t o g i v e 90% conf idence l e v e l s .

I f t h e s a n i t a r y survey and water q u a l i t y a n a l y s i s i n d i c a t e t h a t t h e approved c l a s s i f i c a t i o n i s p r e d i c t a b l e o n l y under c e r t a i n c o n d i t i o n s , then a c o n d i t i o n a l l y approved c l a s s i f i c a t i o n may be warranted. The area would be c losed t o ha rves t o the rw ise .

R e s t r i c t e d c l a s s i f i c a t i o n cou ld be a p p r o p r i a t e i f t h e same e v a l u a t i o n process revea l s a somewhat e leva ted l e v e l o f contaminat ion w i t h s h e l l f i s h growing area water mean t o t a l c o l i f o r m b a c t e r i a concen t ra t i ons no t exceeding 700 per 100 mL o r f e c a l c o l i f o r m s n o t exceeding 88 per 100 mL. I n r e s t r i c t e d areas, i t would be p o s s i b l e t o pe rm i t ha rves t f o r r e l a y i n g i n s p e c i f i e d c lean areas o r f o r p u r i f y i n g i n c o n t r o l l e d cond i t i ons . The c o n t r o l l e d p u r i f i c a t i o n process, depu ra t i on , r e q u i r e s c l o s e m o n i t o r i n g by t h e s t a t e c e r t i f y i n g agency. I t i s t h i s process t h a t pe rm i t s h a r v e s t i n g i n Oak Bay.

Growing area c l a s s i f i c a t i o n i s reviewed annua l l y and a t l e a s t f i v e samples a re c o l l e c t e d f rom each o f t h e s t a t i o n s . Each t h r e e years t h e area i s re-evaluated, t h e p o t e n t i a l sources o f p o l l u t i o n a r e reappra ised and a w r i t t e n r e p o r t i s produced.

STATE MANAGEMENT

Anyone may ha rves t no more than one-ha l f bushel per day o f s h e l l f i s h f rom approved waters f o r h i s own use w i thou t hav ing t o o b t a i n a s t a t e s h e l l f i s h l i c e n s e . Commercial s h e l l f i s h ha rves te r l i censes a re a v a i l a b l e t o r e s i d e n t s o f Maine and pe rm i t h a r v e s t i n g any amount o f s h e l l f i s h f rom approved waters. The l i c e n s e does no t a u t h o r i z e ha rves t i n v i o l a t i o n o f mun ic ipa l s h e l l f i s h ordinances. The s t a t e has a minimum s h e l l l e n g t h o f 2 i n . f o r s o f t clams and has a 10% to le rance by count f o r any l o t . Other than coopera t ing w i t h m u n i c i p a l i t i e s i n c e r t a i n programs, t h e s t a t e makes no e f f o r t t o manage s o f t clam resources.

S h e l l f i s h growing area c l a s s i f i c a t i o d r e q u i r e s a survey o f a l l a c t u a l and p o t e n t i a l sources o f p o l l u t i o n and t h e i r p o t e n t i a l impact on t h e s h e l l - f i s h growing area. Hydrographic and me teo ro log i ca l

MUNICIPAL MANAGEMENT

I f s h e l l f i s h resources a r e i n growing areas c l a s s i f i e d approved o r c o n d i t i o n a l l y approved, m u n i c i p a l i t i e s may request permiss ion t o manage t h e resources on t h e i r shores. The a u t h o r i t y f o r mun ic ipa l management i s t r a c e d from t h e c o l o n i a l ordinances o f t h e seventeenth century . According t o T i t l e 12, sec t i on 6671 o f Maine law, i f m u n i c i p a l i - t i e s adopt management p lans and r a i s e funds t o execute t h e p lan and adopt an ord inance approved by t h e Commissioner o f Marine Resources, t hey may then r e g u l a t e or p r o h i b i t t h e possession o f s h e l l f i s h , f i x t he amount taken and s h a l l l i m i t t he s i z e o f s o f t clam taken. They may f i x q u a l i f i c a t i o n s f o r a l i cense , i n c l u d i n g mun ic ipa l residency, f i x fees and a u t h o r i z e mun ic ipa l o f f i c e r s t o open and c l o s e f l a t s under s p e c i f i e d cond i t i ons .

A Department o f Mar ine Resources Regula t ion , Chapter 7, s p e c i f i e s o the r management a c t i v i t i e s r e q u i r e d o f mun ic ipa l programs. The r e g u l a t i o n e s s e n t i a l l y descr ibes the s t a t u s quo o f t he more a c t i v e programs. D e f i n a b l e tasks i n c l u d e making a resource survey every 3 y r and us ing t h a t as a bas i s f o r making s h e l l f i s h management dec is ions . The s h e l l f i s h management committees meet w i t h t h e OMR area b i o l o g i s t annua l l y and rev iew t h e s t a t u s o f t h e resource and prepare a management p lan i n c l u d i n g de te rm in ing t h e number o f l i c e n s e s t o be s o l d and assu r i ng t h a t 10% a r e made a v a i l a b l e t o nonres ident harvesters . The most comnonly employed management p r a c t i c e i s t o c l ose f l a t s w i t h dep le ted resources and t o seasona l ly c l ose c e r t a i n areas such as p rese rv ing f l a t s f o r w i n t e r d i g g i n g t h a t t y p i c a l l y remain ice- f ree. I f concen t ra t i ons o f s tun ted clams a re i d e n t i f i e d , DMR w i l l p rov ide a h y d r a u l i c dredge t o harvest them f o r t r a n s p l a n t i n g i n f l a t s known t o produce good clam growth.

OEPURATION HARVESTING

Maine has f o u r p l a n t s designed t o p u r i f y s h e l l - f i s h under c o n t r o l l e d c o n d i t i o n s . The development o f t h i s technology has a l lowed s h e l l f i s h t o be harvested from moderately contaminated areas t h a t would o therwise be unava i l ab le t o t h e ha rves te r . The ope ra t i on o f the p l a n t i s c o s t l y ; thus the ha rves te r i s o f f e r e d a lower landed p r i c e per u n i t volume than the ha rves te r o f approved area s h e l l - f i s h . The l a c k o f compe t i t i on i n t h e o the rw ise closed areas u s u a l l y means t h a t the abundance and s i z e o f clams i s g r e a t e r than i n approved o r open areas; thus the depu ra t i on ha rves te r f r e q u e n t l y has l a r g e r land ings and rece i ves more f o r a day 's harves't .

ST. CROIX SHELLFISH GROWING AREA CLASSIFICATION

It i s expensive f o r DMR s t a f f t o c l a s s i f y St. C ro i x s h e l l f i s h growing areas from f a c i l i t i e s i n Boothbay Harbor, 200 mi away. The impetus t o survey the area has been t o see i f cond i t i ons have improved enough t o r e c l a s s i f y t he area (1983-84) o r t o exp lore t he p o s s i b i l i t y o f r e c l a s s i f y i n g coves i d e n t i f i e d by Maine depura t ion ha rves te rs as hav ing s u b s t a n t i a l clam resources (1987). The surveys i n 1983 and 1984 were conducted i n November and i n d i c a t e d bo th t o t a l c o l i f o r m and f e c a l c o l i f o r m l e v e l s f a r t o o h i g h t o cons ider any type o f opening.

Another survey i n 1987 sampled streams f l o w i n g i n t o Brooks Cove and Lamb Cove and c l e a r l y revea led t h a t one stream i n each case c o n t r i b u t e d t o t h e h i g h c o l i f o r m concen t ra t i ons i n t h e r e s p e c t i v e cove. Lower contaminat ion i n shore samples was apparent i n upstream s i t e s ( c l o s e r t o Oak P o i n t ) i n some cases. A d d i t i o n a l sampl ing i n t imes o f low r u n o f f may i n d i - c a t e t imes o f t h e year when depu ra t i on h a r v e s t i n g cou ld be p o s s i b l e i n some o f t he coves. The sources o f contaminat ion w i l l be brought t o t h e a t t e n t i o n o f Maine 's Department o f Environmental P r o t e c t i o n t o assess p o s s i b l e waste d ischarge v i o l a t i o n s .

CONCLUSIONS

Data a v a i l a b l e f rom DMR surveys a r e inadequate t o a'ssess water q u a l i t y , p o l l u t i o n sources o r t r ends i n water q u a l i t y . Shore-based sampl ing may be i n f l uenced t o such a l a r g e degree by l o c a l sources t h a t t h e o v e r a l l q u a l i t y o f t h e es tua ry cannot be assessed.

OMR should coopera te w i t h Environmental P r o t e c t i o n Service, Environment Canada s t a f f t o s y s t e m a t i c a l l y assess water q u a l i t y and p o l l u t i o n sources i n t h e St. C r o i x es tua ry t o ex tend t h e t r a n s e c t s f rom shore t o shore a t l o c a t i o n s es tab l i shed by p r e v i o u s l y r e p o r t e d surveys (see: S h e l l f i s h Growing Areas i n t h e St. C r o i x R i v e r Estuary by Amar 5. Menon, i nc luded w i t h t h e papers o f t h i s conference) .

SHELLFISH GROWING AREAS IN THE ST. CROIX RIVER ESTUARY

A. S. Menon Environment Canada, Environmental P r o t e c t i o n , A t l a n t i c Region

45 Alderney Dr i ve , Dartmouth, Nova Sco t i a B2Y 2N6 Canada

INTRODUCTION

The St. C r o i x R i ve r Basin, l oca ted i n south- eas te rn Maine and southwestern New Brunswick, has a maximum l e n g t h o f 120 km and a w i d t h o f 80 km. The t o t a l d ra inage area i s 4251 km2 (F ig . 1). The St . C r o i x R i ve r i s approx imate ly 124 km long, which passes through a s e r i e s o f in terconnected lakes be fo re e n t e r i n g a s a l t w a t e r es tuary below St. Stephen. The St. C ro i x R i ve r es tua ry i s approx i - mate ly 22 km i n l e n g t h and has an average depth below low water o f 11.5 m. The es tua ry i s i n f l uenced by t h e extreme t i d a l ampl i tude o f t h e Bay o f Fundy. Maximum t i d a l range i n t h e area i s approx imate ly 9 m, w i t h a mean o f 6 m a t t h e head o f t he es tua ry . The g rea t t i d a l magnitude and g e n t l e s l o p i n g c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s o f t h e area r e s u l t s i n a l a r g e i n t e r t i d a l area which supports a good bed o f s o f t - s h e l l clams (Forgeron 1959).

Du r i ng t h e 1940ts, t h e St. C r o i x R i ve r es tua ry supported a h i g h l y p roduc t i ve clam i n d u s t r y . The area was r e p o r t e d t o have once produced more than 90,000 kg o f clams annua l l y (Medcof 1956), b u t increased mun ic ipa l and i n d u s t r i a l p o l l u t i o n have s i g n i f i c a n t l y reduced t h e u t l i z a t i o n o f t h i s resource. I n 1950, t h e e n t i r e St. C r o i x R i ve r es tuary was c losed t o t h e h a r v e s t i n g o f s h e l l f i s h because o f h i gh f e c a l b a c t e r i a l counts. I n recen t years , t h e r e was renewed i n t e r e s t i n t h e u t i l i z a t i o n o f t he clam resources i n t h e es tuary because o f t h e development o f commercial depu ra t i on and c leans ing f a c i l i t i e s i n t he area.

This paper discusses t h e c u r r e n t s t a t u s o f s h e l l f i s h resources, p o l l u t i o n sources and the c l a s s i f i c a t i o n o f s h e l l f i s h growing areas i n t h e St. C ro i x R iver es tuary .

SHELLFISH RESOURCES

S h e l l f i s h a re de f i ned as a l l e d i b l e mol luscan species o f clams, oys te rs and mussels i n t h i s paper. The s o f t - s h e l l clam ( M a a r e n a r i a ) i s considered t o be the most e c o n o m i c a h m t o f these species i n t h e St. C r o i x R i ve r es tuary . Blue mussel ( Y y t i l u s e d u l i s ) i s commonly'found i n t h e es tuary , bu t has n-n commercial ly e x p l o i t e d (Mackay e t

' a l . 1973). Oysters have no t been repo r ted i n t he study area.

F igure 2 shows the p r i n c i p a l areas where commercial q u a n t i t i e s o f s o f t - s h e l l clams have been i d e n t i f i e d i n t h e St . C ro i x R i ve r estuary. Oak Bay i s the most p roduc t i ve clam area where the s tand ing s tock o f market -s ize clams ( g r e a t e r than 38 rm) was es t imated a t approx imate ly 34.000 bushels or 928,000 kg (Robert and Smith 1980; F ros t and Yur ick 1983). The h ighes t concent ra t ions o f market -s ize clams occur red i n t h e sandy g rave l subs t ra te west o f Spoon I s l and , which y i e l d s an average o f 1166 bushels per hectare. However, i t should be noted t h a t t he growth r a t e o f clams i n Oak Bay i s slow, as i n d i c a t e d by t he h i g h numbers o f smal l clams

(McFarlbne e t a l . 1987). Therefore. sus ta ined y i e l d s f rom these resources may no t be h igh , a f a c t o r t o be considered i n p lann ing long- term depu ra t i on ope ra t i ons i n t h e area.

I n Johnson Cove, Angus e t . a l . (1985) es t imated t h a t t h e s tand ing s tock o f market -s ize clams i n t h e 17.9-ha area was approx imate ly 1521 bushels (41,500 kg ) . However, t h e area a l s o supported a l a r g e percentage (81%) o f e a r l y r e c r u i t s ( l e s s than o r equal t o 29 mm), which i n d i c a t e s a l a r g e r p o p u l a t i o n a v a i l a b l e f o r f u t u r e ha rves t i ng .

Est imates on t h e d e n s i t y and d i s t r i b u t i o n o f s o f t - s h e l l clams i n t h e Un i ted S ta tes ' p o r t i o n o f t h e es tua ry s i n c e t h e 1950's i s l i m i t e d . C o f f i n (1983) r e p o r t e d good commercial q u a n t i t i e s o f clams were found a t Lamb Cove, E l l i o t F l a t and Brooks Cove.

The clam f i s h i n g i n t h e St. C r o i x R i ve r es tua ry was curbed i n 1950 when t h e i n t e r t i d a l f l a t s became p o l l u t e d . Present commercial s h e l l f i s h e x p l o i t a t i o n i s l i m i t e d t o t h e h a r v e s t i n g o f clams from m a r g i n a l l y contaminated areas i n Oak Bay by pe rm i t s f o r p rocess ing i n depu ra t i on p l a n t s where t h e clams a r e p u r i f i e d p r i o r t o market ing. The volume o f clams harvested annua l l y f rom Oak Bay f o r depu ra t i on i s approx imate ly 3400 bushels. The r e s t r i c t e d har - v e s t i n g o f s h e l l f i s h f rom the St. C ro i x R i ve r es tuary i s governed by t h e s a n i t a r y and b a c t e r i o - l o g i c a l water q u a l i t y c o n d i t i o n s o f t h e area.

SHELLFISH GROWING AREA CLASSIFICATION

High water q u a l i t y i s r e q u i r e d f o r t h e propagat ion and h a r v e s t i n g o f s h e l l f i s h because t h e f i l t e r - f e e d i n g mechanism o f b i v a l v e mol lusks can ,

concen t ra te and accumulate b a c t e r i a , v i r uses and t o x i c chemicals f rom t h e o v e r l y i n g waters. I n o rde r t h a t an area be considered approved f o r t h e s a f e h a r v e s t i n g o f s h e l l f i s h f o r d i r e c t market ing , t h e waters must be f r e e o f hazardous concen t ra t i ons o f f e c a l m a t e r i a l s , pathogenic micro-organisms, mar ine b i o t o x i n s and t o x i c substances i n accordance w i t h c r i t e r i a es tab l i shed by t h e Na t i ona l S h e l l f i s h S a n i t a t i o n Program (Anon. 1986). The f e c a l c o l i f o r m median l e v e l o f t h e water must n o t exceed 14 MPN per 100 mL and n o t more than 10% o f t he samples exceed an MPN o f 43 per 100 mL f o r a 5-tube d i l u t i o n t e s t .

Under these c r i t e r i a , t he present water q u a l i t y i n t h e St. C ro i x R i ve r es tuary does no t meet t h e requ i rements f o r an approved s h e l l f i s h h a r v e s t i n g area. The c l a s s i f i c a t i o n o f t he St. C r o i x R i ve r es tuary can be broken down i n t o two ca tego r i es . The upper es tuary . f rom St. Stephen t o Todds Po in t , can be c l a s s i f i e d as a p r o h i b i t e d zone where no s h e l l f i s h a r e a l lowed t o be harvested f o r any purpose except dep le t i on . The lower es tuary , which inc ludes Oak Bay and Johnson Cove, can be c l a s s i f i e d as a r e s t r u c t e d area where she1 1 f i s h . c a n be harvested o n l y by pe rm i t under s p e c i f i e d c o n d i t i o n s f o r depu ra t i on o r r e l a y i n g i n approved s i t e s . This c l a s s i f i c a t i o n i s based on t h e c u r r e n t s a n i t a r y and

ST. CROlX RIVER BASIN

Fig . 1. S t . C r o i x River Basin.

M A I N E

F i g . 2. Soft-shell clam resource and shellfish closure in the St. Croix River estuary.

b a c t e r i o l o g i c a l water q u a l i t y cond i t i ons i n t he area. The c l a s s i f i c a t i o n w i l l be re-eva luated where t h e r e a re changes i n t he p o l l u t i o n sources and water q u a l i t y i n t h e es tuary .

POLLUTION SOURCES

Water q u a l i t y i n t h e St. C r o i x R i ve r es tua ry i s a f f ec ted by bo th p o i n t and non-point sources o f p o l l u t i o n . The major p o i n t source discharges t o t h e St. C r o i x R i ve r and es tua ry .a re :

1. The aera ted sewage lagoon a t St. Stephen discharges unch lo r i na ted e f f l u e n t d i r e c t l y i n t o t h e head o f t h e es tua ry w i t h very h i g h f e c a l c o l i f o r m l e v e l s .

2. The ~ x i d a t i o n d i t c h wastewater t rea tment system a t M i l l t o w n operates w e l l under normal cond i t i ons . The e f f l u e n t i s c h l o r i n a t e d between May 31 and October 31 p r i o r t o d i scha rg ing t o t h e St. C r o i x R iver . However. d u r i n g per iods o f heavy r a i n f a l l o r s p r i n g r u n o f f , t h e system i s o f t e n over loaded and bypasses sewage d i r e c t l y i n t o t h e r i v e r .

3. The wastewater t r ea tmen t f a c i l i t y a t Ca la i s cont inues t o have problems w i t h equipment breakdown, i n f i l t r a t i o n and over f low. E f f l u e n t i s c h l o r i n a t e d d u r i n g t h e sumner p r i o r t o d i scha rg ing t o t h e es tua ry .

4 . The wastewater t r ea tmen t f a c i l i t y a t B a i l e y v i l l e cont inues t o opera te w e l l and discharges good e f f l u e n t q u a l i t y .

5. The vastewater t r ea tmen t f a c i l i t y a t Woodland which d ischarges t r e a t e d p u l p and paper wastes t o t h e r i v e r .

6. A p r o v i n c i a l park and campground l o c a t e d a t t h e headwaters on the west s i d e o f Oak Bay has a s e p t i c tank whose e f f l u e n t d ischarged t o a t r i c k l i n g f i l t e r . Recent i n s p e c t i o n o f t he system (Machel l and Klaamas 1986) revea led t h a t the e f f l u e n t was no t c h l o r i n a t e d be fo re d i scha rg ing i n t o a smal l d i t c h l e a d i n g t o Oak Bay.

7. An a c t i v a t e d sludge t reatment system a t t h e Champlain I n d u s t r i a l Park t r e a t s both domest ic and food process ing wastes i n t he complex. The e f f l u e n t i s c h l o r i n a t e d be fo re d i scha rg ing t o t h e St. C r o i x R i ve r . I n t he past , t h e system had problems w i t h h y d r a u l i c over load.

8. The Huntsman Mar ine Labora tory l oca ted a t Brandy Cove i s se rv i ced by a t r i c k l i n g f i l t e r system. A r ecen t survey (Machel l and Klaamas 1986) i n d i c a t e d t h a t t he system was no t operab le and t h e e f f l u e n t was no t c h l o r i n a t e d be fo re d i scha rg ing t o the es tua ry .

9. The St. Andrews B i o l o g i c a l S t a t i o n a t Brandy Cove has a smal l extended a e r a t i o n package system t o t r e a t i t s domest ic wastes. The e f f l u e n t i s c h l o r i n a t e d be fo re d i scha rg ing t o t h e es tuary .

Other p o t e n t i a l sources o f f e c a l contaminat ion t o t h e St. C ro i x R i ve r es tua ry i nc lude d ischarge from storm sewers d u r i n g wet weather and cot tages l oca ted a long both shores and Oak Bay.

BACTERIOLOGICAL WATER QUALITY

Present s t a t u s and t rends o f b a c t e r i o l o g i c a l water q u a l i t y i n t h e St. C r o i x R i ve r es tua ry a r e determined by u s i n g data c o l l e c t e d by t h e Department o f Na t i ona l Hea l t h and Wel fare and Environment Canada a t s i x t r a n s e c t s e s t a b l i s h e d i n t h e St. C r o i x R i ve r (F ig . 3) d u r i n g t h e p e r i o d 1963-86. A com- pa r i son o f t h e median f e c a l c o l i f o r m l e v e l s recorded a t t h e s i x t r a n s e c t s (F ig . 4) i n d i c a t e s a s i g n i f i - cant d e c l i n e i n f e c a l c o l i f o r m l e v e l s i n t h e es tua ry a f t e r t h e 1980's. Th is n o t i c e a b l e improvement i n b a c t e r i o l o g i c a l water q u a l i t y f o r t h e es tua ry i n r e c e n t years cou ld be a t t r i b u t e d t o t h e adop t i on of a secondary t r ea tmen t f a c i l i t y f o r t h e Georgia- P a c i f i c Paper M i l l i n 1978 and t h e i n s t a l l a t i o n o f a wastewater t r ea tmen t f a c i l i t y o f St. Stephen i n 1981. However, h i g h f e c a l c o l i f o r m l e v e l s a r e s t i l l recorded a t t h e upper es tuary , p a r t i c u l a r l y t r a n s e c t A, r e f l e c t i n g t h e poor b a c t e r i o l o g i c a l e f f l u e n t q u a l i t y d i s c h a r g i n g f rom t h e wastewater t r ea tmen t f a c i l i t i e s a t St. Stephen and C a l a i s . Downstream f rom t r a n s e c t A , t h e r e i s a p rog ress i ve d e c l i n e i n f e c a l c o l i f o r m counts t o a low median l e v e l o f 2 a t t r a n s e c t E, r e f l e c t i n g t h e d i l u t i o n e f f e c t o f t h e p o l l u t i o n l o a d i n g f rom upstream.

B a c t e r i o l o g i c a l water q u a l i t y i n Oak Bay i s h i g h l y v a r i a b l e and i s very s e n s i t i v e t o r a i n f a l l - induced landwash p o l l u t i o n . The present b a c t e r i o - l o g i c a l da ta c o n f i r m the need f o r t h e c o n t i n u i n g c l o s u r e o f t h e area f o r t h e h a r v e s t i n g o f s h e l l f i s h f o r d i r e c t market ing; however, i t does meet t h e c r i t e r i a f o r depu ra t i on purposes.

CONCLUSIONS

B a c t e r i o l o g i c a l water q u a l i t y i n t h e St . C r o i x R iver es tua ry has improved s i n c e t h e e a r l i e r surveys. However, t h e f e c a l c o l i f o r m l e v e l s i n t h e es tua ry a r e s t i l l exceeding t h e approved b a c t e r i o - l o g i c a l c r i t e r i a f o r t h e h a r v e s t i n g o f s h e l l f i s h f o r d i r e c t market ing . The sources o f f e c a l contamina- t i o n i d e n t i f i e d as a f f e c t i n g t h e water q u a l i t y o f the es tua ry a r e e f f l u e n t s d ischarged from seve ra l sewage t reatment p l a n t s , a p u l p and paper m i l l , a f i s h process ing p l a n t , s torm sewers and cot tages l oca ted a long t h e shores o f t h e r i v e r . The p resen t s a n i t a r y and b a c t e r i o l o g i c a l water q u a l i t y da ta c o n f i r m t h e need f o r t h e cont inued c l o s u r e o f t he s h e l l f i s h growing areas i n t h e es tua ry .

The St. C ro i x R i ve r ' es tua ry has a very good clam p roduc t i on p o t e n t i a l , p a r t i c u l a r l y Oak Bay, and t h e c l o s u r e has r e s u l t e d i n cons iderab le economic l o s s t o t h e area. It i s impor tant t h a t e f f o r t s be made t o a l l e v i a t e , o r a t l e a s t c o n t r o l , t h e p o l l u - t i o n l o a d i n g o f t he r i v e r . Fu r the r d e t e r i o r a t i o n i n water q u a l i t y w i l l s e r i o u s l y a f f e c t t h e r e s t r i c t e d h a r v e s t i n g o f s h e l l f i s h i n t h e es tua ry f o r depura t ion .

REFERENCES

Angus, R. B., P. Woo, C. M. Hawkins, and B. Mul len . 1985. S o f t - s h e l l clam surveys . i n C h a r l o t t e County, New Brunswick, 1983. Can. MS Rep. F ish . Aquat. ki. 1812.

Fig. 3. Sampling s ta t ions i n the St . Croix River estuary , 1963-86.

Fig. 4. Comparison o f median f e c a l c o l i f o r m l e v e l s i n t he S t . Cro i x R i ve r es tua ry , 1963-86.

Anon. 1986. Na t i ona l s h e l l f i s h s a n i t a t i o n program manual o f opera t ions , Par t 1, S a n i t a t i o n o f s h e l l f i s h growing areas. U.S. Oept. Hea l th and Human Services, Pub l i c Hea l t h Service, Food and Drug Admin i s t ra t i on , Washington, D.C.

C o f f i n , G. W. 1983. Sho re l i ne s a n i t a r y survey o f t h e St. C r o i x R i ve r . Dept. o f Mar ine Resources, Maine.

Forgeron, F. D. 1959. Temperature and s a l i n i t y i n t he Quoddy Region. I n t e r n a t i o n a l Passamaquoddy F i s h e r i e s Board Report t o t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l J o i n t C o w i ss ion , Appendix 1 (Oceanography), Chap. 1, 44 p.

F ros t , B. R., and 0. B. Yur ick . 1983. S o f t - s h e l l clam s tock assessment, Oak Bay, New Brunswick. Report t o t h e New Brunswick Dept. o f F i she r i es , F rede r i c ton , N. B., 26 p.

Nacltay, A., R. Bosien, and 8. Wells. 1978. Bay o f Fundy Resource Inven to ry , Vol. 1, St. C ro i x Ri ver-Passamaquoddy Bay. Report t o t h e New Brunswick Dept . o f F i she r i es , Freder ic ton, N. B.

Machel l , J. R., and P. Klaamas. 1986. Reappraisal o f s h e l l f i s h growing area, St. Cro ix , N.B. 16-03. Environ. P ro tec t . Serv. MS Rep.

McFarlane, R., P. Woo, and T. h a r a t u n g a . 1987. Growth o f the s o f t - s h e l l clam (% a rena r i a ) a t severa l commercial f i s h i n g s i t e s in-otia and New Brunswick. Can. MS Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sc i . (unpubl . ) .

Menon, A. S., B. J. Richard, and J. P. Donne l ly . 1783. A s a n i t a r y and b a c t e r i o l o g i c a l water q u a l i t y resurvey o f t h e St. C ro i x R i ve r and es tua ry . Environ. P ro tec t . Serv. MS Rep. AR-83-1.

Medcof, J. C. 1956. P o l l u t i o n and t h e f i s h e r i e s o f t he St. C r o i x es tua ry . P o l l u t i o n Survey Report o f P o l l u t i o n Sub-Committee, S t . C r o i x R i ve r Reference, I n t e r n a t i o n a l J o i n t Comnission, Appendix I.

Mes t ra l , J. de, and R. Legau l t . 1972. B a c t e r i o l o g i c a l surveys, C h a r l o t t e County, New arunswick. Environ. P ro tec t . Serv. MS Rep. EPS-5-WP-72-9.

Reid, J. E., A. D. Tennant, and L. J. Rockwel l . 1963. Add i t i ona l c o l i f o r m t e s t da ta , St. C ro i x R iver b a c t e r i o l o g i c a l s tudy. Dept. o f Nat iona l Hea l th and Welfare MS Rep. 63-1A.

Robert, G., and D. W. Smith. 1980. Surveys o f t h e s o f t - s h e l l clam (M a a rena r i a ) popu la t i ons i n some c losed areas+ m e County. New Srunswick. Can. MS Rep. F ish . Aquat. ki. 1567.

SHELLFISH

Discussion Summary

The value of the existing shellfish resource was estimated at 1.5 million

dollars for Oak Bay, provided the resources could be marketed directly and

would not require depuration. Depuration obviously reduces the value of the

clams to the diggers, and places a restriction on the volume which can be

harvested and processed.

Two main sources of control over sewage discharge from cottages in New

Brunswick were noted to be Environment Canada, through the Fisheries Act

(Section 33 - now Section 36), and the New Brunswick Department of Environment

and Municipal Affairs, through the Environmental Protection Act. Provincal

Health regulations, enforced by health inspectors, should also be effective in

such controls.

Shellfish depuration plants, both in Canada and the U.S., conform with

rigorous standards which vary depending on the plant, local conditions and the

condition of the shellfish. A testing procedure for each plant prescribes

water flow per bushel of shellfish, temperature, salinity, and harvesting

areas. There is no set standard for heavy metals, but where direct discharge

is present the area is usually closed. In the case of metals, pesticides and

other toxic chemicals testing tends to be sporadic by both Canada and the U.S.

SESSION I1

WATER QUALITY AND QUANTITY

WATER QUALITY

Highlights

1. Water quality, including DO, specific conductance, pH, and water temperature, have been monitored at Milltown since 1969, and are currently recorded automatically on a continuous basis.

2. Although the segment of the St. Croix River between Woodland and Milltown displays a dissolved oxygen sag, the 750 .cfs minimum flow required by the IJC, and supplied by the Georgia Pacific, has been sufficient to meet the minimum DO criteria of 5 ppm (60% saturation) for the last seven years.

3. The natural or background BOD level in the river above the mill is unusually high, about four times the normal BOD of 2 or 3 ppm for a typical river. It amounts to about 43% of the total BOD for the river, whereas the mill contributes 25% and sediments account for 32% of the oxygen demand.

4. The travel time for water between Woodland and Milltown, at a discharge rate of 1000 cfs, is about 24 hours.

5. According to a nomogram generated for dissolved oxygen (DO) and flow, any slight increase in the minimum discharge, from 750 to 950 cfs for example, would have only slight improvements on DO saturation values.

6. An assessment of the biotic condition of the benthic macro-invertebrate community in the river (aquatic insects, snails, clams, leaches, etc.) revealed pollution stress on the American side below Woodlands but showed little on the Canadian side.

7. An abundance of invertebrate fauna, suitable as food for salmon, exists in the river between Woodland and Milltown, despite mill effluent discharge, although preferred species occur mainly in the riffles above Woodlands.

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY'S STREAMFLOW AND WATER-QUALITY DATA-COLLECTION NETWORK I N THE ST. CROIX RIVER BASIN

T. J. Maloney U. S. Geolog ica l Survey

26 Ganneston Dr ive , Augusta, Maine 04330 USA

The U .S. Geolog ica l Survey. Water Resources D i v i s i o n , has a l ong h i s t o r y o f s t reamf low and w a t e r - q u a l i t y bas ic -data c o l l e c t i o n i n t h e St. C ro i x R i ve r basin. Three cont inuous- record ing s t reamf l ow gages and a water-qua1 i t y mon i to r a r e c u r r e n t l y i n ope ra t i on i n t h e bas in . Gaging s t a t i o n s a r e l oca ted on t h e St. C r o i x R i ve r a t Vanceboro, Maine/St. Cro ix , New Brunswick; on Grand Lake Stream a t Grand Lake Stream, Maine; and on t h e St. C r o i x R i ve r a t Bar ing, Maine/Upper M i l l s . New Brunswick. The w a t e r - q u a l i t y s t a t i o n i s l oca ted on t h e St. C r o i x R i ve r a t M i l l t o w n , Maine/St. Stephen, New Brunswick.

The Vanceboro/St. C r o i x and Grand Lake Stream s t a t i o n s have been i n ope ra t i on s i nce 1928, and t h e Baring/Upper M i l l s s t a t i o n has been i n ope ra t i on s i nce 1958. Funding f o r t he two s t a t i o n s on t h e mainstem o f t h e St. C r o i x R i v e r i s prov ided through t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l J o i n t Commission. Funding f o r t h e Grand Lake Stream s t a t i o n i s p a r t o f t h e Federal Energy Regu la tory Commission L i cens ing Program and i s prov ided by t h e Georg ia-Pac i f i c Company.

Streamflow-data c o l l e c t i o n i s coord inated w i t h the Water Survey o f Canada. Records a re reviewed w i t h t h a t agency t o ensure cons is tency i n r e p o r t e d values.

The w a t e r - q u a l i t y s t a t i o n a t M i l l t o w n / S t . Stephen has been i n ope ra t i on s i nce 1969. Moni- t o r i n g equipment a t t h e s t a t i o n prov ides a cont inuous reco rd o f d i sso l ved oxygen, s p e c i f i c conductance, pH and water temperature. A mon i to r has been i n ope ra t i on d u r i n g t h e e n t i r e p e r i o d o f r eco rd o f t h e s t a t i o n . Du r i ng the years, p e r i o d i c chemical q u a l i t y sampl ing was done i n coopera t ion w i t h t h e U.S. Environmental P r o t e c t i o n Agency. Since 1973, t h e s t a t i o n has been p a r t o f the U.S. Geolog ica l Survey's Na t i ona l Stream Q u a l i t y Account ing Network, b e t t e r n known as NASQAN. The NASUAN sampl i n g program prov ides a long-term wa te r -qua l i t y data base f o r more than 500 s t a t i o n s throughout t h e Un i ted States. The m o n i t o r i n g a c t i v i t i e s a t t he M i l l t o w n s t a t i o n a r e funded through a program w i t h t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l J o i n t Commisstion and the NASQAN sampl ing a c t i v i t i e s a re funded through t h e U.S. Geolog ica l Survey Na t i ona l Networks Program.

A U. S. Geolog ica l Survey f low-through water- q u a l i t y mon i to r i s be ing used a t t he M i l l t o w n s t a t i o n . Th is ins t rument r e q u i r e s a pumping system t o p rov ide a constant f l o w o f water past t he probes. The s i t e a l s o i s equipped w i t h a reco rde r , a te lephone and remote i n t e r r o g a t i o n equipment and f i e l d meters f o r use by t h e observer t o check the c a l i b r a t i o n o f the mon i to r . A suc t ion- type pumping system had been used f o r a number o f years but , because o f problems w i t h l i n e f r e e z i n g and c logg ing o f t he pumps and l i n e s w i t h deb r i s , t h e suc t i on pump system a t t he s t a t i o n was rep laced w i t h a submersi- b l e pump i n 1983. The new system has increased t h e accuracy o f t he data and has helped reduce the amount o f m iss ing data.

Water -qua l i ty da ta c o l l e c t i o n and a n a l y s i s i s coo rd ina ted w i t h t h e Environment Canada-Water Qua1 i t y Branch, t h e U.S. Environmental P r o t e c t i o n Agency and t h e Maine Department o f Environmental P ro tec t i on . Each o f these agencies has been . contac ted t o coo rd ina te s p e c i a l da ta c o l l e c t i o n a c t i v i t i e s a t t h e w a t e r - q u a l i t y s t a t i o n and t o d iscuss t h e da ta prov ided by t h e mon i to r .

The s tandard data process ing procedure used by t h e Water Resources D i v i s i o n f o r t h e gages and w a t e r - q u a l i t y mon i to r i s t o r e c o r d h o u r l y d a t a on a paper tape, r e t r i e v e paper tape d u r i n g scheduled v i s i t s t o t h e s i t e s , read t h e h o u r l y d a t a i n t o a computer system, conver t recorded values as needed and compute d a i l y values. Given t h e c u r r e n t schedule of s i t e v i s i t s and t h e t i m e needed t o process records , t h e turn-around t ime f rom t h e t ime o f da ta c o l l e c t i o n t o da ta a v a i l a b i l i t y i s from 2-10 wk.

For seve ra l years, t h e Baring/Upper M i l l s s t reamf low s t a t i o n and t h e M i l l t o w n w a t e r - q u a l i t y s t a t i o n have been equipped w i t h remote i n t e r r o g a t i o n dev ices t h a t can be accessed by te lephone. Th is a l l ows ins tantaneous i n t e r r o g a t i o n o f t h e recorders , bu t o n l y t h e l a s t recorded va lue can be rece ived. I n 1986, t h e Environment Canada Water Q u a l i t y Branch i n s t a l l e d a S a t e l l i t e Data C o l l e c t i o n P l a t f o r m a t t h e water-qua1 i t y s t a t i o n , and t h e U. S. Geolog ica l Survey i n s t a l l e d a s i m i l a r dev ice a t t he Bar ing / Upper M i l l s s t reamf low gage. The d a t a - c o l l e c t i o n p la t f o rms t r a n s m i t da ta t o a s a t e l l i t e once every 3 o r 4 h and t h e data can then be downloaded t o a l and s t a t i o n f o r p rocess ing. Cu r ren t l y , t h e U.S. Geo log i ca l Survey rece i ves t h e s a t e l l i t e da ta f o r bo th s t a t i o n s and i s ab le t o process records on i t s computer system i n Boston. Paper-tape reco rds a r e s t i l l be ing processed t o v e r i f y t h e accuracy o f the s a t e l l i t e t ransmiss ions. The r e a l - t i m e da ta t ransmiss ions w i l l soon rep lace t h e paper tape reco rd ings as t h e s tandard process ing procedure.

P r o v i s i o n a l copies o f h o u r l y da ta and chemical- q u a l i t y analyses a re made a v a i l a b l e t o coope ra t i ng agencies as soon as they a re processed. P r ~ v i s i o n a l da ta r e q u i r e s a d d i t i o n a l checks be fo re they can be re leased as f i n a l . The f i n a l i z e d d a t a a re presented i n d a i l y summaries f o r t h e con t i nuous l y recorded da ta i n t a b l e s i n t h e Annual Water;Resources Oata Report s e r i e s . However, a l l d a i l y values da ta and t h e chemica l -qua l i t y analyses a r e r e t a i n e d i n t h e New England D i s t r i c t computer system i n Boston and can be r e t r i e v e d from t h a t system f o r s p e c i a l a p p l i c a t i o n s , such as s t a t i s t i c a l summaries.

The r e l a t i o n between s t reamf low and water- qua1 i t y can be observed by comparing s t reamf 1 ow reco rds f rom t h e Baring/Upper M i l l s gage t o water- q u a l i t y da ta f rom the M i l l t o w n / % . Stephen s t a t i o n . Du r i ng extended per iods o f low p r e c i p i t a t i o n , as occur red i n t h e sumner o f 1985, s t reamf low remained low,and t h e d i sso l ved oxygen concen t ra t i on near t he c r i t i c a l l e v e l o f 5 mg/L. The d i s s o l v e d oxygen concen t ra t i on reached a minimum va lue o f 5.4 mg/L

d u r i n g t h e summer o f 1985, and the mean concen- t r a t i o n f o r Ju l y and August was 6.3 mg/L. The remote i n t e r r o g a t t o n c a p a b i l i t i e s a t t he M i l l t o w n s t a t i o n were used t o i n f o r m t h e Georgia P a c i f i c Corpora t ion o f c u r r e n t c o n d i t i o n s so t h a t they cou ld a d j u s t ope ra t i ons a t t h e p l a n t and increase ins t ream f lows t o ma in ta in d i sso l ved oxygen l e v e l s i n t he r i v e r . Du r i ng t h e summer o f ' 1986, s t reamf low was much g rea te r than d u r i n g t h e summer o f 1985 because o f increased p r e c i p i t a t i o n and d i sso l ved oxygen concen t ra t i ons remained w e l l above those o f t he prev ious sunnner. The minimum d i sso l ved oxygen concen t ra t i on observed d u r i n g t h e sunnner o f 1986 was 6.5 mg/L, and t h e mean concen t ra t i on d u r i n g J u l y and August was 7.3 mg/L.

The U.S. Geolog ica l Survey w i l l con t i nue t o improve the q u a l i t y and t i m l i n e s s o f hyd ro log i c d a t a c o l l e c t e d i n t h e St. C r o i x R i ve r basin. Any agencies or o the r p a r t i e s i n need o f i n fo rma t i on from t h e data c o l l e c t i o n s t a t i o n s i n t h e St. C r o i x R iver bas in can con tac t t h e Ch ie f o f t he Maine O f f i c e o f t h e U.S. Geo log i ca l Survey i n Augusta, Maine.

ST. CROIX RIVER WATER QUALITY MODEL

P. M i t n i k , P.E. Department o f Environmental P r o t e c t i o n

S ta te House, Augusta, Maine 04333 USA

INTRODUCTION DATA COLLECTION

The St. C r o i x R iver , l oca ted i n eas te rn Maine and western New Brunswick, forms t h e i n t e r n a t i o n a l boundary between Canada and t h e Un i ted States. The watershed i s mos t l y f o res ted and r i v e r f l o w h i g h l y regu la ted from t h e l akes i n t h e upper p a r t o f t h e basin. The area o f i n t e r e s t i s a 9-mi segment t h a t begins a t t h e Woodland dam and ends a t t h e i n t e r - n a t i o n a l b r i dge i n M i l l t o w n . The Georgia P a c i f i c Corpora t ion , a p u l p and paper m i l l , l o c a t e d s l i g h t l y below t h e Woodland dam i s the major p o i n t source t o t h i s r i v e r segment. Georgia P a c i f i c i s a l s o respons ib le f o r f l o w r e g u l a t i o n o f t h e r i v e r , b u t i s requ i red by law t o pass a minimum f l o w o f 750 c f s i n t h i s segment. M i l l t o w n i s a l s o t h e area o f t he d i sso l ved oxygen sag p o i n t , o r minimum d i sso l ved oxygen l e v e l i n t he r i v e r . A four-parameter mon i to r main ta ined by t h e U.S. Geolog ica l Survey con t i nuous l y measures temperature, pH, c o n d u c t i v i t y and d i sso l ved oxygen here. The mon i to r has shown t h a t t h e r i v e r has met Maine's minimum Class C d i sso l ved oxygen c r i t e r i a o f 5 ppm and 60% s a t u r a t i o n f o r t h e l a s t 7 y r .

The f i r s t 6 mi o f t h e s tudy area can be cha rac te r i zed as r i f f e l y w i t h a s w i f t c u r r e n t u n t i l t he 8a r i ng deadwater area i s reached. I n t h e f i n a l 3 mi beyond Bar ing deadwater, t h e r i v e r becomes much deeper and t h e c u r r e n t slows down consi.derably, r e s u l t i n g i n a d i sso l ved oxygen sag a t M i l l t o w n . Beyond M i l l t o w n , Class 3 t o Class 4 r a p i d s q u i c k l y ae ra te the r i v e r on i t s way down t o Ca la is , head o f t i d e . The good f l u s h i n g c a p a b i l i t y and l a r g e t i d a l F l u c t u a t i o n i n the es tua ry o f more than 25 f t r e s u l t s i n good es tua r i ne d i sso l ved oxygen.

A model, as de f i ned i n t he d i c t i o n a r y , i s a copy o r i m i t a t i o n o f an e x i s t i n g ob jec t ; a represen- t a t i o n o f something. A water q u a l i t y model can t h e r e f o r e be thought o f as a rep resen ta t i on o f t he phys i ca l and chemical processes i n a r i v e r system and how they i n t e r a c t . I f one examines the i l l u s t r a t i o n o f a d i sso l ved oxygen water q u a l i t y model, t he d i f f e r e n t sources and s inks o f d i sso l ved gxygen t o t h e r i v e r system can be r e a l i z e d . The sources or items t h a t add oxygen t o t he system a r e atmospheric r e a e r a t i o n and photosynthes is o f algae; the s i nks or items t h a t dep le te oxygen a r e carbonaceous 800 decay, sediment oxygen demand, r e s p i r a t i o n o f a lgae and n i t r i f i c a t i o n , where organ ic n i t r o g e n h y d r o l i z e s t o amnonia which ox ides t o n i t r i t e and f i n a l l y n i t r a t e .

The data c o l l e c t i o n requirements o f any water q u a l i t y model i s d i r e c t l y r e l a t e d t o t he i npu t o f t h e model. Data requirements can gene ra l l y be subd iv ided i n t o h y d r a u l i c o r phys i ca l which inc ludes items such as v e l o c i t y , depth and wid th ; and chemical which inc ludes i tems such as d i sso l ved oxygen, temperature, b iochemical oxygen demand and c h l o r o p h y l l a and i t s n u t r i e n t cyc les .

For t h e h y d r a u l i c component o f t h e model, d a t a and h y d r a u l i c m o d e l l i n g undertaken by Environment Canada was used as a bas i s t o c h a r a c t e r i z e t h i s segment o f t he St. C ro i x R i v e r ' s v e l o c i t y , dep th and w i d t h as a f u n k t i o n o f f low. The r i v e r bot tom and water su r face p r o f i l e was surveyed a t 31 d i f f e r e n t cross sec t ions . The h y d r a u l i c model HEC 2 was then used t o c a l i b r a t e model p r o j e c t e d water su r face p r o f i l e s t o measure water su r face p r o f i l e s (D isso lved Oxygen M o d e l l i n g ' o f t h e St. C r o i x R i v e r , Maine-New Brunswick, Bouto t and C l a i r 1981). The c a l i b r a t i o n p l o t s show good agreement between measured and model p r o j e c t e d water su r face p r o f i l e s . The a p p r o p r i a t e r i v e r v e l o c i t y , depth and w i d t h can then be generated as i n p u t f o r t h e QUAL 2E model. The t i m e o f t r a v e l t o t h e sag p o i n t i s g e n e r a l l y an i t em o f i n t e r e s t , s i nce l o n g t r a v e l t imes i n d i c a t e t he p o t e n t i a l f o r a s i g n i f i c a n t sag o r low minimum d i s s o l v e d oxygen. The t ime o f t r a v e l t o M i l l t o w n i s s h o r t a t t h e minimum r e q u i r e d r i v e r f l o w o f 750 c f s . be ing s l i g h t l y l e s s than 1 d.

Water q u a l i t y i n t e n s i v e surveys undertaken by t h e Maine Department o f Environmental P r o t e c t i o n personnel were used as a bas i s f o r da ta requ i rements o f t h e chemical component o f t he model. Two water q u a l i t y surveys were undertaken i n t h e summer o f 1983, and two a d d i t i o n a l surveys i n t h e summer o f 1985. The parameters sampled a t f o u r d i f f e r e n t r i v e r l o c a t i o n s inc luded d i sso l ved oxygen, tempera- t u r e , u l t i m a t e carbonaceous BOD, t o t a l K j e l d h a l n i t r o g e n , ammonia n i t r o g e n , n i t r i t e and n i t r a t e n i t r o g e n t o t a l phosphorus, orthophosphorus, c h l o r o p h y l l a, suspended s o l i d s and c o l o r . Looking a t a summary o f t h e survey data, it can be seen t h a t t h e minimum d i sso l ved oxygen o f 6.1 ppm was ob ta ined i n t h e J u l y 1985 da ta se t a t a r i v e r f l o w o f 931 c f s , r i v e r temperature o f 24°C. and t h e Georgia P a c i f i c m i l l d i scha rg ing a t 73% o f i t s a l l owab le waste load. I n t h e August 1985 da ta s e t , a l though r i v e r f l ow was lower a t 875 c f s , a lower temperature o f 22"C, a lower m i l l l oad ing o f 53% and lower nonpo in t BOO l o a d i n g r e s l u t e d i n a minimum d i s s o l v e d oxygen o f 6.5 ppm. The September 1983 da ta se t s were taken d u r i n g t h e m i l l ' s annual shutdown ( o n l y 5% load ing ) a t 2Z°C, r e s u l t i n g i n a minimum d i sso l ved oxygen l e v e l o f 7.0 ppm a t M i l l t o w n . The i d e a l da ta se t would be taken under design o r wo rs t case c o n d i t i o n s o f 750 c f s , 25°C and t h e m i l l a t 100% load ing. A p r e l i m i n a r y a n a l y s i s o f t he d a t a i n d i c a t e s t h a t t h e background o r nonpo in t BOO above t h e m i l l i s much h ighe r than would be expected, t h e averages rang ing from 4.6-8.8 ppm. I n a t y p i c a l r i v e r , values from 2-3 ppm a r e u s u a l l y measured.

MODEL CALIBRATION AND VERIFICATION

The computer model, QUAL 2E, used i n t h e ana ly - s i s , was compi led j o i n t l y by t h e U.S. Environmental P r o t e c t i o n Agency and t h e Na t i ona l Counc i l o f A i r and Stream Improvement. The model i s capable o f s i m u l a t i n g a l l o f t h e sources and s inks o f d i s s o l v e d oxygen descr ibed e a r l i e r . The h i g h degree o f c o l o r i n t h e r i v e r g e n e r a l l y l i m i t s l i g h t t o a p o i n t where a lgae and i t s n u t r i e n t i n t e r a c t i o n s a re i n s i g n i f i - cant. The da ta showed t h a t c h l o r o p h y l l a was low, con f i rm ing t h i s . Since paper m i l l e f f l u e n t i s n u t r i e n t poor, r i v e r s dominated by paper m i l l e f f l u e n t have low n i t r o g e n l e v e l s and n i t r i f i c a t i o n i s u s u a l l y i n s i g n i f i c a n t . Th is was a l s o conf i rmed by t h e low n i t r o g e n l e v e l s i n t h e data . The major sources and s inks o f d i sso l ved oxygen i n t h i s system a re t h e r e f o r e reduced t o atmospher ic reae ra t i on , and sediment oxygen demand and carbonaceous 800 decay, r e s p e c t i v e l y

I n t h e model c a l i b r a t i o n and v e r i f i c a t i o n , t h e o v e r a l l goal i s t o so l ve f o r t h e unknown parameter r a t e s ; t h e BOD decay r a t e , r e a e r a t i o n r a t e and sediment oxygen demand i n t h i s case. These parameter r a t e s a r e ad jus ted u n t i l model p r o j e c t e d values match f i e l d measured values f o r a l l da ta se t s . As a s t a r t i n g p o i n t , t h e method o f Covar i s the bes t accepted method t o es t ima te r e a e r a t i o n . This combines t h e research o f O'Connor-Dobbins, C h u r c h i l l and Owens i n t o reg ions t o which t h e i r da ta best app l i es . For e s t i m a t i o n o f t h e sediment oxygen demand, a va lue o f about 80% o f t h e measured values i n 1977 uas used. The 800 c a l i b r a t i o n was ob ta ined by rnatching model output t o measured 800 values i n t h e r i v e r . The.d isso lved oxygen c a l i b r a t i o n serves as a check t o t he p r e v i o u s l y es t imated parameter r a t e s and shou ld aga in r e s u l t i n agreement between observed and p r o j e c t e d values. Once agreement i s obta ined i n one da ta se t , a model i s v e r i f i e d when the p r e v i o u s l y c a l i b r a t e d parameter r a t e s aga in r e s l u t i n agreement between observed and model p r o j e c t e d values i n subsequent data se t s . Th is i s demonstrated i n t he c a l i b r a t i o n and v e r i f i c a t i o n p l o t s o f d i sso l ved oxygen and b iochemica l oxygen demand vs r i v e r m i l e .

As a p o i n t o f i n t e r e s t , t he parameter r a t e s were compared t o some o t h e r main stem r i v e r s i n Maine which had p u l p and paper m i l l d ischarges. I t can be seen t h a t the sediment oxygen demand i s i n t h e same range as t h e o t h e r r i v e r s , bu t t h e BOD decay r a t e , k l , and the r e a e r a t i o n r a t e , k2, a r e much h ighe r , i n d i c a t i n g a r a p i d r a t e o f decay and good r e a e r a t i o n i n t h i s system.

MOOEL PROJECTIONS

a t about 43%, f o l l o w e d by sediment oxygen demand a t 32% and, f i n a l l y , t h e Georgia P a c i f i c p o i n t source a t 25%. Other mun ic ipa l p o i n t sources i n t h e r i v e r account f o r o n l y .l% o f t h e impacts.

2. R i v e r f l o w vs minimum 0.0. A p l o t o f r i v e r f l o w vs minimum r i v e r d i s s o l v e d oxygen a t t h e average maximum annual temperature o f 25.7"C and t h e m i l l a t 100% l o a d i n g shows t h a t as r i v e r f l o w increases, t h e incrementa l g a i n i n d i s s o l v e d oxygens decreases and eventua l 1 y becomes i n s i g n i f i c a n t .

3. R i v e r f l o w vs 0.0. vs m i l l l oad ing . A p l o t o f r i v e r f l o w vs minimum 0.0. vs Georgia P a c i f i c l o a d i n g shows t h a t t h e e f f e c t o f decreased i nc re - mental g a i n i n d i s s o l v e d oxygen i s n o t expe r i - enced f o r increases i n mj 11 l oad ing . When comparing t h e e f f e c t o f f l o w and p o i n t source l o a d i n g uporl 0. O., it can be seen t h a t r i v e r f l o w i s more s i g n i f i c a n t upon i n f l u e n c i n g d i sso l ved oxygen l e v e l s i n t h e r i v e r up t o 950 c f s , then t h e m i l l l oad ing becomes more s i g n i f i c a n t .

4. R i v e r f l o w vs 0.0. vs nonpo in t 800. A p l o t o f r i v e r f l o w vs d i sso l ved oxygen vs background BOD shows t h a t t h e incrementa l r i v e r f l o w e f f e c t i s aga in not exper ienced f o r nonpo in t BOO. Also, when comparing p o i n t and nonpo in t source impacts, i t can be seen. that nonpo in t BOD i s more s i g n i f i - can t than p o i n t source BOD upon i n f l u e n c i n g r i v e r d i sso l ved oxygen l e v e l s .

5. E f f e c t o f i n i t i a l 0.0. I f t h e i n i t i a l d i s s o l v e d oxygen l e v e l above t h e m i l l i s v a r i e d w i t h i n t h e range measured i n t h e r i v e r , t h e e f f e c t upon t h e minimum d i sso l ved oxygen a t M i l l t o w n i s i n s i g n i f i c a n t .

6. R i ve r f l o w vs 0.0. vs temperature. A p l o t o f r i v e r f l o w vs minimum d i sso l ved oxygen vs r i v e r temperature shows a h i g h degree o f s e n s i t i v i t y o f temperature upon d i sso l ved oxygen. Both BOD decay and sediment oxygen demand a r e temperature dependent, i nc reas ing w i t h i n c r e a s i n g tempera- t u r e . D i sso l ved oxygen s a t u r a t i o n decreases w i t h i n c r e a s i n g temperature: The combinat ion o f these t h r e e f a c t o r s r e s u l t s i n lower d i s s o l v e d oxygen w i t h i nc reas ing r i v e r temperature. Temperature i s t h e r e f o r e t h e most impor tant f a c t o r upon i n f l u e n c i n g r i v e r d i s s o l v e d oxygen.

SUMMARY

1. The St. C ro i x R i ve r has an unusua l l y h i g h background BOD when compared t o o t h e r r i v e r s .

2. BOD decay i s rap id ; r e a e r a t i o n i s h igh; and t h e A f t e r a water q u a l i t y model i s c a l i b r a t e d and t r a v e l t ime t o the 0.0. sag s h o r t .

v e r i f i e d , i t can then be used as a p r e d i c t i v e t o o l t o p r o j e c t d i f f e r e n t cond i t i ons . S i x d i f f e r e n t 3. R i ve r temperature has t h e most s i g n i f i c a n t p l o t s Here generated w i t h an o v e r a l l o b j e c t i v e o f i n f l u e n c e upon d i sso l ved oxygen. determin ing t h e s i g n i f i c a n c e o f var ious parameters upon d i sso l ved oxygen l e v e l s i n t he r i v e r . Each i s 4.. R i ve r f l o w i s t h e n e x t s i g n i f i c a n t i n f l u e n c e , discussed below: p rov ided it i s under 950 c f s .

1. Component ana l ys i s . The purpose o f a component 5. Over 950 c f s nonpo in t BOD i s more s i g n i f i c a n t ana l ys i s i s t o es t ima te the c o n t r i b u t i o n o f a l l than the m i l l p o i n t source BOO, and bo th a r e more items t o d i sso l ved oxygen d e p l e t i o n i n t h e r i v e r . s i g n i f i c a n t than r i v e r f low. I t can be seen from the p l o t a t 750 c f s and the m i l l a t 100% l o a d i n g t h a t nonpo in t o r background BOO above t h e m i l l i s t he most s i g n i f i c a n t impact

J. A l l e n Department o f Environmental p r o t e c t i o n


The St. C r o i x R i ve r forms t h e i n t e r n a t i o n a l boundary between Canada and t h e Un i ted States f o r approx imate ly 124 km. O f t h i s , o n l y t h e lower 14 km o r about 11% i s o f i m i n e n t water q u a l i t y concern. The upstream p o r t i o n o f t h e r i v e r has water t h a t may be cha rac te r i zed as " p r i s t i n e " and has a v a r i e t y o f environments and water fowl and w i l d l i f e . It i s s t i l l one o f t h e l e a s t developed l a r g e r i v e r s i n t h e no r theas t Un i t ed States.

The r i v e r o r i g i n a t e s i n Grand and Spednik Lakes. These lakes a re heav i ly , used by r e c r e a t i o n a l f ishermen l o o k i n g p r i m a r i l y f o r smallmouth bass i n Spedni k Lake and salmon i n Grand Lake. Some o f t he deeper sec t i ons o f Spednik do suppor t salmon as w e l l . The l akes a r e a l s o used r e c r e a t i o n a l l y by people who own homes and camps a long t h e i r shores.

The water q u a l i t y i n these l akes i s about average w i t h o the r Maine lakes. Th is i s based on l i m i t e d sampl ing done over t h e l a s t few years f o r water t ransparency. They have a h igh f l u s h i n g r a t e and so a r e n o t as vu lne rab le t o water q u a l i t y problems. Not enough da ta have been generated w i t h t h i s sampl ing t o determine any long-term t rends.

I n recen t years, however, t h e r e have been some problems w i t h t h e f i s h e r y i n Spednik Lake. I n 1984, d i v e r s from t h e Maine Department o f I n l a n d F i s h and W i l d l i f e , do-ing census, r e p o r t e d f i n d i n g few f i s h i n t h e 1- t o 3-yr -o ld range. There were many f r y and o l d e r f i s h but an age-class was miss ing. Th is may have been caused by i r r e g u l a r drawdowns o f t h e l i k e , exposing l i t t o r a l areas used as a nursery area.

A segment o f t h e r i v e r between Vanceboro and K e l l y l a n d conta ins c l ass I t o 111 rap ids and i s used by many nov ice t o i n te rmed ia te canoe is ts . Flow r e g l a t i o n g ives a longer season than o the r Maine Rivers . The St. C ro i x above Ca la i s i s t h e boundary o f the 22,000 acre Moosehorn Na t i ona l W i l d l i f e Refuge. According t o t h e Maine Department o f Conservat ion, t h e r i v e r i s used by t h r e e p a i r s o f n e s t i n g eagles and o the rs from t ime t o t ime.

Al though t h e r e i s l i t t l e h i s t o r i c water q u a l i t y data on the upper reaches o f the r i v e r , i t i s assumed t h a t t he q u a l i t y was always s i m i l a r t o what n a t u r a l l y occurs . E x i s t i n g da ta show d i sso l ved oxygen a t o r near sa tu ra ted l e v e l s .

The most se r i ous source o f p o l l u t i o n would probab ly have been from l o g d r i v e s and o t h e r f o r e s t - r e l a t e d uses i n t h e s p r i n g each year. Log d r i v e s were d i sa l l owed i n October 1976 under Maine law. The bark and d i r t from t h e logs , however, have been shown t o produce s i g n i f i c a n t , long-term oxygen demand loads t o t h e r i v e r bottom. Fo res t - re la ted nonpo in t source (NPS) p o l l u t i o n i s probab ly i nc reas ing due t o more and d r a s t i c t imber h a r v e s t i n g near the r i v e r and i t s t r i b u t a r i e s . I n t he past , t h i s prov ided a b u f f e r area nex t t o t h e water. The magnitude o f t h i s and o the r NPS p o l l u t i o n has not been assessed b u t i s be ing i n v e s t i g a t e d f u r t h e r .

t h e smal l streams t h a t make up t h e watershed o f t he St . C ro i x . Th is t y p e o f r u n o f f sources may c o n t r i b u t e a l oad f rom the decay o f o rgan i c m a t e r i a l s i n t h e bogs themselves. They a l s o t end t o be h igh i n c o l o r and sometimes even as dark as tea . Another s t ream l i k e t h i s was sampled a coup le of years ago i n Maine. The BOD'S t h e r e were found t o be up t o 12 mg/L as compared t o about 2 mg/L o r l e s s which i s common i n o t h e r streams o f t h i s s i z e . It a l s o tended t o va ry a l o t , depending on t ime o f yea r and h e i g h t o f t he groundwater t a b l e .

I n surrmary, t h e h i s t o r y o f water q u a l i t y and use o f t h e St. C r o i x above t h e Georgia P a c i f i c d ischarge i s what may be descr ibed as n a t u r a l . I t has been g e n e r a l l y u n t a i n t e d by human i n f l u e n c e o t h e r than l o g g i n g i n t h e s p r i n g o f years pas t . Cur rent uses tend t o be r e c r e a t i o n a l and t h e r i v e r has proved t o be a va luab le resource f o r t h a t .

Another p o s s i b l e source o f b iochemical oxygen demands and o the r p o l l u t a n t s would be the bogs and

THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE ST. CROIX RIVER WATER QUALITY TO PULP MILL EFFLUENT

G. Howell Water Qua1 i t y Branch, Environment Canada

P.O. Box 861, Moncton, New Brunswick E1C 8N6

INTROOUCTION

From September 4-18, 1983, t h e Georg ia-Pac i f i c K r a f t Pu lp M i l l was shut down f o r r o u t i n e maintenance which prov ided an o p p o r t u n i t y t o i n v e s t i g a t e t h e response o f t he lower reaches o f the St. C r o i x R i ve r t o va ry ing e f f l u e n t loads. Therefore, samples were c o l l e c t e d a t r e g u l a r i n t e r v a l s s t a r t i n g on September 1, 1983 and end ing on September 13, 1983 i n an at tempt t o e l u c i d a t e t h e e f f e c t s o f ep isoda l events on r i v e r water q u a l i t y .

MATERIALS AND METHODS

On September 1, 1983, a P h i l l i p s automat ic water sampler was i n s t a l l e d a t t h e Un i ted States Geolog ica l Survey (USGS) Automatic Water Q u a l i t y Moni tor (AWQM) b u i l d i n g a t M i l l t o w n on t h e Un i ted Sta tes s i d e o f t h e St. C ro i x R iver . The sampler was programmed t o f i l l a s i n g l e 250-mL b o t t l e a t 12-h i n t e r v a l s f rom an i n l e t s i t u a t e d on t h e Un i ted States s i de o f t he r i v e r . Each sample was analyzed f o r t h e phys i ca l parameters and major ions a t t h e Water Q u a l i t y Branch l a b o r a t o r y i n Moncton, New Brunswick us ing methods descr ibed i n t h e NAQUADAT A n a l y t i c a l Methods Manual (1981).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The Georg ia-Pac i f i c K r a f t Pulp M i l l i n t e r r u p t e d ope ra t i on on September 4 and remained i n o p e r a t i v e u n t i l September 18. From t h e e f f l u e n t d ischarge r a t e s , BOO loads and t o t a l suspended s o l i d loads presented i n Table 1, i t i s apparent t h a t bo th shut - down and subsequent s t a r t - u p a r e n o t instantaneous bu t span a couple o f days. The minimum e f f l u e n t d ischarge r a t e and BOD load ing occur red on September 7 , approx imate ly 3 d a f t e r t he p l a n t shutdown. The n a j o r i o n concent ra t ions responded t o t he reduced e f f l u e n t d ischarge on September 7 and throughout t h e f o l l o w i n g day (F ig . 1). From September 9-11, t he i on concent ra t ions remained r e l a t i v e l y s t a b l e , be ing i n te rmed ia te t o pre-shutdown and background s t a t i o n l e v e l s . The g rea tes t response was observed f o r those ions which a r e used e x t e n s i v e l y d u r i n g the K r a f t process such as sodium, c h l o r i d e and su lphate , w h i l e parameters such as calc ium, magnesium and potassium e x h i b i t e d minimal response t o reduced e f f l u e n t load ing. As would be expected, t h e s p e c i f i c conductance a l s o shows a s i g n i f i c a n t response t o t he m i l l shutdown (F ig . 2). I t i s i n t e r e s t i n g t o no te t h a t t h e r i v e r d ischarge r a t e decreased d u r i n g t h i s pe r i od which, under a constant e f f l u e n t l oad ing scenar io , would serve t o e leva te i o n concent ra t i ons . Thus, t he observed response t o t h e reduced e f f l u e n t l oad ing would have been much more drdmat ic i f the d ischarge r a t e had remained constant .

I n a d d i t i o n t o rev iew ing changes i n major i o n concent ra t ions , t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p between s p e c i f i c conductance and BOO load ing was exp lored. F igures

Table 1. R ive r and e f f l u e n t d ischarge r a t e s , BOO and t o t a l suspended s o l i d s loads and f low-weighted BOD concen t ra t i ons f o r t h e St. C r o i x R i ve r f rom September 1-20, 1983.

F l OW-

R i v e r E f f l u e n t Suspended weighted d ischarge d ischarge s o l i d s BOD BOD

cm MG/d l b / d l b / d mg/L

Sept . 1 60.1 2 55.2 3 56.3 4 60.6 5 45.9 6 31.4 7 28.9 8 29.4 9 27.4

3-6 show t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p between f low-weighted 800 concen t ra t i ons and s p e c i f i c conductance a t M i l l t o w n d u r i n g t h i s per iod . F igu re 3 assumes an immediate response t o e f f l u e n t l oad ing and thus has seve ra l o u t l y i n g values, cor respond ing t o per iods o f r a p i d l y changing BOO values. Add i t i on o f l a g i n t e r v a l s a t 12-h increments decreases both t h e number and e x t e n t o f t he o u t l i e r s . The bes t r e l a t i o n s h i p i s observed when a 24-h l a g p e r i o d i n M i l l t o w n s p e c i f i c conductance i s i nco rpo ra ted i n t o t he a n a l y s i s (F ig . 5 ) . These r e s u l t s i n d i c a t e t h a t t h e r e i s i n f a c t a r e l a t i o n s h i p between r i v e r s p e c i f i c conductance and e f f l u e n t BOO l o a d i n g and t h a t t h e l a g o r t r a v e l t ime between Woodland and M i l l t o w n a t a r i v e r d ischarge r a t e o f approx imate ly 28.3 cm (100 c f s ) i s about 24 h. This es t imated t r a v e l t ime agrees r a t h e r w e l l w i t h t he va lue o f 15.5 h es t imated us ing f l u o r e s c e n t dye a t a r i v e r d ischarge r a t e o f 52.7 cm (1860 c f s ) (MS r e p o r t , 1971).

Given t h a t s p e c i f i c conductance i s r e l a t e d t o BOD load ing, i t may a l s o be a u s e f u l i n d i c a t o r o f d i sso l ved oxygen concen t ra t i on . Us ing data f rom 1978-81, i t was apparent t h a t t h e r e i s a good r e l a t i o n s h i p between s p e c i f i c conductance and d i sso l ved oxygen s a t u r a t i o n p r o v i d i n g t h a t water temperature i s i nc luded i n t o t h e l i n e a r reg ress ion ana l ys i s . The necess i t y o f i n c l u d i n g water temperature i n t o t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p i s probab ly due t o g rea te r d i sso l ved oxygen response t o e f f l u e n t l o a d i n g d u r i n g per iods of increased me tabo l i c

a c t i v i t y d u r i n g t h e summer. From the m u l t i p l e l i n e a r reg ress ion equat ion , i t was p o s s i b l e t o con- s t r u c t a nomogram (F ig . 7) which can be used t o p r e d i c t d i sso l ved oxygen s a t u r a t i o n f rom t h e spec i - f i c conductance and water temperature. Tes t i ng t h i s nomogram w i t h an a d d i t i o n a l da ta s e t i n d i c a t e s r a t h e r good p r e d i c t a b i l i t y w i t h a tendency t o pre- d i c t values s l i g h t l y lower than observed (F ig . 8 ) .

F igu re 9 i n d i c a t e s t h a t t h e r e i s a good r e l a t i o n s h i p between s p e c i f i c conductance and t h e l o g a r i t h m o f mean d a i l y d ischarge and t h i s it i s p o s s i b l e t o modi fy t h e nomogram t o i nco rpo ra te t h e i n f l u e n c e o f d ischarge (F ig . 10). From t h i s f i g u r e i t i s r e a d i l y apparent t h a t a t t h e present minimum f l o w requirement o f 21.2 cm (750 c f s ) , t h e St. C r o i x R i ve r would be expected t o be i n compliance w i t h t h e 60% d i sso l ved oxygen s a t u r a t i o n o b j e c t i v e . Furthermore, any s l i g h t a l t e r a t i o n s o f the minimum d ischarge requ i rement such as an increase t o 26.9 cm (950 c f s ) would appear t o have o n l y s l i g h t e f f e c t s on t h e d i sso l ved oxygen s a t u r a t i o n values.

SUMMARY

The major i o n chemis t ry o f t h e lower reaches o f t h e St . C r o i x R i ve r responds r a p i d l y t o reduced e f f l u e n t discharges, r e v e r t i n g back t o i o n i c co rn . p o s i t i o n s which a r e more s i m i l a r t o t h e background s t a t i o n s . E f f l u e n t BOD loads, when co r rec ted f o r r i v e r d ischarge r a t e , a r e l i n e a r l y r e l a t e d t o i n - r i v e r s p e c i f i c conductance and t h i s r e l a t i o n s h i p has been used t o es t ima te t he l a g o r t r a v e l t ime between Woodland and M i l l t o w n . The d i sso l ved oxygen percent s a t u r a t i o n a t M i l l t o w n i s a f u n c t i o n o f t he system oxygen demand and me tabo l i c a c t i v i t y and thus a nomogram was developed t o p r e d i c t oxygen s a t u r a t i o n f rom s p e c i f i c conductance and water temperature. Based on the r e l a t i o n s h i p between d ischarge and s p e c i f i c conductance, i t was p o s s i b l e t o i nco rpo ra te a d ischarge sca le t o t h i s nomogram which enables t he e v a l u a t i o n o f d i sso l ved oxygen s a t u r a t i o n response t o changes i n minimum f l o w requirements.

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50 6 0 70 80 90 100 1

PREDICTED OXYGEN ( X SAT'N)

FIGURE 8 OBSERVED AND PREDICTED OXYGEN SATURATIONS USING THE ST. CROlX RIVER AWQM DATA

F I G U R E B RELA'I'IONSIII P BETWEEN DISCHARGE AND SPEC1 FIC

CONDUCTANCE FOR THE ST. CROIX RIVER A T NILLTOWN

SP. COND. US/CM

SPECIFIC CONOUCTANCE ( pS/cm)

FIGURE 7 A NOMOGRAPH WHICH PREDICTS DISSOLVED OXYGEN SATURATION FROM SPECIFIC CONOUCTANCE AND WATER TEMPERATURE

SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE ( pS/cm)

FIGURE 10 A NOMOGRAPH WHICH PREDICTS DISSOLVED OXYGEN SATURATION FROM SPECIFIC COFIDUCTANCE AND WATER TEMPERATURE

o 4 40 50 60 70 80 SO 100

I

SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE (pS/cm)

FIGURE 3 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FLOW-WEIGHTED BOD CONCENTRATION AND SPEClFlC CONDUCTANCE ASSUMING NO LAG IN RESPONSE TIME

y : 0.0028 x - 0.056 r : 0.83 12 HOUR LAG

0 40 50 60 70 . 80 90

7 100

SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE (pS/crn)

FIGURE 4 RELATIONSHIP' BETWEEN FLOW-WEIGHTED BOD CONCENTRATION AND SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE ASSUMING A 12 HOUR RESPONSE LAG

y = 0 . 0 0 3 0 ~ -0.070 r ~0.912 24 HOUR LAG

04 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

I


FIGURE 5 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FLOW-WEIGHTED BOD CONCENTRATION AND SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE ASSUMING A 24 HOUR RESPONSE LAG

y 0 .0027~ - .043 r * 0.81 36 HOUR LAG

50 1

60 70 80 90 100


FIGURE 6 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FLOW-WEIGHTED BOD CONCENTRATION AND SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE ASSUMING A 36 HOUR RESPONSE LAG

MEAN DAILY DISCHARGE (cis) +

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GEORGIA PACIFIC EFFLUENT MANAGEMENT AT WOODLAND

J. Norton Georgia P a c i f i c Corporat ion

M i l l S t ree t , Woodland, Maine 04694 USA

Georgia P a c i f i c Corporat ion operates a pu lp and paper m i l l a t Woodland, Maine, approximately 8 mi from Cala is . We produce 850 tons o f bleached k r a f t and 300 tons o f p r i n t i n g paper a day.

Our e f f l u e n t has pr imary c l a r i f i c a t i o n t o remove suspended s o l i d s . It i s then pumped t o a secondary t reatment lagoon. The lagoon has a s e t t l i n g pond w i t h a 10-h ho ld t ime. The main lagoon i s d i v i d e d i n t o two c e l l s w i t h a capac i t y o f 400 m i l l i o n ga l ; t he f i r s t , an ae ra t i on c e l l approximately 60% o f the volume and t h e second c e l l , a secondary s o l i d s s e t t l i n g c e l l . The m i l l e f f l u e n t f l o w i s 23 2 2 m i l l i o n ga l per day.

The lagoons have 17 100-hp and 3 75-hp ae ra to rs w i t h plans t o add an a d d i t i o n a l 3 75-hp ae ra to rs as standby capac i ty . The second c e l l has two c u r t a i n s t o g i ve added t ime f o r s o l i d s sedimentat ion. The lagoon operates a t 90% BOD removal e f f i c i e n c y a t 60,000 1 b per day load.

A new recovery has been approved by G-P which w i l l even our load and make surges i n t he d a i l y load t o t h e lagoon much more u n l i k e l y .

advanced s ince 1971, when we f i r s t i n s t a l l e d pr imary t reatment , t o t h e present l e v e l o f management. pH, pr imary s o l i d s , BOD, chemical and petroleum outages a re v i r t u a l l y e l iminated. Pr imary s o l i d s a re s p e c i f i e d because we a r e ab le t o e l i m i n a t e s o l i d s generated by t h e m i l l b u t secondary s o l i d s which a r e a n a t u r a l product from BOD removal a re generated and re leased t o t h e r i v e r . Subs tan t i a l cos t and eng ineer ing have been expended t o keep secondary s o l i d s a t a minimum.

M i l l e f f l u e n t has i n excess o f 15 d h o l d i n g t ime which l e v e l s our temperature t o the r i v e r a t 82°F t 2" f rom 120°F l e a v i n g t h e m i l l .

Eng ineer ing s tud ies a re underway t o reduce m i l l e f f l u e n t temperature which w i l l reduce temperature t o t h e r i v e r under t h e 80°F range. A study by DEP i n 1986 concluded t h a t G-P was respons ib le f o r l e s s than 25% o f t h e BOD impact on t h e r i v e r . Past t e s t i n g programs i n d i c a t e G-P e f f l u e n t f o l l o w s t h e American shore t o t h e Baring Br idge which promotes h ighe r DO l e v e l s i n t h e center and Canadian shore areas u n t i l t h e se r ies o f r a p i d s from t h e m i l l t o Bar ing where t h e r i v e r i s w e l l aerated.

We have eng ineer ing plans underway f o r a s p i l l G-P has p lans t o conduct a temperature survey prevent ion system, which w i l l e l i m i n a t e any poss i - o f t h e r i v e r d u r i n g t h e summer o f 1988 and w i l l b i l i t y o f contaminated f l ow t o t h e r i v e r from t h e cont inue t o survey and c o n t i n u a l l y upgrade our m i l l s i t e o the r than the e f f l u e n t from the secondary ope ra t i on t o i n s u r e t h e St. C ro i x R iver remains the lagoon. Our e f f l u e n t management and eng ineer ing has best q u a l i t y i n Maine and New Brunswick.

BIOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS AND WATER QUALITY ON THE ST. CROIX RIVER

S. P. Davies, B i o l o g i s t Department o f Environmental P r o t e c t i o n


INTRODUCTION

Th is paper w i l l p resent i n f o r m a t i o n rega rd ing t h e b i o l o g i c a l c o n d i t i o n o f the St. C r o i x R i ve r , i n p a r t i c u l a r , as i t p e r t a i n s t o th'e r i v e r ' s c a p a c i t y t o support an A t l a n t i c salmon f i s h e r y and as an i n d i - c a t i o n o f . t h e o v e r a l l water q u a l i t y i n t h e r i v e r . The Maine Department o f Environmental P r o t e c t i o n (MDEP) D i v i s i o n o f Environmental Eva lua t i on and Lake Studies, approached t h e i n v e s t i g a t i o n f rom two s ides.

F i r s t l y , t h e i n v e s t i g a t i o n used t h e ben th i c mac ro inve r teb ra te community (aqua t i c i nsec ts , s n a i l s , clams, leaches, e t c . ) i n t h e r i v e r as a microcosm o f the whole r i v e r ecosystem. We c o l l e c t e d a s e r i e s o f r e p l i c a t e d samples f rom s t r a t e g i c l o c a t i o n s and assessed t h e b i o t i c c o n d i t i o n i n terms o f what we know about how t h e ben th i c mac ro inve r teb ra te community responds t o p o l l u t i o n a l s t ress . Th is has been done severa l t imes on t h e St. Cro ix , most r e c e n t l y by Paul Adamus and t h e Center f o r Na tu ra l Areas (CNA) , Gardiner, Maine i n 1980. MEDP a l s o has a l a r g e body o f Statewide data us ing these sampl ing methods.

Our second approach was t o assess t h e a v a i l a - b i l i t y and s u i t a b i l i t y o f the e x i s t i n g macro inver te- b r a t e comnunity t o serve as a food source f o r t h e A t l a n t i c salmon. I n o rde r t o do t h i s , we sampled crepuscu lar (dawn/dusk) d r i f t as suggested i n t h e f i n a l recommendations o f t he CNA study. No h i s t o r i c a l da ta were a v a i l a b l e f o r t h i s aspect o f t he study.

From t h e ou tse t , our i n v e s t i g a t i o n was ta rge ted toward assessing i m p l i c a t i o n s o f t he f i n d i n g s f o r t h e A t l a n t i c salmon - cons idered a most s e n s i t i v e use of the r i v e r i n e resource. We presumed t h a t i f cond i t i ons were adequate t o p r o t e c t and preserve t h i s use, then o the r l e s s s e n s i t i v e uses would a l s o be p ro tec ted . We f u r t h e r t a r g e t e d our s t r a t e g y t o i n v e s t i g a t e t he worst-case cond i t i ons i n t h e r i v e r i n terms o f po in t -source water q u a l i t y impacts and sampl ing season. Thus, sampl ing e f f o r t was concent ra ted i n the v i c i n i t y o f t h e Georgia P a c i f i c Pulp and Paper Y i l l (G-P) i n Woodland and sampl ing was done d u r i n g t h e l a t e summer ( h i g h temperature/ low f l o w ) p e r i o d o f maximal b i o l o g i c a l s t r e s s . Again, i t was presumed t h a t i f these cond i t i ons were found t o be t o l e r a b l e t o t he b i o l o g i c a l community, then o the r areas o f lower s t r e s s should be a t l e a s t as t o l e r a b l e .

The sampl ing s t r a t e g y and f i n a l l o c a t i o n o f sampl ing s i t e s was determined w i t h c o n s u l t a t i o n o f t h e r e g i o n a l A t l a n t i c Salmon Commission b i o l o g i s t , J im Roberts. The sampl ing l o c a t i o n s were:

1. Meetinghouse Rips area near Simquish Brook, upstream o f a l l p o i n t sources o f p o l l u t i o n and chosen as a p r i s t i n e re fe rence s t a t i o n .

2. Woodland, Maine about 500 m below t h e GP e f f l u e n t o u t f a l l and w i t h i n t he e f f l u e n t plume.

3. Upper M i l l s , N.B. across and u p r i v e r about 250 m from t h e Woodland s i t e , f r e e f rom any d i r e c t e f f e c t s o f t he e f f l u e n t .

4. Ba r i ng Rips about 6 km below t h e GP o u t f a l l and 500 m above t h e Bar ing r a i l r o a d b r i dge i n an area where t h e e f f l u e n t plume has comple te ly mixed w i t h t h e r i v e r .

METHODS

The ben th i c mac ro inve r teb ra te comnunity was assessed by t h e use o f r o c k - f i l l e d basket a r t i f i c i a l subs t ra tes . These samplers a r e p laced on t h e r i v e r bottom f o r a 4-wk c o l o n i z a t i o n pe r i od , f o l l o w e d by c o l l e c t i o n and enumeration and i d e n t i f i c a t i o n o f organisms i n t he l a b o r a t o r y . Th is method was chosen f o r seve ra l reasons:

1. t h e r e i s a l a r g e body o f e x i s t i n g d a t a f o r t h e S ta te o f Maine u s i n g these methods i n c l u d i n g t h e Adamus, 1980 study;

2. i t p rov ides good un i f o rm q u a n t i t a t i v e data;

3. i t improves s t a n d a r d i z a t i o n o f t h e m i c r o h a b i t a t sampled f rom s i t e t o s i t e .

These samplers were p laced i n t h e St. C r o i x on August 3, 1987 and removed on September 1, 1987.

Assessment o f i n v e r t e b r a t e d r i f t was accomplished by p l a c i n g 30 cm by 45 cm frame-size and 363 micron mesh s i z e d r i f t n e t s i n t h e r i v e r f rom 5:OO-7:00 a.m. and aga in f rom 6:OO-8:00 p.m. Th is was chosen as t h e t ime o f g r e a t e s t A t l a n t i c salmon feed ing a c t i v i t y . A l l f ou r s i t e s were d r i f t sampled concu r ren t l y . Measurements o f temperature, d i sso l ved oxygen, v e l o c i t y and s p e c i f i c conductance were made a t each s i t e as w e l l .

RESULTS

Q u a n t i t a t i v e r e s u l t s a r e no t y e t a v a i l a b l e f rom t h i s survey so r e s u l t s a r e p r e l i m i n a r y and based on f i e l d and l a b o r a t o r y observat ions . A l l s t a t i o n s sampled showed v igorous c o l o n i z a t i o n o f macroin- ve r teb ra tes on t h e rock baskets. None cou ld be s a i d t o show t h e e f f e c t s o f severe water q u a l i t y impa i r - ment. However, t h e r e were s i g n i f i c a n t d i f f e r e n c e s between t h e s i t e s .

As expected, t h e Meetinghouse Rips s i t e , chosen as a p r i s t i n e re fe rence s i t e , was cha rac te r i zed by a d i ve rse , balanced comnunity o f p o l l u t i o n - s e n s i t i v e organisms i n c l u d i n g p e r l i d s t o n e f l i e s and b a e t i d may f l i es . Th is area i s known t o have good A t l a n t i c salmon product ion . The i n v e r t e b r a t e s were d i s - t r i b u t e d q u i t e even ly across f u n c t i o n a l groups (grazers , p redators , c o l l e c t o r - f i l t e r e r s and co l l ec to r -ga the re rs , e tc . ) . D r i f t was dominated by may f l y nymphs and a d u l t s though o v e r a l l d e n s i t y o f

i n d i v i d u a l s i n t h e d r i f t was low compared t o some o f t h e f i n d i n g s downstream.

The two s t a t i o n s i n t he v i c i n i t y o f t h e Georgia P a c i f i c m i l l showed much h ighe r d e n s i t i e s o f organisms than t h e Meetinghouse Rips s i t e s . I n general , t hey had more s i m i l a r i t i e s than d i f f e rences . Th is can be a t t r i b u t e d t o t h e f a c t t h a t bo th s i des o f t h e r i v e r a r e w i t h i n t he d i r e c t zone o f i n f l u e n c e o f t h e o u t f l o w f rom Woodland Lake. Lake o u t l e t s a r e t y p i c a l l y ve ry r i c h sources o f d r i f t i n g p lank ton and seston. Th is o rgan i c m a t e r i a l i s u t i l i z e d by downstream communities as a food resource. Both s ides o f t h e r i v e r had very dense popu la t i ons o f many species o f f i l t e r - f e e d i n g c a d d i s f l i e s (most ly f rom t h e f a m i l y Hydropsychidae). The New Brunswick s i d e o f t h e r i v e r appears t o have somewhat h ighe r d e n s i t i e s o f p o l l u t i o n - s e n s i t i v e taxa and t o have a b e t t e r r e p r e s e n t a t i o n o f d i f f e r e n t f u n c t i o n a l groups.

D i f f e r e n c e s i n d r i f t were much more pronounced. The New Brunswick s i t e had 8-10 t imes g rea te r abundance and types o f t axa known t o be p r e f e r r e d salmon foods ( b a e t i d m a y f l i e s e s p e c i a l l y ) . The d i v e r s i t y o f organisms i n t h e d r i f t was much g rea te r than t h a t which would have been p r e d i c t e d by t h e rock basket sampl ing alone. D r i f t sampl ing i n t h e G-P plume revea led very h i g h d e n s i t i e s o f t h e c lado- ceran, Moina. Th is i s a p lank ton i c , pond-dwel l ing c rus tacean ,abou t 1 mn i n s i ze , which would no t be considered a customary p a r t o f t h e r i v e r b i o l o g i c a l community. I n v e s t i g a t i o n revea led t h a t these organisms o r i g i n a t e i n h i g h numbers i n t h e secondary a e r a t i o n bas in o f t he G-P t reatment p l a n t . No o the r t axa were abundant i n t h e d r i f t and m a y f l i e s were absent.

The Bar ing s i t e showed a t l e a s t a 60% lower number.of i n d i v i d u a l s than e i t h e r o f the Woodland v i c i n i t y s i t e s though d e n s i t i e s were h ighe r than a t Meetinghouse Rips. There was a s i g n i f i c a n t r e d u c t i o n i n t h e f i l t e r feeder numbers, a l though they were s t i l l abundant. There was some rec ru i tmen t o f new taxa from those found i n t h e G-P plume but i n low numbers o f p o l l u t i o n - s e n s i t i v e forms. D r i f t r evea led low numbers o f i n d i v i d u a l s comparable t o t h e Meetinghouse Rips s i t e but was markedly predominated by p o l l u t i o n - t o l e r a n t forms l i k e chironomid midges.

Resu l ts f o r g rab and meter samples f o r water q u a l i t y measures a re presented below:

Meetinghouse Rips Upper M i l l s , NB

Temperature 18.5"C 21.OoC Disso lved oxygen 9.0 mg/L 7.0 mg/L Spec i f i c conductance 31 mmhos 34 mmhos

Woodland, Me Baring, Me

Temper a t u re 25.0°C 2O.O0C Disso lved oxygen 6.4 mg/L 7.7 mg/L S p e c i f i c conductance 1250 mmhos 240 mmhos

CONCLUSIONS

St. C r o i x w i t h g r e a t e s t abundance o f p r e f e r r e d taxa i n t h e Upper M i l l s , N.B. area. Exc lud ing t h e numbers o f Moina i n t h e Woodland d r i f t , t h e remain ing t h r e e s i t e s h o w comparable d r i f t d e n s i t i e s bu t Meetinghouse Rips c l e a r l y suppor ts t h e p r e f e r r e d taxa. Water q u a l i t y measures recorded w i t h i n t he Georgia P a c i f i c e f f l u e n t plume a t t h e t i m e o f b i o l o g i c a l sampl ing revea led s i g n i f i c a n t l y h i g h e r temperature and s p e c i f i c conductance than areas f r e e f rom t h e e f f l u e n t e f f e c t s . Th is cou ld have i m p l i c a t i o n s f o r t h e salmon's chemical r e c o g n i t i o n o f i t s spawning grounds. Under normal, l i c e n s e d o p e r a t i n g c o n d i t i o n s , t h e e f f l u e n t i t s e l f i s appa ren t l y f r e e o f t o x i c impacts. I t i s l i k e l y t h a t b i o l o g i c a l p e r t u r b a t i o n s i n t h e r i v e r a r e caused by phys i ca l changes l i k e decreased l i g h t p e n e t r a t i o n f rom t h e h i g h l y co lo red e f f l u e n t and increased l e v e l s o f s e t t l e a b l e and suspended s o l i d s .

These p r e l i m i n a r y r e s u l t s i n d i c a t e t he re has been l i t t l e change i n t he ben th i c mac ro inve r teb ra te conanunity as compared t o t h e 1980 s tudy by CNA. There i s an abundance o f f i sh - food organisms i n the

REQUIREMENTS OF THE CWA OF 1987a

R. Manfredonia Environmental P r o t e c t i o n Agency, Region 1

60 Westview St reet , Lex ington, MA 02173 USA

Sect ion 304(1) o f t he CWA r e q u i r e s Sta tes t o develop l i s t s o f impa i red waters, l i s t s o f p o i n t sources and amounts o f p o l l u t a n t s causing t o x i c impacts, and " i n d i v i d u a l c o n t r o l s t r a t e g i e s " f o r such p o i n t sources. The new p r o v i s i o n s d i r e c t imnediate a t t e n t i o n t o e s t a b l i s h i n g c o n t r o l s where t h e r e a r e known impacts due e n t i r e l y o r substan- t i a l l y t o p o i n t sources o f S307(a) t o x i c p o l l u t a n t s ( i n t e r p r e t e d by EPA as the 126 " p r i o r i t y p o l l u t a n t s " l i s t e d i n connect ion w i t h S307(a) o f t h e CWA).

EPA regards t h e new s t a t u t o r y requirements t o c o n t r o l p o i n t sources as a component o f t he ongoing n a t i o n a l program f o r t o x i c s c o n t r o l . As t h e f i r s t phase o f t he n a t i o n a l t o x i c s c o n t r o l program, a l l known problems a r e t o be c o n t r o l l e d (us ing bo th new and e x i s t i n g s t a t u t o r y a u t h o r i t i e s ) as soon as p o s s i b l e bu t no l a t e r than t h e s t a t u t o r y t ime frames s e t f o r t h i n S304(1). Known problems i n c l u d e water q u a l i t y problems a t t r i b u t a b l e t o S307(a) t o x i c p o l l u t a n t s as w e l l as o the r p o i n t source discharges o f o the r p o l l u t a n t s caus ing l o c a l i z e d t o x i c impacts, i n c l u d i n g c h l o r i n e , amnonia and whole e f f l u e n t t o x i c i t y .

A t t h e same time, Sta tes a r e t o con t i nue t o c o l l e c t a d d i t i o n a l water q u a l i t y da ta where e x i s t i n g da ta a re inadequate t o so l ve c u r r e n t l y unknown problems i n t he second phase o f t he nat ionwide t o x i c s c o n t r o l program. S ta te Clean Water S t r a t e g i e s may be used f o r s e t t i n g p r i o r i t i e s f o r new t o x i c s mon i to r i ng , problem assessments and con t ro l s . Th is i s e s p e c i a l l y r e l e v a n t f o r areas w i t h both p o i n t and nonpo in t source t o x i c s problems.

I n accordance w i t h t h e s t a t u t o r y p rov i s i ons , States a r e r e q u i r e d t o develop and submit t h r e e l i s t s o f waters t o EPA ( t h e l i s t des ignat ions below correspond t o t he paragraph o f the s t a t u t e which descr ibes them):

( A ) ( i ) : A l i s t o f waters f o r which a S ta te does no t expect t o achieve water q u a l i t y standards f o r S307(a) t o x i c s a f t e r technology-based requirements have been met, due t o e i t h e r p o i n t o r nonpo in t sources o f p o l l u t i o n . Th is l i s t i s a subset o f the ( A ) ( i i ) l i s t and cou ld be a very s h o r t l i s t where a S ta te has few o r no c r i t e r i a f o r S307(a) t o x i c s .

(A) ( i i ) : A comprehensive l i s t o f ,waters impacted by p o i n t o r nonpoint source discharges o f t o x i c , convent iona l and non-convent ional p o l l u t a n t s . Uaters on t h i s l i s t w i l l r e q u i r e c o n t r o l ac t i ons i n both t h e f i r s t and second phases o f t h e n a t i o n a l t o x i c s c o n t r o l program and w i l l r e q u i r e t he use o f a l l a v a i l a b l e a u t h o r i t i e s .

(B): A l i s t o f waters f o r which a Sta te does n o t expect " a p p l i c a b l e water q u a l i t y standards" t o be achieved a f t e r technology-based requirements have been met due e n t i r e l y o r s u b s t a n t i a l l y t o p o i n t source discharges o f S307(a) t o x i c s . "Appl i c a b l e

f rom EPA's O r a f t F i n a l Guidance on Implementa t ion o f Sec. 304(1) o f t h e CWA.

standard" i s i n t e r p r e t e d by EPA t o mean bo th numeric c r i t e r i a f o r S307(a) t o x i c s as w e l l as v i o l a t i o n s o f t h e n a r r a t i v e " f r e e form" s tandard due t o t h e d ischarge o f S307(a) t o x i c s .

.For each segment o f t h e ( 8 ) l i s t , paragraph (C) o f t h e s t a t u t e r e q u i r e s a de te rm ina t i on o f t he s p e c i f i c p o i n t source d i s c h a r g i n g any S307(a) t o x i c p o l l u t a n t b e l i e v e d t o be p reven t i ng use o r i m p a i r i n g water q u a l i t y and t h e amount o f each such t o x i c p o l l u t a n t ( s ) .

I n l i s t i n g waters, S ta tes should use a v a r i e t y o f a v a i l a b l e screen ing techn iques. A t a minimum, d i l u t i o n analyses based upon a v a i l a b l e o r r e a d i l y a v a i l a b l e da ta and a rev iew o f a l l o the r r e l e v a n t da ta should be conducted. A v a i l a b l e and r e a d i l y a v a i l a b l e da ta ( i n c l u d i n g da ta f rom o the r agencies) shou ld a l s o be used. Where da ta can be r e a d i l y developed t o complete p r e l i m i n a r y l i s t i n g a c t i v i t i e s o r t o r e f i n e p r e l i m i n a r y l i s t s , S ta tes w i l l be r e q u i r e d t o develop needed d a t a q u i c k l y . EPA i s r e q u i r i n g Sta tes t o r e p o r t p r e l i m i n a r y l i s t s of waters r e q u i r e d by paragraphs ( A ) ( i ) , (A) ( i i ) and (B), and l i s t s o f p o i n t sources and amounts r e q u i r e d by paragraph (C) by A p r i l 1, 1988. These l i s t s should be r e f i n e d and expanded by t h e s t a t u t o r y dead l i ne o f February 4, 1989.

For each segment on t h e l i s t i n paragraph (B ) , t he s t a t u t e r e q u i r e s an i n d i v i d u a l c o n t r o l s t r a t e g y ( ICS) t o reduce t h e d ischarge o f t o x i c p o l l u t a n t s f rom t h e i d e n t i f i e d p o i n t sources through t h e a p p l i - c a t i o n o f e f f l u e n t l i m i t s and t o x i c water q u a l i t y standards ( i n combinat ion w i t h e x i s t i n g nonpo in t source c o n t r o l s ) . The goa l i s t o achieve a p p l i c a b l e water q u a l i t y standards w i t h i n 3 y r o f es tab l ishment o f t h e s t r a t e g y ( i . e . by June 4, 1992).

EPA's i n t e r p r e t s t h e I C S t o c o n s i s t o f f i n a l NPOES pe rm i t s and accompanying documentat ion ( i . e . f a c t sheets) f o r sources l i s t e d under paragraph (C). I n o rde r f o r " c o n t r o l s " t o be achieved by June 4, 1992, EPA i s r e q u i r i n g t h a t f i n a l permi ts be issued ( t o t h e ex ten t p o s s i b l e ) f o r "major " and " s i g n i f i - can t minor" p o i n t sources on the (C) l i s t by February 4, 1989.

I n a d d i t i o n . i n o rde r t o address waters w i t h known t o x i c i t y problems o the r than those l i s t e d under paragraph (B) , EPA w i l l r e q u i r e water q u a l i t y - based pe rm i t l i m i t s t o be developed and submi t ted as necessary t o achieve a1 1 appl i c a b l e water qua1 i t y standards, i n c l u d i n g n a r r a t i v e " f r e e f rom" S ta te water q u a l i t y standards. Oevelopment o f c o n t r o l s t o address these problems w i l l r e l y upon e x i s t i n g s t a t u t o r y a u t h o r i t i e s , p a r t i c u l a r l y S30 l (b) (1 ) (C) o f the CWA. As a ma t te r o f p o l i c y , EPA i s r e q u i r i n g t h a t NPOES permi ts i n c o r p o r a t i n g a p p r o p r i a t e water qua l i ty -based c o n t r o l s f o r such known t o x i c i t y problems be developed as soon as poss ib le , bu t n o t l a t e r than February 4, 1989.

NPOES permi ts i n c o r p o r a t i n g a l l necessary and app rop r i a te elements shou ld be developed f o r a l l p o i n t sources which a r e i d e n t i f i e d and l i s t e d . Th is w i l l e n t a i l address ing a l l known o r p o t e n t i a l

problems w i t h respect t o a p o i n t source (eg. convent iona l , nonconvent ional and t o x i c p o l l u t a n t s ) i r r e s p e c t i v e o f t he s p e c i f i c reason f o r l i s t i n g t h e p o i n t source.

The f o l l o w i n g t a b l e summarizes t h e t ime frames f o r these major a c t i o n s ( f o r f u r t h e r d e t a i l s , see F ig . 1 and 2 and r e l e v a n t sec t i ons o f t h i s document ) :

EPA dead l i ne EPA and s t a t u t o r y f o r p r e l im ina ry deadl i n e f o r

L i s t l a c t i o n submission f i n a l submissioo

( A ) ( i ) l i s t o f 4/1/88 2/4/89 waters

( A ) ( i i ) l i s t o f 4/1/88 2 /4 /89 waters

( 5 ) l i s t o f waters 4/1/88 2/4/89

I n d i v i d u a l c o n t r o l s t r a t e g i e s ( re issued/modi f i e d NPDES permi t s )

Sect ion 304(1) (2) r e q u i r e s t h a t w i t h i n 120 d a f t e r t h e February 4, 1989 deadl i n e f o r ICS submi t t a l , EPA must approve o r d isapprove each ICS. I f approved, c o n t r o l s must be i n p lace w i t h i n 3 y r (June 4, 1992). I f disapproved, o r i f t h e S ta te f a i l s t o submit an ICS, EPA must develop the ICS w i t h i n 1 y r (June 4, 1990) and c o n t r o l s must be i n p lace w i t h i n 3 y r t h e r e a f t e r (June 4, 1993).

States a re u n t i m a t e l y respons ib le f o r l i s t i n g waters and p o i n t sources and deve lop ing i n d i v i d u a l c o n t r o l s t r a t e g i e s . Th is w i l l i n v o l v e a coope ra t i ve e f f o r t between Regions and Sta tes , p a r t i c u l a r l y i n those Sta tes which a r e no t au tho r i zed t o admin i s te r t he NPDES program. EPA w i l l work w i t h Sta tes t o s t reng then S ta te t o x i c s c o n t r o l programs and t o develop the t e c h n i c a l approaches t o be used i n f u l f i l l i n g t h e requirements o f S304(1) and t h e nat ionwide t o x i c s c o n t r o l program.

WATER QUALITY

Discussion Summary

The linkage of automatic water quality monitors to regulatory agencies by satellite has made data much more accessible for use in water quality control strategies with a more immediate effectiveness in alerting officials to serious conditions.

The high natural BOD background is probably a combination of bog drainage, flooding of boggy areas, and sediments contaiminated with organic material remaining from log driving days.

Georgia Pacific, for the most part, practices selective cutting of forests on the lands they control, a practice that is recognized as having reduced impacts on water quality compared with clear cutting.

Chlorination, although essential to reducing bacteria in effluents entering the estuary, has a highly toxic effect on fish it may contact in the vicinity of the pulp mill effluent.

There is a general recognition of the importance of public involvement (be it small or large) in many of the management decisions and planning processes, many of which already have mechanisms for broad public input.

Despite some benthic monitoring in the river, there was no clear indication that the benthic community is fully explored or understood in its entirety, or whether or not there is a need for such an understanding.

Cladoceran invertebrates, entering the river in abundance from the pulp mill treatment system, are probably eaten by young salmon and may account for larger salmon fry in that part of the river.

SESSION I1 (CONTINUED)

WATER QUALITY AND QUANTITY

WATER QUANTITY

Highlights

1) The maximum desired flow for the St. Croix is 2300 cfs which is the long term average annual flow. The whole reservoir system is normally operated at this level when ample storage is available.

2. An operating rule developed by GP' for "desired flows" under their terms of power needs and storage capacity allows 1100 cfs from April through to November, and 2600 cfs from December through to March.

3. Water storage is achieved by closing upper basin gates as fall and spring run-off begins, resulting, by the end of May in an average year, of some 20 billion cubic feet of water in storage. This amount is necessary to guarantee 850 cfs through the summer months.

4. Georgia Pacific plans to increase production in the next 5-7 years and thus increase electric energy demands which will probably be supplied through hydro expansion.

5. GP has recognized the need for practical co-existence of its industrial operations with other river and lake users, and has studied and initiated procedures to optimize this diversity of uses as far as what they consider practical.

6. Water levels in the largest reservoirs lakes - Grand Lake, Spednic Lake, West Grand Lake and Grand Falls flowage - have been regulated since 1914-1915.

7. It is obvious that recorded flows under the influence of regulation are less extreme than the naturalized flows. Water in the river would be much higher during March, April and December. Low flows would prevail in all other months.

MOOELS FOR FLOW REGULATION 1973-77

L. Bergen U.S. Army Corps o f ~ n ~ i n e e r s

424 Trape lo Road, Waltham, MA 02154 USA

Sect ion I: D e s c r i p t i v e Background Loca t i on and a rea l e x t e n t o f t h e bas in ( w i t h o u t r e p e a t i n g i n f o prov ided by o t h e r s )

S ize o f bas in /dra inage areas1East Branch & West Branch/

Major s torages and e f f e c t i v e d r a f t s ,

I n s t a l l e d capac i t y

Loca t i on o f c o n t r o l f a c t o r s such as USGS gages, T r t P l n t f i s h ladders , e t c .

E x i s t i n g Orders o f Approval

1915 Grand F a l l s 1934 Reconst ruc t ion 1923 Fishways M i l 1 town 1931 Increase Grand F a l l s 1965 Vanceboro

1982 Grand Fa1 1 s d i k e

Other non-IJC r e s t r i c t i o n s EPA 750 c f s West Grand Lake and o the rs

Sect ion 11: Concerns o f Loca ls and B o f C

I n e a r l y 1970's a prolonged d r y pe r i od caused concern about t h e r e g u l a t i o n o f t he St C ro i x R i ve r Basin system. Local r e s i d e n t s and commercial camp owners complained t o t he IJC about low l e v e l s on Spednic Lake i n l a t e summer--large exposed areas a long the shore, l oss o f f i s h popu la t i on and inconvenience o f access t o t h e co t tages (access i s on l y by wa te r ) . Other concerns i nc luded shore eros ion, d e b r i s and water t a b l e i n nearby w e l l s .

Locals were a l so c r i t i c a l o f sudden ga te changes a t Vanceboro Oam, which were r e s u l t i n g i n d r a s t i c downstream changes i n water l e v e l and adverse e f f e c t s on f i s h .

Sect ion 111: S t u d y / A t t i t u d e Survey

I n 1972, t h e IJC approved a s tudy o f two problem areas:

- water l e v e l s o f Spednic Lake - f l u c t u a t i n g re leases f rom Vanceboro Dam.

Dur ing 1973, a Pub l i c A t t i t u d e Survey was conducted o f r e s i d e n t s i n t he bas in , p r i m a r i l y those around Spednic Lake. A t o t a l o f 60 r e s i d e n t s were i n te rv iewed and quest ionna i res were rece i ved from another 20 who were absentees. The consensus was a d i s s a t i s f a c t i o n w i t h t h e l ake l e v e l s a t Spednic and a d e s i r e f o r a h ighe r minimum pool l e v e l , p a r t i c u l a r l y d u r i n g t h e r e c r e a t i o n season. There were concerns, a l so , r e l a t i n g t o o the r lakes i n t h e St. C ro i x system such as:

East Grand - h igh water l e v e l s causing f l o o d i n g and e ros ion

Uest Grand & Grand Lake Stream - f l u c t u a t i n g l e v e l s adverse ly a f f e c t i n g f i s h - - need f o r constant l a k e l e v e l

a f t e r mid Oct f o r l a k e t r o u t spawning

B i g Lake & Grand F a l l s Flowage - g e n e r a l l y s a t i s f a c t i o n

Sect ion IV : Study/Models

Us ing 1935-75 p e r i o d f o r h y d r o l o g i c a n a l y s i s and r e g u l a t i o n , a r e s e r v o i r systems a n a l y s i s was conducted u s i n g HEC-3 (Research System Ana lys i s f o r Conservat ion) mu l t i pu rpose r o u t i n g s o f r e s e r v o i r systems based on o p e r a t i o n a l c o n s t r a i n t s on r e s e r v o i r s and o t h e r c o n t r o l p o i n t s . Hydrology i n p u t f rom Canada and S imula t ion by US.

The Model used f o u r major s torages: East Grand Lake Spednic Lake West Grand Lake Grand F a l l s Flowage (w/Big L)

The model used c o n t r o l p o i n t s each r e s e r v o i r and a t Woodland and a t M i l l t o w n . The i n i t i a l runs used month ly increments and an abb rev ia ted p e r i o d (1961-69). The average f lows f o r t h i s p e r i o d approximated t h e p e r i o d o f r e c o r d and t h e p e r i o d conta ined a s i g n i f i c a n t drought.

Streamflow requ i rements , t h e pr imary c o n s t r a i n t s f o r which t h e system operates, were c l a s s i f i e d as " requ i red f lows" and " d e s i r e d f lows. " Required f l ows were those f lows g e n e r a l l y es tab l i shed as r e q u i r e d f o r f i s h e r i e s p r o t e c t i o n on a l l major streams i n t h e St . C ro i x R i ve r Basin. Required f l ows used i n t h e model were:

Downstream East Grand Lake 75 Downstream Spedni c Lake 200 Downstream West Grand Lake 100 St. C ro i x R i ve r a t Woodland 775

"Desired f l ows" would be t h e maximum constant s t reamf low i f r e g u l a t i o n capac i t y were u n l i m i t e d . The maximum des i red f l o w i s t h e r e f o r e equal t o t he long-term average annual f low. The d e s i r e d f l ow , o r average annual f low, a t Woodland i s 2300 c f s , thus t h e whole r e s e r v o i r system was opera ted f o r t h i s c o n t r o l when ample s to rage was a v a i l a b l e .

Rese rvo i r s to rage zones were des ignated as:

Dead s torage u n a v a i l a b l e f o r f l ows B u f f e r s torage " r e q u i r e d f l ows" Conservat ion s to rage " d e s i r e d f l ows" Flood c o n t r o l s torage above " d e s i r e d f l o w s "

The computer s i m u l a t i o n assumed a p r e c i s e r e g u l a t i o n o f r e s e r v o i r s t h a t cou ld o n l y be approached i n f i e l d a p p l i c a t i o n . D i f f e r e n c e s i n y i e l d s as g rea t as 10% might be expected f o r i naccu rac ies i n a c t u a l f i e l d r e g u l a t i o n . I t i s a l s o noted t h a t t he system was modeled u s i n g month ly computat ion i n t e r v a l s , and instantaneous o r d a i l y v a r i a t i o n s i n s t reamf low may add t o t h e lower p r e c i s i o n o f t he computed r e g u l a t i o n . I t was be1 ieved , however, t h a t the computer s imu la t i ons made f o r t h e s tudy demonstrated the r e l a t i v e

performances f o r a range o f ope ra t i ng p lans and were a va luab le t o o l i n s tudy ing t h e i n t e r a c t i o n s o f t h e system opera t ion .

A number o f p lans were analyzed:

Plan 1 - Maximizing power ou tpu t , w i t h o u t i n c l u d i n g b u f f e r s to rage f o r f i s h o r water q u a l i t y re leases - p rov ided t h e g rea tes t average usab le f l o w f o r power genera t ion . However, f r e q u e n t l y y i e l d e d f l ows a t Woodland c l o s e l y approaching minimum r e q u i r e d f l ows and i n a c t u a l opera t ion , due t o i n e f f i c i e n c i e s i n f i e l d r e g u l a t i o n , r e q u i r e d f l ows would probab ly no t be met. Would a l s o r e s u l t i n t h e maximum d r a f t on Spednic Lake.

Plan 2 - Compromise o f P1 1, d u r i n g t h e summer months would use o n l y t h e s torage above 378.5 f o r power genera t ion . Du r i ng t h e r e s t o f t he year, Spednic Lake cou ld be drawn down t o 376.5 f o r power re leases. At a l l t imes, " b u f f e r s torage" ( f o r r e q u i r e d f l ows ) would ex tend down t o t h e s i l l e l e v a t i o n o f 371.5, Required f lows were met a t a l l t imes, very r a r e l y was t h e poo l drawn down below 378.5 d u r i n g t h e summer and t h e r e appeared t o be minimum inconvenience t o power i n t e r e s t s .

Plan 3 - Pool always above 378.5 Conservat ion s torage (power) - 385.86-380.5 B u f f e r s to rage ( f i s h & W Q ) - 380.5-378.5 Ensured t h e meet ing o f " r e q u i r e d f l ows" a t a l l t imes w h i l e m a i n t a i n i n g t h e l a k e l e v e l above 378.5. However, t h e l o s t conser- v a t i o n s to rage main ta ined Spednic Lake a t a h ighe r l e v e l a t t h e expense o f g rea te r d r a f t on o t h e r lakes i n t h e system.

Plan 4 - Recreat ion /Poo l always above 378.5 w/ a l l s to rage above t h a t f o r power, b u t no p r o v i s i o n o f " b u f f e r storage." The t a r g e t l e v e l a t Spednic would be met w i t h o u t except ion ; however, w i t h o u t t h e b u f f e r zone, r e q u i r e d f lows d u r i n g drought pe r i ods might no t be met. Also, reduced s torage a t Spednic would impose s t r a i n on t h e o t h e r storages d u r i n g non rec rea t i on months.

Plan 5 - F i s h e r i e s I M a i n t a i n 1 Oct pool t i l l s p r i n g RO f o r a l l s to rages. Keep spawning beds covered a t t he expense o f e v e r y t h i n g e l s e . Resu l ted i n a devas ta t i ng e f f e c t on r e q u i r e d minimum f lows.

I n summary, i t appeared t h a t o n l y two o f t h e considered p lans represented a p r a c t i c a l change i n t he ope ra t i on o f t h e system. Plans 1, 2 and 5 were not acceptab le a l t e r n a t i v e s . Plan 4 prov ided a cons iderab le r e d u c t i o n i n annual f l u c t u a t i o n a t a moderate l oss i n energy. It d i d , however, r e l y on t h e o the r storages t o meet low f l o w requirements, thereby reduc ing t h e i r stages.

As a r e s u l t o f t h e s imu la t i ons , t he b a r d s e t f o r t h f o r c o n s i d e r a t i o n t h e p lan t h a t would keep Spednic Lake above 378.5 year-round and w i t h t he minimum e f f e c t on t o t a l annual power ou tpu t .

r e g u l a t i o n s o f r e s e r v o i r s and wished t o g i v e more c o n s i d e r a t i o n t o seasonal power needs and market a v a i l a b i l i t y i n t h e planned o p e r a t i o n o f i t s hydro system. G-P conducted i t s own s tud ies and developed an o p e r a t i n g r u l e f o r i t s system which would a im f o r t h e f o l l o w i n g "des i red f l o w s " :

Apr th rough Nov 1100 c f s Dec through Mar 2600 c f s .

Sec t i on V: Resu l t s o f Se lec ted Rule Curve

Comparison o f t h e o p e r a t i o n o f t h e system b e f o r e t h e i n i t i a t i o n o f t he Ru le Curve w i t h t h e p e r i o d s i n c e t h e Ru le Curve.

I n February 1975, t he Board met w i t h G-P and NBEPC t o d iscuss the f i nd ings o f the Board's r e p o r t . I n view o f t h e then energy c r i s i s , G-P had se r i ous ob jec t i ons t o f u r t h e r "hard" r e s t r i c t i o n s i n i t s

9 Uovamber, 1915 - D u and power canal at Grand Falls: Huimru elevation 202.0 feet m.s.1.

3 October, 1923 - Tishwapr in the St. Crofr River.

6 October 5931 - Increue in elevation to 203.5 feet m.a.1. at Grand Falls.

2 October, 1934 - Reconstruction of d u at Uilltorn.

15 Octokr, 1965 - Construction of storage dm at Vaceboro and St. croir.

Dischuge from Spedrdc W e - 200 cfs .inhum

tlevation of S p d d c W e - 385.86 feet m.s.1.

mui.ru

Betreen 1 October and 30 April - 371.5 feet 8.8.1.

uni.w- . ..

Between 1 Hay and ,

30 September - 376.5 feet m.s.1. minimum

Dischuge from K u t Grand Lake - 75 cis miniam

El.ration of East Grand k k e - 434.94 feet m.s.1.

.uiBu 427.94 feet m.s.1. BiaiBum

Reconstruction of diversion dyke at Grand Tall..

ANNUAL TOTAL P R E C I P I T A T I O N

Sf. CROfX RIrEA RASIW

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- 6 9 7 0 7 1 7 2 7 3 7 4 7 5 7 6 7 7 7 8 7 9 8 0 8 1 8 2 8 3 8 4 8 5

YEAR

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SPEDNlC LAKE DA=417srn STOR=187,100~~/14 2

West Branch ST. CROlX RIVER

GRAND FAL DA=1320srn WEST GRAND xE STOR=88,000A~/5.

DAz224sm STOR=160,900~~/7 42.

IC=9,000KW

WOODLAND DAM DA=1350srn sTOR=1,600~~

TOTAL GP IC=9,000KW STOR= 5 7 4 , 0 0 0 ~ ~

@ USGS GAGING STATION BARING, ME STORAGE SCHEMATIC

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EXPECTED SPEDNlK LAKE

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OPERATING PROCEDURES FOR ST. CROIX RIVER BASIN

R. W. Feck Georg ia-Pac i f i c Co rpo ra t i on

M i l 1 S t ree t , Woodland, Maine 04694 USA

The f o l l o w i n g c o n s t i t u t e s a d e s c r i p t i o n o f G-P ope ra t i ons w i t h respec t t o t h e St. C r o i x watershed s torage system under i t s ' c o n t r o l and f u r t h e r i l l u s t r a t e s bas i c l o g i c f o r these opera t ions .

DISCUSSION

There a re c u r r e n t l y two pr imary uses f o r t h e energy developed by t h e Hydro System. The f i r s t i s t o p rov ide t i m e l y , low-cost energy on an annual base l oad bas is . The second use i s f o r back-up c a p a c i t y d u r i n g emergency o r maintenance per iods when usual sources a r e n o t a v a i l a b l e .

Base l oad genera t ion i s programmed on an annual b a s i s and i s a f u n c t i o n o f system demand, seasonal a v a i l a b i l i t y o f energy sources and cost . G-P d a i l y e l e c t r i c a l demand i s r e l a t i v e l y constant and i s no t sub jec t t o seasonal v a r i a t i o n . However, t h e n a t u r e o f t he equipment served, l a r g e m u l t i - c y c l i c loads, r e s u l t s i n f requent s h o r t d u r a t i o n unp red i c tab le system peaks. This requ i res on - l i ne c a p a c i t y equal t o t h e non-coincident d a i l y peak.

G-P generates approx imate ly 100% o f t h e e l e c t r i c energy i t consumes; a l a r g e p r o p o r t i o n o f t h i s from back pressure and condensing steam-turbine generators. I n t h e w i n t e r months, November through February, system losses, increased h e a t i n g loads and p roduc t i on increase demands upon t h e steam genera t ion ( b o i l e r s ) - ' t h e n e t e f f e c t be ing a reduced margin o r shortage o f steam a v a i l a b l e f o r genera t ion o f e l e c t r i c power.

Purchase energy a v a i l a b i l i t y i s a l s o v a r i a b l e as a f u n c t i o n o f seasonable demand from o the r sources and t h e l i m i t s o f t h e u t i l i t y ' s genera t ion and t ransmiss ion equipment. Under i t s present con- t r a c t , G-P purchase e l e c t r i c i t y on an "as a v a i l a b l e " bas i s from the Eastern Maine E l e c t r i c Co-op. The Co-op does no t have s u f f i c i e n t genera t ion o f i t s own and i s supp l i ed by t he New Brunswick E l e c t r i c Power Commission. Res iden t i a l customers o f E.M.E.C. and N.B.E.P.C. have f i r s t p re ference t o any and a l l energy a v a i l a b l e , i n d u s t r i a l and commercial second, and "as a v a i l a b l e " o r i n t e r r u p t a b l e customers l a s t . I n t h e w i n t e r , r e s i d e n t i a l and commercial demand approaches the capac i t y o f the present t r ansm iss ion system; t he re fo re , l i t t l e o r no energy i s a v a i l a b l e t o G-P a t t h a t t ime.

BANKING ENERGY FROM EASTERN MAINE ELECTRIC CO-OP

When t h e Company has s u f f i c i e n t hydro s to rage c a p a b i l i t y , t h e Company may absorb ("bank") nuc lea r energy which i s su rp lus t o t h e Cooperat ive 's needs. The s e r v i c e must be requested by t he Cooperat ive and, f o r each 1.5 MWh o f energy absorbed i n t o t h e Company's system, t h e Company w i l l r e t u r n 1.0 MWh. Unless o therwise agreed t o by t h e Operat ing Committee, t h e t r ansac t i ons w i l l g e n e r a l l y be conducted on a 12-1110 bas is noncumulat ive from one 12-mo pe r i od t o another so the energy accounts would

commence a t t h e beg inn ing o f each 12-mo p e r i o d w i t h a zero balance provided, however, such p e r i o d may be longer o r s h o r t e r depending upon ( i ) t h e amount o f hyd ro s to rage c a p a b i l i t y a c t u a l l y a v a i l a b l e t o t h e Company, and ( i i ) t h e amount o f su rp lus nuc lea r energy a c t u a l l y a v a i l a b l e t o t h e Cooperat ive. The a c t u a l beg inn ing and end ing o f each 12-mo p e r i d t o be used f o r purposes o f banking energy hereunder s h a l l be agreed t o by t h e Operat ing Committee.

The c o n d i t i o n f o r banking s h a l l be es tab l i shed by t h e Operat ing Committee bu t s h a l l no t i n c l u d e any c o s t f o r energy purchases t o r e p l a c e h y d r a u l i c energy. However, un less o the rw ise e s t a b l i shed by t h e Operat ing Committee, t h e two p a r t i e s i n t e n d t h a t n e t banking w i l l t ake p lace d u r i n g t h e "Summer Months" (subsequent t o t h e Spr ing r u n o f f ) and t h a t a n e t r e t u r n o f banked energy w i l l t ake p lace d u r i n g t h e remain ing months o f t h e agreed-upon 12-1110 pe r i od .

Cost o f energy t o G-P i s i n v e r s e l y v a r i a b l e w i t h a v a i l a b i l i t y . I n t h e s p r i n g and e a r l y summer, New England and A t l a n t i c Prov ince hydro p roduc t i on runs a t n e a r l y f u l l capac i t y , w h i l e system demand i s modest ly low. Comnencing i n l a t e summer, demand increases and a g rea te r percentage o f gene ra t i on i s f rom h ighe r cos t thermal and nuc lea r p l a n t s . I n a d d i t i o n , G-P's thermal gene ra t i on cos ts a r e h ighe r due t o t h e steam losses p r e v i o u s l y mentioned.

For these reasons, t h e r u l e cu rve o f ope ra t i on shown i n the a t tached F ig . 1 o f t h i s s e c t i o n was se lec ted as t he bas i c annual program f o r hydro ope ra t i on . Operat ion by r u l e curve i s c a r r i e d o u t as f o l l o w s : As l o n g as t h e t o t a l amount o f water i n s torage i s above t h e r u l e curve, G-P hydro w i l l opera te a t t h e maximum e f f i c i e n t f l o w unless water i s s p i l l i n g over t h e dam. When s p i l l i n g , a l l hydro i s opera ted a t maximum p o s s i b l e f l o w through t h e hydro genera tors . The K le jnschmidt and O u t t i n g r u l e cu rve (see F ig . 1) was developed from computer s tud ies based upon a 35-yr n a t u r a l f l ow h i s t o r y , designed t o p rov ide minimum f lows o f 1100 c f s (approx imate ly 6600 K.W. avg.) f rom A p r i l through November and 2600 c f s (15,000 K.W. avg.) d u r i n g December through March. This i s base l oad genera- t i o n w i t h 95% r e l i a b i l i t y . Maximum p o s s i b l e and maximum e f f i c i e n t f lows w i t h s torage above r u l e cu rve i s cons idered su rp lus hydro , i n ' t e r m s o f l oad p lann ing.

Th is s o r t o f o p e r a t i o n r e q u i r e s more s to rage c a p a c i t y than o t h e r ope ra t i on modes due t o t h e need t o s t o r e water d u r i n g t h e seasons where i t i s p l e n t i f u l t o a t ime when i t i s no t no rma l l y abundant.

S t a r t i n g w i t h g e n e r a l l y empty upper bas in r e s e r v o i r s i n t he sp r i ng , c e r t a i n minimum s torage must be a t t a i n e d t o guarantee 850 c f s th rough t h e r e s t o f the year . This s torage u s u a l l y can be e a s i l y obta ined by c l o s i n g upper bas in gates as t h e r u n o f f begins. It i s f i r s t p r i o r i t y t h a t t h e gates be c losed soon enough t o prevent s p i l l a g e a t Grand F a l l s . I n an average year, s torage by t h e end o f May w i l l be 20 b i l l i o n cub i c f e e t o r 460,000 a c r e f e e t o f i nven to ry .

Maximum Possible Storage

Rule Curve to Maintain 2 6 0 0 c.f.8. Dec., Jan., Feb., Mar. - 1100 c.f.8. Rest of Year with 95% Reliability

S t . C r o l x R l v e r

I Georgia-Paclflc Cd. W ood land ,Ma lne

Jan. I Feb. I Mar . I Apr. I M a y . June July Aug. I ~ e p t . ' O c t . I Nov. I D e c .

Months

As i n f l o w recede, i t w i l l be necessary t o draw f rom s torage. I f r u n o f f was c o n s i s t e n t l y l e s s than 850 c f s , t h e r e would be no problem. A l l t h a t would be r e q u i r e d would be t o draw needed s to rage and remain on o r above t h e r u l e curve. However, t h e l a t e f a l l months sometimes b r i n g heavy r u n o f f . Therefore, s to rage must be i n balance i n t h e va r i ous storages so t h a t none i s need less l y s p i l l e d i f u n c o n t r o l l ed f l o w exceeds power requirements. Accompl ishing t h i s i s r e l a t i v e l y easy. You must bear i n mind t h a t t h e impor tant balance i s the a b i l i t y o f each s to rage t o r e f i l l . Th is w i l l be c l o s e l y p a r a l l e l t o t h e r a t i o s o f t he dra inage areas. I n o t h e r words, a r e s e r v o i r c o n t r o l l i n g 200 square m i l e s shou ld have t w i c e t h e empty volume t h a t a r e s e r v o i r c o n t r o l l i n g 100 square m i l e s would have, assuming a balance r u n o f f p a t t e r n .

On East Branch, then, t h e n e t area o f Spednic i s t w i c e t h a t o f East Grand, 279 t o 138 square m i l es , a l though East Grand has p r o p o r t i o n a l l y more s torage. The empty volume a t Spednic should always be a t l e a s t t w i c e t h a t o f East Grand (except when 30% o r l e s s ) i f the r e s e r v o i r s a re t o be operated e f f i c i e n t l y . When t h e East Branch r e s e r v o i r s a re near empty, a l l t he s torage would be i n East Grand. Th is i s proper because, as they f i l l , s p i l l i s l e s s impor tant a t East Grand s ince i t can be c o n t r o l l e d a t Spednic.

On t h e West Branch, t h e s i t u a t i o n i s d i f f e r e n t , s i nce West Grand, be ing downstream, has over t w i c e t h e p ropo r t i oned s to rage o f Syslodobsis. There fore , ope ra t i on i s nuch l ess c r i t i c a l than on t h e East Branch.

Balance between t h e East and West Branch can be achieved by keeping i n mind t h e p o i n t p r e v i o u s l y noted - t h a t t h e t o t a l empty s to rage a v a i l a b l e should be i n p ropo r t i on . Thus, t h e West Branch has 224 square m i l es and t h e East Branch has 417 square m i l e s . The p ropo r t i ons a re rough l y 2 t o 1 so t h a t t h e East Branch should have about t w i c e t h e a v a i l a b l e empty s torage volume o f the West Branch.

Wi th these p o i n t s i n mind, it j u s t remains t o cha r t the t o t a l ac tua l s torage i n each r e s e r v o i r , conver t i t t o inches o f r u n o f f from t h e n e t dra inage area o f each r e s e r v o i r and s u b t r a c t i t from the t o t a l s torage poss ib le . The r e s u l t s should be equal and, i f n o t , would i n d i c a t e which r e s e r v o i r should be more h e a v i l y drawn upon.

Probably t h e most impor tant constant t o work w i t h i n o p e r a t i n g t he Grand F a l l s Hydro-Power System i s t h a t on inch ( 1 " ) change i n 24 h r i n e l e v a t i o n a t Grand F a l l s (between l e v e l s o f 197 '5" and 198 '5" ) i s equal t o 500 cfs-day. ( 1 cfs-day i s one cub i c f o o t per second f l o w i n g f o r 24 h r or 86,400 cub i c f e e t o r about 2 ac re f e e t - 43,560 square f e e t two (2 ) f e e t deep.)

A t an e l e v a t i o n o f 198'0" and no t wast ing water , each u n i t a t Grand F a l l s w i l l pass 1000 c f s a t f u l l ga te and produce about 3000 KW. Therefore, w i t h a l l t h r e e u n i t s ope ra t i ng , a f l ow o f 3000 t f s can be u t i l i z e d . Also, a t t h i s e l e v a t i o n , each gate, when open f u l l , w i l l d ischarge about 1000 c f s o f water .

When r a t e - o f - r i s e o r r a t e - o f - f a l l o f e l e v a t i o n of Grand F a l l s i s considered, one can determine on r a t e - o f - r i s e how many gates t o open when water i s r i s i n g and f u l l f low i s go ing through water wheels.

The reve rse w i l l app ly when r a t e - o f - f a l l i s cons idered i n c l o s i n g gates.

The maximum e l e v a t i o n f o r Grand F a l l s f o r many years has Seen 198 '4" Maine Cen t ra l Datum and must no t be exceeded.

The r a t e - o f - r i s e o r r a t e - o f - f a l l can a l s o be used t o r e g u l a t e t h e f l o w i n t o Grand F a l l s f lowage a t any t ime n o t o n l y f o r h i g h water and, i n t h i s way, one can t e l l how much water t o t a k e from the above r i v e r s torages o r t o c l o s e same.

The E l e c t r i c a l Power Supt. w i l l n o t i f y t h e manager o f S&P when they open o r c l o s e gates a t t h e s torages due t o h i g h water o r a t c r i t i c a l l e v e l s ; otherwise, c o n t r o l i s by t h e E l e c t r i c a l Power Supt.

When gates a r e opened o r c l osed a t Grand F a l l s , t h e Woodland Operator must be n o t i f i e d so t h a t boards can be p u l l e d o r pu t on t h e Woodland Dam. Changes i n gates o r t u r b i n e l o a d i n g a t Grand Fa1 1s r e q u i r e about 3 h r t o be f e l t a t Woodland.

Under most cond i t i ons , such as f l o o d o r h i g h water , changes can be made i n t h e morning o r by 1:00 p.m. and n o t have t h e Woodland Dam Tender be r e q u i r e d t o s t a y a f t e r 4:00 p.m. Th is i s no t always p o s s i b l e and, sometimes, gate changes, p a r t i c u l a r l y opening, has t o be done a t n i g h t . I t i s good p r a c t i c e t o be su re personnel a r e a v a i l a b l e t o p u l l boards a t Woodland b e f o r e open ing gates a t Grand F a l l s . Also, remember t h a t g e n e r a l l y gates can be opened f a s t e r a t Grand F a l l s than boards can be p u l l e d a t Woodland. Wi th two (2 ) men p u l l i n g boards, gates shou ld n o t be opened f a s t e r than one about every 45 min.

I n October 1974, f i v e (5 ) t a i n t o r gates were i n s t a l l e d a t t h e Woodland Dam w i t h a c a p a c i t y o f 400 c f s each. Du r i ng h i g h water per iods , two ( 2 ) gates shou ld be l e f t f o r n i g h t ope ra t i on (same procedure as Grand F a l l s ) .

There a r e a t o t a l o f n i ne ( 9 ) gates a v a i l a b l e a t Grand F a l l s and it i s good p r a c t i c e t o have a t l e a s t two ( 2 ) f u l l gates a v a i l a b l e t o open a t n i g h t , i f necessary, and t h e f o l l o w i n g day t o p u l l equ i va len t boards and c l o s e these gates so t h a t boards do no t have t o be p u l l e d a t n i g h t . For each gate open o r e q u i v a l e n t gate o f boards, Grand F a l l s l e v e l can be one inch (1 " ) below 198 '0 " . Th is g i v e a l i t t l e leeway i n case o f a sudden surge i n f l o w and a l l ows ample t ime t o c l o s e i n when h i g h water subsides.

Water begins t o come i n t o t h e genera tor p i t s o f No's 1 & 2 u n i t s a t Grand F a l l s a t a gauge read ing o f 7.20 o r a f l o w o f 10,400 c f s and w i l l s t a r t coming i n t o t h e main s t a t i o n f l o o r a t about 22,000 c f s ; these a r e t o t a l f lows genera t ing p lus wast ing .

A t Woodland, water begins t o come i n t o t he genera tor room basement (where t h e r e a r e m i l l water pumps) when about t h r e e gates o f boards have been p u l l e d and a t f u l l hydro-generator f l o w . This r e q u i r e s p lugg ing d r a i n ho les and making su re sump pumps a r e ope ra t i ng .

As more water i s be ing wasted, t h e t a i l w a t e r r i s e s and n e t head decreases, t h i s r e s u l t s i n a decrease i n power output . At a t o t a l f l ow o f about 15.000 c f s , Grand F a l l s and a l s o Woodland genera tor ou tpu t w i l l d rop between 10 and 15%.

A one-inch (1 " ) change i n e l e v a t i o n i n 24 h a t Woodland i s equal t o a f l ow o f about 75 cfs-day.

Under normal water cond i t i ons , no t was t i ng and water under c o n t r o l , Grand F a l l s u n i t s No's 1 & 2 a r e i d e n t i c a l and have t h e i r most e f f i c i e n t ope ra t i on a t 2800 KW and a f l o w o f about 760 c f s a t a n e t head o f 48 ft. U n i t No. 3 i s most e f f i c i e n t a t a l oad o f 2950 KW f o r a f l o w o f 835 c f s a t a n e t head o f 48 ft. For most e f f i c i e n t use o f water , when under c o n t r o l , u n i t s shou ld be opera ted as per above and, when supp ly i s n o t s u f f i c i e n t , u n i t s should be shut down and n o t run a t p a r t i a l gates below most e f f i c i e n t f l o w except f o r l a s t u n i t a t ex t remely low f l ows . O f course, when water i s be ing wasted, then u n i t s should be opera ted wide open and e f f i c i e n t ope ra t i on i s 'd isregarded.

A t Woodland, w i t h p l e n t y o f water , a l l u n i t s should be operated. As f l o w drops o f f , t h e u n i t s i n t h e genera tor room shou ld be shut down f i r s t and t h e u n i t s i n t he g r i n d e r room kept ope ra t i ng as they a r e more e f f i c i e n t than those i n t h e genera tor room. P a r t i a l ga te ope ra t i on , below 85%, shou ld n o t be used.

F igu re 2 (a t t ached ) demonstrates expected l a k e l e v e l s a t Spednic Lake and a p r o b a b i l i t y envelope under c u r r e n t r u l e cu rve ope ra t i on . I t may be observed t h a t under normal o p e r a t i n g c i rcumstances, t h e "Des i red Summer Leve l " o f 378.5 MLS ( 7 ft above dam s i l l ) f rom May through September w i l l no t be v i o l a t e d 32 ou t o f 35 y r . The "Des i red Summer Leve l " be ing t h a t represented as t he f i r s t p a r t o f Plan 2 i n t h e "Spednic Lake Regula t ion Study ."

Minimum p e r m i s s i b l e summer l e v e l 376.5 MSL ( 5 ft above dam s i l l ) i s the c u r r e n t minimum water l e v e l r e s t r i c t i o n . The new r e s u l t i s a w e l l r egu la ted l a k e e l e v a t i o n no rma l l y s u i t a b l e f o r most r e c r e a t i o n a t no f i n a n c i a l l o s s t o G-P.

The second f u n c t i o n o f hydro s to rage i s t o p rov ide rese rve c a p a c i t y i n t h e event o f l o s s o f thermal or u t i l i t y t i e capac i t y , t h e minimum c r i t e r i a be ing t h a t s u f f i c i e n t reserve be a v a i l a b l e i n t he event t h a t t h e l a r g e s t s i n g l e gene ra t i ng source i s taken ou t o f s e r v i c e i n an emergency o r f o r p e r i o d i c maintenance. Whenever poss ib le , scheduled maintenance o f o the r u n i t s i s conducted d u r i n g t h e s p r i n g when h y d r o e l e c t r i c genera t ion i s abundant; however, i n f l u e n c e o f severa l ex te rna l f a c t o r s makes t h i s a t t imes impossible. The hydro system c o n s t i t u t e s a c r i t i c a l p o r t i o n o f t h i s rese rve capac i t y .

Maintenance and o p e r a t i o n o f s torage r e s e r v o i r s f o r t h i s purpose cou ld be l i k e n e d t o the maintenance o f an overhead s to rage tank f o r f i r e p r o t e c t i o n . I t i s normal ly kept f u l l ; we hope we never have t o use i t but , d u r i n g emergencies, i t should be a v a i l a b l e f o r use as needed.

C e r t a i n l y , i f s to rage were he ld i n t h e lakes for emergency purposes and then the Company was not a l lowed t o use t h i s s to rage a t t h e t ime t h i s emergency arose, t h e r e would be no advantage i n t h e i r m a i n t a i n i n g s to rage and the economical l o s s t o t he Company would be cons iderab le .

The r e l a t i v e gene ra t i on o f t he hydro system i s demonstrated by t h e a t tached F ig . 3. Th is f i g u r e i l l u s t r a t e d hydro p roduc t i on from 1981 through 1986, which c o n s t i t u t e s t h e l a s t 6 y r o f o p e r a t i o n under t h e present r u l e curve o f ope ra t i on . It may be observed t h a t t h e hyd ro system p roduc t i on i s d i r e c t - l y p r o p o r t i o n a l t o t h e amount o f p r e c i p i t a t i o n . Note 85 & 86 low draws on Spednic Lake due t o i n a b i l i t y t o f i l l t h i s r e s e r v o i r i n t h e s p r i n g and t h e heavy draws o f 83 & 84 s t a r t e d w i t h f u l l e r r e s e r v o i r s i n t h e sp r i ng . Furthermore, t h e hydro system was r e s p o n s i b l e f o r supp l y i ng 33% o f t h e m i l l ' s e l e c t r i c a l energy, and a t a f r a c t i o n o f t he cos t o f thermal o r purchase power d u r i n g t h i s per iod .

Increased p roduc t i on i s planned and e l e c t r i c energy demands a r e expected t o i nc rease s i g n i f i c a n t l y i n t h e n e x t 5-7 y r . The shor tage o f economical f o s s i l f ue l s necess i t a tes growth i n o t h e r forms o f source genera t ion , hydro be ing a p r imary cand idate . G-P i s c u r r e n t l y i n v e s t i g a t i n g t h e p o s s i b i l i t y o f i n s t a l l i n g a d d i t i o n a l gene ra t i ng c a p a c i t y i n t h e i r hydro system. I f t h i s i s done, t h e va lue o f t h e s to rage f o r enab l i ng t h e Company t o genera te more power a t t imes o f a year when i t has t h e g rea tes t va lue ( i .e . w i n t e r ) w i l l be enhanced. I n h e r e n t l y , such an o p e r a t i o n procedure would gene ra l l y p rov ide more f a v o r a b l e water l e v e l s f o r r e c r e a t i o n d u r i n g t h e s u m e r season. Th is would n o t be expected t o have any impact on e x i s t i n g l e v e l r e s t r i c t i o n s and w i l l pe rm i t a planned w i thd rawa l th roughout t h e system t o r u l e cu rve o p e r a t i o n d u r i n g t h e remainder o f the yea r . On t h e o t h e r hand, i t w i l l a l s o enable G-P t o hand le h i g h e r loads d u r i n g emergency per iods which cou ld o c c a s i o n a l l y r e s u l t i n draw-down o f t he ponds d u r i n g t h e r e c r e a t i o n a l season. Since t h i s i s one o f t he reasons G-P i s and has been m a i n t a i n i n g these dams and r e s e r v o i r s , t o dep r i ve i t o f t he r i g h t t o use them f o r t h i s purpose, would be t o t ake away a r i g h t o f cons ide rab le va lue t o t h e Company, w h i l e o n l y s l i g h t l y improv ing the r e c r e a t i o n a l and o t h e r va lue o f t h e r e s e r v o i r s . As a r e s u l t . G-P i s g e n e r a l l y agreeab le t o t h e c u r r e n t l y perce ived o p e r a t i n g r u l e s bu t reserves the r i g h t t o rev iew these r u l e s concur rent w i t h a n t i c i p a t e d expansion plans.

I n conc lus ion, Georg ia -Pac i f i c Co rpo ra t i on has recogn ized t h e need f o r p r a c t i c a l coex is tence o f i t s i n d u s t r i a l ope ra t i ons and t h e r e c r e a t i o n a l a c t i v i t i e s i n and around i t s water s torages. I t has commissioned ex tens i ve energy and hydro logy s t u d i e s , i n i t i a t e d an op t im ized procedure o f hydro system opera t ions , and has demonstrated t h a t t h i s o p e r a t i n g mode w i l l r e s u l t i n t h e most f avo rab le l e v e l s i n a l l s to rage r e s e r v o i r s f o r a l l concerned. Wi th respec t t o f i r m l e v e l and f l o w r e s t r i c t i o n , t he Company i s opposed t o any such a c t i o n which has t h e p o t e n t i a l t o r e s t r i c t o r l i m i t economical energy p roduc t i on o f t h e present o r f u tu re .

' "Report on Spednic Lake Regu la t i on Study," I n t e r n a t i o n a l St. C r o i x R i ve r Board o f Con t ro l , Jan. 1975, Pa r t 11. Plan 2.

E x p e c t e d S p e d n i c Lake W a t e r L e v e l s

S t . C r o i x R i v e r

G e o r g i a - P a c i f i c Co .

W o o d l a n d . M a i n e

I Jan. I F e b . ' Mar. I Apr. I May I June I July I ~ u g . I ~ ~ ~ t . 1 act. I N O " . I D ~ C . I M o n t h s

F IG . 2

A COMPARISON OF REGULATED AND NATURALIZED STREAMFLOW IN THE INTERNATIONAL ST. CROIX RIVER

R. A. Pol and D. C. Ambler Hydrology D i v i s i o n , I n l a n d WatersILands

45 Alderney Dr i ve , Dartmouth, Nova Sco t i a B2Y 2N6

INTRODUCTION t h a t have occurred. The lowest d a i l y f l o w o f 1.81 m3/s o r .5 L l s l k m 2 (63.9 c f s ) was recorded a t B a i l e v v i l l e on October 13, 1957, w h i l e t h e h i g h e s t

Surface water hydrology, an important aspect in instantaneous f low of 660-m31s o r 193 L l s l km '

t he management o f t he St. C r o i x R i ve r Basin, has a (23,300 c f s ) occur red on May 1, 1923. The d i r e c t i n f l u e n c e on t h e degree o f f l o w r e g u l a t i o n B a i l e y v i l l e gauge reco rds ex tend f rom 1919-83. The

a p p l i e d and on t h e r e s u l t a n t c a p a b i l i t y of t h e mean d a i l y d ischarge over t h i s p e r i o d was 66.8 m3 /s

watershed t o y i e l d minimum f l o w requirements. o r 20 L/s/km2 (2360 c f s ) .

This paper presents i n f o r m a t i o n on c u r r e n t r i v e r management and t h e l i m i t a t i o n s imposed on t h e n a t u r a l h y d r o l o g i c regime. Analyses have been c a r r i e d ou t t o compare es t imated n a t u r a l f lows t o t h e a c t u a l recorded f lows t h a t a r e o c c u r r i n g under t he e x i s t i n g regu la ted r i v e r system.

HYDROLOGY OVERVIEW

The mean annual depth o f r u n o f f f o r t h e St. Cro ix R i ve r Basin, based on t h e B a i l e y v i l l e , Maine, hydromet r ic gauge f o r t h e pe r i od 1969-85 i s about 708 mm (27.9 i n . ) . Th is i s 62% o f t he mean annual depth o f t o t a l p r e c i p i t a t i o n f o r t h e same pe r i od . Streamflow i n t h e St. C ro i x R i ve r i s h i g h l y regu la ted i n n a t u r a l and man-made storages. The n a t u r a l w i n t e r s torage a f p r e c i p i t a t i o n i n t he form 3 f snow and i c e causes more than one - th i rd o f t h e annual r u n o f f t o occur i n t he s p r i n g months o f March, A p r i l and May. Water l e v e l s i n t h e l a r g e s t r e s e r v o i r s - Grand Lake ( f o r m e r l y East Grand Lake), Spednic Lake, West Grand Lake and Grand F a l l s Flowage - have been regu la ted s ince 1914-15. A summary of recorded extreme month ly and mean annual f lows and l e v e l s a t se lec ted l o c a t i o n s i s presented i n Table 1.

The r a t i o o f maximum month ly f low t o minimum monthly f low i s about 12:l a t a l l s i t e s a long the St. C ro i x R iver ; however, t h e r a t i o becomes very l a rge f o r t he Dennis Stream and Chamcook Stream f lows, 538: l and 289: 1, r e s p e c t i v e l y . Th is l a r g e r a t i o i s a t t r i b u t e d t o lack o f r e g u l a t i o n on these l a t e r bas ins and a l s o they a re smal l f lashy streams. The mean annual r u n o f f expressed as a depth o f water un i f o rm ly spread over t h e b a s i n i l l u s t r a t e s a h ighe r coas ta l r u n o f f . There i s a d i f f e r e n c e o f more than 176 mm; however, t h e i m p l i c a t i o n s o f r egu la ted s torage and assoc ia ted evapora t ion losses should be kept i n mind.

I n fo rma t i on on n a t u r a l o c c u r r i n g h igh f lows i n the St . C ro i x R i ve r Basin i s l i m i t e d . Thanks t o t he regu la ted n a t u r a l and man-made storage, normal s p r i n g f reshe ts may cause o n l y l i m i t e d damage. There have been no f l o o d i n g problems o f major importance i n t he bas in i n recent years. F lood ing i n t h e St. C ro i x R i ve r Basin i s discussed i n d e t a i l i n the re fe rence e n t i t l e d "F lood ing Events i n New arunswick, An H i s t o r i c a l Perspect ive."

The Bar ing s t a t i o n was opera ted over a s h o r t e r p e r i o d f rom 1959 t o t h e present . Th is s t a t i o n i s used t o mon i to r f l ows i n t h e St. C r o i x R i v e r below Woodland, Maine. Bar ing 's lowest d a i l y d i scha rge was 18.9 m3/s o r 5 L l s l k m 2 (667 c f s ) and occur red on August 18, 1978. The h ighes t ins tantaneous d i s - charge of 665 mJ/s o r 187 L/s/kmz (23,500 c f s ) occur red on May 29, 1961. The mean d a i l y d i scha rge d u r i n g t h e p e r i o d 1975-85 was 79.3 m3/s o r 22 L/s/km2 (2800 c f s ) .

Some o f t h e hydromet r ic s t a t i o n s have d i f f e r e n t pe r i ods of record . Th is i s because o f da ta gaps i n t h e se r i es . The p e r i o d o f 1969-85 i s used i n n a t u r a l i z i n g o f t he h i s t o r i c a l streamflows.

NATURALIZING OF THE HISTORICAL STREAMFLOW DATA

To compare t h e r e g u l a t e d f l ows and n a t u r a l f lows, i t was necessary t o a d j u s t t he h i s t o r i c a l s t reamf low da ta t o remove t h e i n f l u e n c e o f r e g u l a t i o n . Th is was done u s i n g a mass balance equa t i on r e l a t i n g i n p u t s t o and ou tpu ts f rom a l a k e t o t h e change i n s torage i n t he l ake . The s to rage adjustments were made f o r t h e f o u r l a r g e s t l akes i n t h e bas in .

The adjustments f o r t h e e f f e c t o f r e g u l a t i o n were made by a p p l y i n g the f o l l o w i n g mass ba lance equa t i on over a monthly t ime step:

I L = O + S + E - O ~

where: IL i s the l o c a l i n f l o w t o t h e l a k e 0 i s t h e recorded r e l e a s e from t h e l a k e S i s t h e i nc rease i n s to rage i n t h e l a k e E i s t h e evapora t ion f rom t h e l a k e su r face

0, i s t he recorded o u t f l o w from regu la ted lakes upstream

(0, i s zero f o r East Grand and West Grand Lakes).

I n fo rma t i on i s a v a i l a b l e on 0, S, E and Ou; t h e r e f o r e , t h e l o c a l i n f l o w s can be computed f o r each month t o each o f the f o u r major r e s e r v o i r s i n t he basin. The i n f l o w s i n c l u d e t h e e f f e c t o f r e g u l a t i o n o f t he smal le r lakes i n t he bas in f o r which s torage data a r e no t a v a i l a b l e . The i n f l o w s a re r e f e r r e d t o as " n a t u r a l i z e d " f l ows i n t h i s r e p o r t t o d i s t i n g u i s h them from t h e recorded regu la ted f l o w data .

The hydromet r ic data f o r t he pe r i od o f r eco rd i n d i c a t e t h a t the St . C ro i x R i ve r has exper ienced a wide v a r i a t i o n i n d a i l y f lows. The hydromet r ic s t a t i o n records a t B a i l e y v i l l e , Maine, and a t Bar ing, Maine, g i v e a good i n d i c a t i o n o f t h e ranges

Table 1. S t a t i s t i c s o f f lows and l e v e l s a t se lec ted l o c a t i o n s i n t he St. C ro i x R i v e r Basin d u r i n g t h e pe r i od 1969-85.

Maximum monthly Minimum month ly Mean annual d ischarge d ischarge r u n o f f

Streamflow s t a t i o n s (mJ/s) (m3/s) (mn )

St. C r o i x R. below Fores t 21.5 2.15 620 C i t y Dam

St. C r o i x R. a t Vanceboro 85.9 6.21 667

Grand Lake Stream a t Grand 32.8 2.54 672 Lake Stream

St. C r o i x R. near Ba i l eyv . i l l e 251 22.8 708

St. C r o i x R. a t Bar ing 267 22.1 705

Dennis Stream near St. Stephen 12.9 0.024 7 96

Chamcook Stream a t L i t t l e 0.866 0.003 Not Chamcoo k Lake Out 1 e t a v a i l a b l e

Maximum month ly Minimum monthly Mean annual Lake l e v e l s t a t i o n s l e v e l (m) l e v e l (m) l e v e l (m)

Grand Lake

Spedni c Lake ,

West Grand Lake

Grand F a l l s Flowage

Notes: 1. Levels r e f e r r e d t o mean sea l e v e l (metres) 2. St . C r o i x R iver a t Ba r i ng p e r i o d o f r eco rd (monthly means t ime s e r i e s )

i s f rom 1975-85. 3. Per iods w i t h m iss ing data , f o r example, St. C r o i x R i ve r near

B a i l e y v i l l e , 1984 and 1985, were est imated.

AVAILABILITY OF HYDROLOGIC DATA

STREAMFLOW AND LAKE LEVEL DATA COLLECTION LOCATIONS

The a v a i l a b l e s t reamf low and l a k e l e v e l da ta f o r the St. C ro i x R i ve r Basin are l i s t e d i n Table 2 and t h e s t a t i o n l o c a t i o n s a r e shown i n F ig . 1. The pe r i od o f r eco rd f o r each s t a t i o n i s presented i n Fig. 2.

STREAMFLOW RECORDS

Streamflow has been recorded by t h e Un i ted States Geolog ica l Survey i n t h e St . C ro i x R i ve r near B a i l e y v i l l e , Maine, s i nce 1919. The Un i ted States Geolog ica l Survey ma in ta ins t h ree o t h e r s t a t i o n s : a t Vanceboro, Maine, which has recorded s ince 1928; a t Grand Lake Stream where records a r e a v a i l a b l e f rom 1328 t o date; and a t Bar ing, Maine, s i nce 1959. A gauge a t Spragues F a l l s was main ta ined by the Un i ted Sta tes Geolog ica l Survey f o r a few years near t he t u r n o f the century . The gauge near B a i l e y v i l l e was d i scon t i nued i n 1983.

The Water Survey o f Canada D i v i s i o n , Water Resources Branch, Environment Canada, has main ta ined t h e s t reamf low records a t t h e gauge below Fores t C i t y Dam (Fores t C i t y Stream) s ince 1968. The Water Survey o f Canada a l s o ma in ta ins a gauge on Dennis Stream near St. Stephen, New Brunswick. Dennis Stream i s a t r i b u t a r y o f t h e St. C r o i x R i ve r and i s l oca ted near t h e mouth o f the r i v e r . A d i scon t i nued gauge a t Moores M I l l s was a l s o main ta ined by t he Water Survey o f Canada on Dennis Stream.

WATER LEVEL RECORDS

Leve ls have been recorded s i n c e 1915 a t t h e f ou r major storages i n t h e bas in : Grand Lake, Spednic Lake, West Grand Lake and Grand F a l l s Lake (Flowage). The records f o r Grand F a l l s Flowage a r e i n t e r m i t t e n t p r i o r t o 1935, w h i l e f o r t h e o the r t h ree lakes they a r e cont inuous from 1915 t o da te . These gauges were f i r s t main ta ined by t h e Georgia- P a c i f i c Corpora t ion . The Water Survey o f Canada took over t h e ope ra t i on o f t h e Grand Lake, Spednic Lake and Grand F a l l s Flowage gauges i n 1969, 1967 and 1980, r e s p e c t i v e l y .

Table 2. St. C ro i x R i ve r Basin s t reamf low and l ake . l eve1 s t a t i o n s .

STREAMFLOW

S t a t i o n Drainage area Per iod o f Locations

(kmz) r e c o r d i d e n t i f i e r

St. C r o i x R i ve r : - below Fores t C i t y Dam 357 1968-dat e

1080 1928-date (1) (2) - a t Vanceboro

- a t Ba r i ng 3550 1959-dat eb - near B a i l e y v i l l e 3420 1919-1983

(3)

- a t Spragues Fa1 1s 3500 (4 )

1902-1905 . (5 )

O u t l e t o f West Grand Lake: - a t Grand Lake Stream 588 1928-dat e (6)

Dennis Stream: - a t Moores M i l l s - near St. Stephen

Chamcook Stream: - a t L i t t l e Chamcook Lake O u t l e t N / A 1968-dat ed (9)

LAKE LEVELS

S t a t i o n Per iod o f r e c o r d

Grand Lake a t Fores t C i t y 1915-date Spednic Lake a t Vanceboro (St . C r o i x ) 1915-date

(10)

West Grand Lake a t Grand Lake Stream 1915-date (11) (12)

Grand F a l l s Lake (Flowage) a t Grand F a l l s 1935-datec (13) West Branch St. C ro i x R i ve r a t B a i l e y v i l l e 1910-1912 M i l l t o w n ( P l a n t ) Reservo i r a t M i l l t o w n 1935-date

(14) (15)

a I d e n t i f i e s s t a t i o n s i n F i g . 1. b ~ d e n t i f i e s i n t e r m i t t e n t records e x i s t p r i o r t o 1959 and as f a r back

as 1914. C I d e n t i f i e s i n t e r m i t t e n t records e x i s t p r i o r t o 1935 and as f a r back

as 1915. d ~ d e n t i f i e s n a t u r a l f l o w records . N/A - Not a v a i l a b l e .

ST. CROlX RIVER BASIN PILOT PROJECT STUDY AREA

HYDROMETRIC & LAKE LEVEL STATIONS

WATER LEVEL ONLY STATION

A DISCHARGE STATION

111 NUMBERS IDENTIFY STATIONS IN TABLE 2

Figure 1

STREAMFLOW STATIONS

Legend - CONTINUOUS RECORO

p*, , .Y, *. - INTERMITTENT Rf!CORD

91. CROlx RIVER AT BARINQ- - - - - - - - - - - - - --- ----- - - - - - - - - ---- ST. CROlK RIVER NEAR BAILEVVILLE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ------- ST. CROIX RIVER AT SPRAQUES F A L L S - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - =

QRAND LAKE STREAM AT QRAND LAKE STREAM- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

CHAMCOOK STREAM AT LITTLE CHAMCOOK LANE OUTLET- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - --

LAKE LEVEL STATIONS

ORAND LAKE AT FOREST CITY- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - SPEONlC LAKE AT VANCEBORO - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - WEST GRAND LAKE AT GRAND LAKE S T R E A M - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - GRAND FALLS FLOWAGE AT QRAND FALLS- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - WEST BRANCH ST. CROIX RIVER AT BAILEVVILLC- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

PERIOD OF RECORO

Flgure 2 St. Crolx Rlver Basln Hydrometric Stations.

The Un i ted States Geolog ica l Survey main ta ined a water l e v e l gauge on t h e West Branch o f t h e St. C ro i x R i ve r a t B a i l e y v i l l e , Maine, f o r a s h o r t pe r i od i n t h e e a r l y 1900's.

A s t a f f gauge a t t h e M i l l t o w n r e s e r v o i r has been observed s ince 1935. The gauge i s main ta ined by t h e New Brunswick E l e c t r i c Power Comiss ion .

LAKE STOMGE DATA

The n a t u r a l i z a t i o n o f f l ows was l i m i t e d t o t h e f o u r l a r g e s t lakes i n t h e bas in because these a re t h e o n l y l akes f o r which r e g u l a r records o f s tage a r e a v a i l a b l e i n a quasi-computer ized data base. The f o u r lakes, Grand, West Grand, Spednic and Grand F a l l s Flowage c o n t a i n about 91% o f t he t o t a l useable s torage i n t h e basin; t he re fo re , t h e r e i s l i t t l e l o s t by l e a v i n g o u t a l l o the r lakes.

For t h e purpose o f t h i s paper, i t was necessary t o s e l e c t a base pe r i od f o r t h e n a t u r a l i z a t i o n . The p e r i o d se lec ted i s f rom 1969-85. This p e r i o d i s chosen as records o f stage a re a v a i l a b l e f o r t h e f ou r major r e s e r v o i r s and reco rds o f s t reamf low a t the f ou r l a k e ou t f l ows a re a v a i l a b l e i n a computer data base format.

EVAPORATION DATA

Because o f t h e l a r g e su r face areas o f some o f the lakes i n t h e bas in , i t was necessary t o cons ider evapora t ion i n t h e c a l c u l a t i o n o f s to rage e f f e c t s on streamflows. Du r i ng the summer months, evapora t ion from some lakes i s g rea te r than t h e l o c a l i n f l o w .

There a r e no reco rds o f evapora t ion i n t h e St. C ro i x Basin. The nea res t evapora t ion s t a t i o n s a re a t Caribou, Maine and F rede r i c ton , New Brunswick. The Un i ted States Weather Bureau has recorded evapora t ion a t Car ibou s ince 1963, w h i l e t h e Atmospheric Environment Serv ice , Environment Canada, has records o f evapora t ion f rom t h e Royal Road, IHO S t a t i o n near F rede r i c ton , New Brunswick, s i nce 1966. There a r e no records o f evapora t ion i n t h e general area o f t he S t . C ro i x R i ve r Basin p r i o r t o 1963.

Mean monthly values are used d u r i n g t h e e n t i r e pe r i od . There a re obvious e r r o r s i n us ing average values because o f c l i m a t i c d i f f e r e n c e s from year t o year; however, t h i s procedure i s much more accura te than i f evapora t ion were neg lec ted completely. The de r i ved mean month ly l ake evapora t ion values a re shown i n Fig. 3.

STORAGE CAPACITY AN0 AREA RELATIONSHIPS

The stage-storage and stage-surface area r e l a t i o n s h i p s developed f o r use i n t h i s s tudy a r e based on t h e es t imates g i ven i n t h e Board o f C o n t r o l ' s 1975 r e p o r t on t he Spednic Lake Regula t ion Study.

The computer model u t i l i z e d a s tage versus sur face area r e l a t i o n s h i p t o compute evapora t ion losses as a f u n c t i o n o f l a k e su r face area. The model then c a l c u l a t e d the monthly change i n s torage g iven the beg inn ing and end o f month l a k e su r face e l e v a t i o n s .

The area-capac i ty curves f o r t h e f o u r r e s e r v o i r s a re presented i n F i g . 4.

NATURALIZED LAKE OUTFLOWS

The St. C ro i x r e s e r v o i r system f o u r major bas in storages a re shown i n F ig . 5. The tandem Grand and Spednic Lakes on t h e East Branch a r e shown i n p a r a l l e l w i t h West Grand Lake on t h e West Branch. The two branches f l o w i n t o Grand F a l l s Flowage on t h e main stem.

The n a t u r a l o u t f l o w f rom t h e l akes was determined as the l o c a l i n f l o w t o t h e lakes minus t h e evapora t ion p l u s t h e es t imated n a t u r a l o u t f l o w f rom t h e lakes upstream.

Month ly d ischarges below t h e Fo res t C i t y Dam were n o t recorded p r i o r t o 1975; thus, f o r t h e years 1969-74 i n c l u s i v e , t h e month ly f l ows were computed i n d i r e c t l y based on p r o r a t e d da ta above t h e Vanceboro Dam. Also, month ly d i scha rge reco rds near B a i l e y v i l l e were d i scon t i nued a f t e r September 30, 1983. For t h e p e r i o d October 1983-Oecember 1985 i n c l u s i v e , t h e month ly f l ows were es t imated u s i n g t h e reco rds a t Baring. These es t imated f l o w values were needed t o compute t h e n a t u r a l f l o w records a t Grand Lake, Spednic Lake and Grand F a l l s Flowage.

Na tu ra l ou t f l ows f rom t h e f o u r p r i n c i p a l s torage areas were developed u s i n g month ly f l o w values f o r t h e p e r i o d 1969-85. I n a few ins tances, t h e f lows developed took on smal l nega t i ve values.

The nega t i ve values may be a t t r i b u t e d t o :

I] t h e inaccuracy o f t h e approximated stage- s torage curves f o r t h e major s torages, and

2) stage da ta f o r s torages sometimes had t o be i n t e r p o l a t e d over as l ong a p e r i o d as 2 wk.

To make t h e data acceptab le f o r use i n t he n a t u r a l i z a t i o n analyses t h e nega t i ve values had t o be e l im ina ted . Th is was done by a r b i t r a r i l y a d j u s t i n g t h e f l ows over a 2- o r 3-mo p e r i o d i n such a way t h a t a nega t i ve va lue was e l i m i n a t e d w i t h o u t changing the t o t a l f l o w d u r i n g t h e pe r i od . The magnitude o f t he adjustments a re a very smal l p a r t of t he t o t a l annual f l o w and, t h e r e f o r e , these adjustments w i l l have no app rec iab le e f f e c t on t h e r e s u l t s o f the n a t u r a l i z a t i o n analyses.

ST. CROIX RIVER CONTROL REGULATIONS

The Georg ia-Pac i f i c Co rpo ra t i on has prepared an ope ra t i ons manual "Watershed Operat ing Procedures," February 1982, which they use t o manage t h e St . C ro i x R i ve r Basin t o p rov ide t h e i r h y d r o e l e c t r i c needs w i t h i n t h e r e q u i r e d c o n t r o l r e g u l a t i o n s .

A s u m a r y o f t h e c o n t r o l r e g u l a t i o n s f o l l o w s t o c l a r i f y t h e ope ra t i on procedures. Where a p p l i c a b l e , t h e agency which r e q u i r e s t h e c o n t r o l r e g u l a t i o n i s i n d i c a t e d a long w i t h t h e minimum and maximum l a k e e l e v a t i o n s and minimum d ischarge below the dam. E f f e c t i v e low water e leva t i ons a r e governed by s i l l e l eva t i ons on t h e c o n t r o l s t r u c t u r e o f t he dam. E leva t i ons and f low r e g u l a t i o n values r e f e r back t o t h e o r i g i n a l IJC and EPA orders and smal l v a r i a t i o n s f rom the Georg ia-Pac i f i c pub l i shed da ta a re a t t r i b u t e d t o m e t r i c conversion.

M O N T H L Y L A K E E V A P O R A T I O N U)

Q) S T . C R O I X R I V E R B A S I N

120 ,

J U L AUG SEP O C T N O V D E C

M O N T H

FIGURE 3

GRAND LAKE AREA -CAPACITY CURVES

SURFACE AREA - HECTARES

133.0

WEST GRAND LAKE AREA-CAPACITY CURVES

SURFACC AREA-HECTARES 11200 I0400 0080 0 0000 1200 0400 9000

SPEDNIC LAKE AREA-CAPACITY CURVES

SURFACE AREA-HECTAnES

00.0 I I I 1 1 I

0 00 100 830 PO0 210 3 0 0 330

S T O R ~ O ~ - d a m ~ n 1 0 ' FIGURE 4

GRAND FALLS FLOWAGE AREA-CAPACITI CURVES

SURFACE AREA-YECTARCS

- 0Z.I-

n

SCHEMATIC OF ST. CFIOlX RIVER RESERVOIR SYSTEMS'

WEST GRAND LAKE

u a ,GRAND LAKE a STREAM AT

V) GRAH) LAKE

g STREAM, ME.

I GRAND

t /FOREST CITY STREAM BELOW FOREST CITY DAM

SPEDNIC LAKE

GRAND FALLS FLOWAGE

AT VANCEBORO

in

t /ST. CROlX RIVER NEAR BAlLEWlLLE

STREAMFLOW STATION z 9 DIRECTION OF FLOW

Figure 5

Grand ( f o r m e r l y East Grand) Lake e l e v a t i o n s and d ischarges below Fores t C i t y Dam

Con t ro l r e g u l a t i o n s : F.E.R.C., I.J.C., and Maine Oept. o f F i s h e r i e s and Game Minimum l a k e e leva t i on : 130.436 m (427.94 f t ) Maximum l a k e e l e v a t i o n : 132.570 m (434.94 f t ) Minimum d ischarge below dam: 2.12 m3/s (75 c f s ) Drainage area: 357.4 kmz (138 m i z )

Spednic Lake e l e v a t i o n s and d ischarges below Vanceboro Dam

Con t ro l r e g u l a t i o n s : I.J.C. Minimum l a k e e leva t i ons (Oct . I-Apr . 30): Minimum l a k e e l e v a t i o n s (May 1-Sept. 30) : Maximum l a k e e leva t i ons : Minimum d ischarge below dam: Drainage area: Des i red summer l e v e l f o r co t t age owners

113.233 m (371.50 f t ) 114.757 m (376.50 f t ) 117.610 m (385.86 f t )

5.66 m3/s (200 c f s ) 1080 kmz (417 m i z )

115.367 m (378.50 f t )

Grand Fa1 1s Flowage e l e v a t i o n s and d ischarge below Grand b a l l s Dam and power s t a t i o n

Con t ro l r e g u l a t i o n s : Not s p e c i f i e d E f f e c t i v e low water e l e v a t i o n : 60.582 m (198.76 f t ) High water e l e v a t i o n : 62.106 m (203.76 f t ) Minimum d e s i r a b l e d ischarge below dam: 24.06 m3/s (850 c f s ) Drainage area: 3418.8 kmZ (1320 m i 2 )

St. C ro i x R i ve r e l e v a t i o n s and d ischarges below Woodland Dam

Con t ro l r e g u l a t i o n s : Not s p e c i f i e d E f f e c t i v e low water e l e v a t i o n : High water e leva t i on : Minimum d ischarge below dam: Drainage area:

42.468 m (139.33 f t ) 43.077 m (141.33 f t ) 21.23 m3 /s (750 c f s )

3496.5 kmz (1350 m i z )

St. Cro ix R i ve r a t M i l l t o w n Dam

The M i l l t o w n Dam i s now owned by t h e New Brunswick E l e c t r i c Power Commission which operates a power p l a n t u t i l i z i n g run o f the r i v e r f l ow . No c o n t r o l r e g u l a t i o n s a r e i n e f f e c t .

Sysladobsis Lake e l e v a t i o n s and d ischarge below Dobsis Dam

Con t ro l r e g u l a t i o n s : Not s p e c i f i e d E f f e c t i v e low water e l e v a t i o n : 91.757 m (301.04 f t ) High water e l e v a t i o n : 93.153 m (305.62 f t ) Minimum d ischarge below dam: Not s p e c i f i e d Drainage area: 160.58 kmz (62 m i 2 ) Minimum d e s i r a b l e e l e v a t i o n f o r co t t age owners 92.239 m (302.62 f t )

( J u l y and August) :

West Grand Lake e l e v a t i o n s and d ischarge below Grand Lake Stream Dam

Con t ro l r e g u l a t i o n s : Maine Dept. o f I n l a n d F i s h e r i e s and Game Minimum e f f e c t i v e l ake e l e v a t i o n : 89.614 m (294.01 f t ) Maximum l a k e e l e v a t i o n : 91.876 m (301.43 f t ) Minimum d ischarge below dam: 2.83 m3/s (100 c f s ) Drainage area: 580.15 kmz . ( 2 4 mi ' )

C l i f f o r d Lake e l e v a t i o n s and d ischarge below C l i f f o r d Dam

Con t ro l r e g u l a t i o n s : Maine Dept. o f I n l a n d F i s h e r i e s and Game E f f e c t i v e low water e l e v a t i o n : 67.949 m (222.93 f t ) High water e l e v a t i o n : 70.336 m (230.76 f t ) Minimum d ischarge below dam: 0.14 mJ/s (5 c f s ) Drainage area: 36.26 km2 (14 m i z )

Canoose Flowage, e l e v a t i o n s and d i scha rge below Canoose Dam

Con t ro l r e g u l a t i o n s : Not s p e c i f i e d E f f e c t i v e low water e leva t i on : 94.110 m (308.76 f t ) High water e l e v a t i o n : 96.801 m (317.59 f t ) Minimum d ischarge below dam: 0.142 mJ/s (5 c f s ) Drainage area: 132.09 km2 ( 5 1 m i z ) Des i rab le e l e v a t i o n f o r duck hunters (October

and November ) : 95.887 m (314.59 f t )

The minimum d ischarge o f 21.2 m3/s o r 750 c f s below Woodland Dam i s a c t u a l l y moni tored a t a U.S.G.S. hyd rome t r i c s t a t i o n l oca ted a t Bar ing, Maine. Th is f l o w i s r e q u i r e d f o r p o l l u t i o n abatement purposes by t he E.P.A., b u t t h e Maine D.E.P. has noted t h a t t h i s i s d a i l y mean d ischarge. I n o t h e r words, t h i s i s t h e mean over a 24-h p e r i o d so f l u c t u a t i o n s cou ld occur over a l a r g e range and s t i l l conform t o t h e f l o w requ i rements .

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

This paper summarizes t h e su r face water d a t a and compares the recorded and n a t u r a l i z e d r u n o f f f rom f o u r p r i n c i p a l l a k e r e s e r v o i r s . The c o n t r o l r e g u l a t i o n s c u r r e n t l y used by t he Georgia-Paci f i c Corpora t ion were compared t o I.J.C. and o the r r e g u l a t i o n s imposed on flows and water l e v e l s .

A comparison o f es t imated month ly n a t u r a l and regu la ted l a k e r u n o f f from the f o u r p r i n c i p a l s torage areas a re presented i n Fig. 6.

I t i s u n i f o r m l y obvious t h a t t h e recorded f l ows under t he i n f l u e n c e o f r e g u l a t i o n a re l e s s extreme than t h e n a t u r a l i z e d f lows. The purpose f o r s t o r i n g water d u r i n g t imes o f excessive f lows t o be re leased d u r i n g t imes o f d e f i c i e n t f lows i s w e l l demon- s t r a t e d . Without a c t i v e r e g u l a t i o n , more h igh and low l ake l e v e l s would have occur red throughout t he 17-yr pe r i od .

F igu re 7 d i sp lays t h e mean month ly r u n o f f f rom Grand Lake, Spednic Lake, West Grand Lake and Grand F a l l s Flowage. The f lows a re expressed as a depth o f water over the dra inage area. The mass balance preserves the annual volume i n both cases, however, t h e d i f f e r e n t d i s t r i b u t i o n w i t h i n t he year i s obvious. The n a t u r a l f lows would be h ighe r than they a re now i n March, A p r i l and May o f each year and again d u r i n g November and December. A l l o the r months would r e s u l t i n lower f lows i f r e g u l a t i o n d i d not e x i s t . F igu re 8 presents t he corresponding mean monthly p r e c i p i t a t i o n over t he St. C ro i x R i ve r Basin f o r t he concur rent per iod . The monthly d i s t r i b u t i o n i s r e l a t i v e l y un i f o rm except f o r t he w e t t e s t month o f December and t h e d r y e s t months o f February and August.

The annual mean r u n o f f , f o r t h e pe r i od o f t h i s study, i s shown i n F ig . 9 f o r the f ou r r e s e r v o i r ou t f l ows . For comparison, t he annual t o t a l p r e c i p i t a t i o n f o r t h e St. C ro i x R i ve r Basin i s presented i n F ig . 10. The years o f abundant and

d e f i c i e n t r a i n f a l l a r e r e a d i l y obvious as i s t h e cor respond ing r e s u l t on su r face r u n o f f . The i n f l u e n c e o f r e g u l a t i o n i s no t as c l e a r l y obvious over an annual p e r i o d as i t i s on a monthly bas i s . However, t h e r e a re years i n t h e 1969-85 t ime p e r i o d when annual extremes i n f lows would have been much g r e a t e r had r e g u l a t i o n n o t been i n e f f e c t . -

Du r i ng t h e 17 y r , 1969-85, t h e r e has been a number o f years (1971, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1985) when normal p r e c i p i t a t i o n was no t a v a i l a b l e t o s u s t a i n r e q u i r e d f lows; thus , i t was necessary t o draw more on s to rage rese rve than usua l t o ma in ta in downstream f lows. The years 1971 and 1985 were p a r t i c u l a r l y d r y years. The r e s u l t i n g e f f e c t s i n each case have been low water l e v e l s and cor respond ing compla in ts f rom co t tage owners, f ishermen, r e c r e a t i o n / t o u r i s m and f i s h i n g o rgan i za t i ons .

The c u r r e n t minimum maintenance f l o w o f 21.2 ml/s (750 c f s ) i s a l a r g e f a c t o r i n produc ing t h e upstream l a k e l e v e l s be ing exper ienced d u r i n g pe r i ods o f d e f i c i e n t r a i n f a l l . However, l a r g e r downstream f lows cou ld f u r t h e r a m p l i f y t h e drawdown problem on Spednic Lake, espec ia l y i f the f l ows were t o be augmented ma in l y f rom Spednic Lake. I n per iods o f prolonged d e f i c i e n t r a i n f a l l , such as t h e 16-1110 pe r i od o f Ju l y 1984 through October 1985, n a t u r a l r a i n f a l l r u n o f f which p rov ides l a k e i n f l o w s becomes n e g l i g i b l e and v i r t u a l l y a l l l a k e ou t f l ows come from storage. Th is i s t h e reason t h a t r e g u l a t i o n and s to rage were es tab l i shed . Flows t h a t would e x i s t i n t h e St . C r o i x R i ve r under " n a t u r a l " cond i t i ons , can be increased w i t h water f rom s to rage i n t he lakes. It has been shown t h a t f l ows d u r i n g droughts under n a t u r a l c o n d i t i o n s would be more severe than those t h a t a c t u a l l y occur red. I f f lows were s u b s t a n t i a l l y reduced due t o drought cond i t i ons , o r i f f lows were no t augmented from s torage, i t i s assumed t h a t d i sso l ved oxygen l e v e l s cou ld be reduced below t h e o b j e c t i v e l e v e l o f 5 mg/L.

Some o f t h e c o n t r o l r e g u l a t i o n s a r e r e q u i r e d by t he I.J.C. and E.P.A., whereas some a re "des i red. "

............... I... ....,.I ... " ...I ......I...... "..L.l.. I.......

...... .......... ............

? ' . . i '. . ! i, . ... . . ..-o .I*. ..I. .-?a 8 . : - s... s-?. , e r r ..,. ..r. ...o .r.. 1.0. I.-= as.. I.......a.- I ..--

L.............. I... ."."I. ................. ..............................

M E A N M O N T H L '

GRAND LA

MEAN MONTHL n11tr11 1 # 1 1 I 0 1 I

Y E S 1 GRAND LAKE 101110111 11111e.o P E R I O D - 1 9 6 9 TO 1 9 8 5 -

Figure 7

MEAN RUNOFF m l o t u r t ~ ~ O I I I ~ ~ I

GRAM0 F A L L S FLOWAOE 0 ~ e l o l e t e 1 1 a l O e o e P E R I O D - 1969 1 0 I915

1 8 0

MEAN MON THL Y TO TA L P R E C I P I TA T I O N

S T . C A O I X R I V E R B A S I N

PERIOD - 1969 TO 1985 130 , 1

B o r r d on Caner rbury . NB. Vmncrboro Wooulrnd. Urn

FIGURE 8

ANNUAL MEAN 8rIrtrl #rt/lrnr ANNUAL MEAN RUNOFF &t1,11 &ttJ#m SRAND LAKE Irtrlrtrl ##t l l#n SPEONIC LAKE &#rl#t## &tt l#n

PERIOD - 1969 1 0 1985 PERIOD - I969 1 0 1985 1000 , 1000-

BOO

800 I! 5 700

'I 600

4; 500

3 400

300

PO0

1s 70 71 72 71 74 75 76 77 71 79 10 11 12 1s 14 a5

ANNUAL MEAN RUNOFF 8rfrrrl 8rtflrrr ANNUAL MEAN RUNOFF ~t.,,t &tttrrr WESI GRAND I. AXE h# l# l#~ 8r t f lm GRAND FALLS FLOWAGE 8##rlrtr8 h t t I # a

PERIOD - 1969 1 0 1985 PERIOD - I969 1 0 1985 I000 n 8 I I100 , BOO 1000

100 900 I!

* 5 700 100

L

600 700 k 0 (c, 600 2 500 3 SO0

400 P 400

300 300

200 200

69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 71 79 10 11 12 13 14 15

YEAR

Figure 9

ANNUAL TOTAL P R E C I P I TA T I O N

ST. Cr40I.t l I i F r 4 BAS11

Based on Cantrrbury, 14 . Yancrboro C Yoodlmd. #e 1500 ,

t-' I-' 0

6 9 70 7 1 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 7 9 80 8 1 8 2 83 8 4 6 5

YEAR

FIGURE 10

The "des i red f l ows" a re de f i ned as those t h a t would be t h e maximum constant s t reamf low i f r e g u l a t i o n c a p a c i t y was u n l i m i t e d . .The maximum des i red f l o w i s t he re fo re equal t o t h e long-term mean annual f l ow . The des i red f l o w o r mean annual f l o w a t Woodland i s 65.1 m3/s (2300 c f s ) , and t h e r e f o r e t h e whole r e s e r v o i r system i s operated on t h e b a s i s o f t h i s f l o w when ample s to rage i s a v a i l a b l e . Obviously, i n years o f lower p r e c i p i t a t i o n than normal, t h e r u l e i s prob lemat ic .

A very d e l i c a t e and compl icated ba lanc ing s i t u a t i o n e x i s t s i n t h i s basin. To s a t i s f y a l l o f t h e users a l l o f t h e t ime may be a near imposs ib le t ask as t he t o t a l q u a n t i t y o f water a v a i l a b l e may be i n s u f f i c i e n t t o s a t i s f y f l o w requirements and ma in ta in l ake l e v e l s a t t he same t ime.

Minimum maintenance f lows a r e r e q u i r e d a t Fo res t C i t y , Vanceboro/St. C r o i x and below Woodland, Maine, whereas t h e Grand F a l l s Dam, which c o n t r o l s about 60% o f t he t o t a l basin, does not have any regu la ted f l o w except f o r Georg ia-Pac i f i c opera t ions , even though i t i s l oca ted between Vanceboro and Woodland.

Georg ia-Pac i f i c Corpora t ion has many years ope ra t i ng exper ience i n r e g u l a t i n g t h e St. C r o i x R i ve r Basin. The Corpo ra t i on has opera ted t h e dams t o op t im ize power p roduc t i on w i t h i n t he va r i ous maximum and minimum r e g u l a t i o n s . Th is comparison of n a t u r a l i z e d and regu la ted f lows and l e v e l s shows t h a t w i t h o u t a c t i v e r e g u l a t i o n many more extremes would have occur red and i t i s assumed t h a t use o f t h e water resources o f t he bas in would be no t as p roduc t i ve . -

REFERENCES

Environment Canada. St. C r o i x R i v e r Basin p i l o t study, i n t e g r a t e d data i n t e r p r e t a t i o n 1987. I n l a n d Waters and Lands. Dartmouth, N.S. , D r a f t Report, June, 1987.

Georg ia-Pac i f i c Corpora t ion . Watershed o p e r a t i n g procedures, February, 1982.

I n t e r n a t i o n a l St. C r o i x R i ve r , Board o f Con t ro l . Report o f Spednic Lake r e g u l a t i o n s tudy, St . C ro i x R i ve r Basin, Maine and New Brunswick, January. 1975.

I n t e r n a t i o n a l St. C ro i x R i ve r , Board o f Con t ro l . P re l im ina ry r e p o r t on t he s t a t u s o f Spednic Lake r e g u l a t i o n , St . C r o i x R i ve r Basin, Maine and New Brunswick, D r a f t Report , November, 1986.

K inde rva te r , A. 0. F lood ing Events i n New Brunswick, an h i s t o r i c a l perspect ive . Water P lann ing and Management Branch, I n l a n d Waters D i r e c t o r a t e , Dartmouth, N.S., March, 1985.

M i t n i k , P. S t . C ro i x waste l oad a l l .ocat ion , 1986. Sta te o f Maine, Department o f Environmental P ro tec t i on , Augusta. Maine, 1986.

WATER QUANTITY

Discussion Summary

One solution to excessive drawdown of storage lakes in the summer months would

be to reduce flows in April and May, when temperatures are low and fishery

needs are less demanding, so that storage can build up for use later when DO

and temperature are more critical.

Reduced flows (less than 200 cfs) at Vanceboro at any time, it was argued,

would jeapordize the successful survival of salmon fry.

It is important, during spawning of salmon and landlocked salmon, to have

reduced flows so that streambanks are not innundated and salmon are not

tempted to spawn in areas which would be exposed during winter low flow.

The complexity of regulating flows in the St. Croix River, involving dams,

lake levels, hydro-electric plants, unequal run-off and other users needs, was

apparent to many for the first time. It was clear that, in the execution of

its responsibility in controlling river flows, Georia Pacific Corporation

attempts to meet other users needs as well as their own operational

requirements in a conscientious fashion.

SESSION I11

OTHER RIVER USES

OTHER RIVER USES

Highlights

1. The Province of New Brunswick has had a strong interest in integrated

management of the St. Croix River Basin since June 1982 with the recognition

of the St. Croix Waterway Recreation Area, and establishment of an

interdepartmental management committee.

2. The creation of the St. Croix Waterway Joint Advisory Commission (and

later the St. Croix International Waterway Commission) secured joint State of

Maine/Province of New Brunswick involvement in basin planning and management.

This Commission is faced with a complexity of overlapping jurisdictions

involving federal, provincial, state, municipal, public, and special interests

such as the IJC.

ROLE OF THE ST. CROIX WATERWAY JOINT AOVISORY COMMISSTION (JAC)

J. E lde r and J. Cormier Tourism, Recreat ion and Her i t age Canada

P.O. Box 12345, F rede r i c ton , N.B. E3B 5C3

The f o l l o w i n g d i scuss ion w i l l h i g h l i g h t b r i e f l y Prov ince o f New Brunswick's a c t i v i t i e s i n t h e St. C ro i x waterway area, t h e work o f o the r bodies such as t h e St . C r o i x Waterway J o i n t Adv isory Commission and the c r e a t i o n o f t h e St. C r o i x I n t e r n a t i o n a l Waterway Commission.

I n June 1982, t h e Prov ince o f New Brunswick o f f i c i a l l y recogn ized by Order- in-Counci l , t h e spec ia l n a t u r e o f t h e waterway by des igna t i ng i t t h e "St. C ro i x Waterway Recreat ion Area." Since 1982, t h e management o f t h i s area on t h e Canadian s i d e o f the waterway has been coord inated by a p r o v i n c i a l I n te rdepa r tmen ta l Management Committee. The goa ls o f t h e Committee a r e ( i ) t o encourage tour ism, based on i d e n t i f i e d themes, w i t h r e s u l t a n t economic sp in- o f f s t o t h e area and prov ince, ( i i ) t o p r o t e c t and manage an i n c r e a s i n g l y va luab le , d i m i n i s h i n g n a t u r a l r e c r e a t i o n a l resource f o r c u r r e n t and f u t u r e usage, and ( i i i ) t o p r o t e c t and promote awareness o f New Brunswick h e r i t a g e (both I n d i a n and e a r l y European). Th is Committee has been very a c t i v e and commissioned a number o f ex tens i ve s tud ies o f t he area.

When t h e Government o f Canada o f f i c i a l l y launched the Canadian Her i t age R ive r System and i n v i t e d p r o v i n c i a l p a r t i c i p a t i o n ' , t h e Department o f Tourism, Recreat ion and Her i t age , i n con junct i o n w i t h t h e In te rdepa r tmen ta l Management Comnittee, forwarded t h e St. C ro i x R iver f o r f u r t h e r s tudy. The St. C ro i x R i ve r was found t o have n a t u r a l , h i s t o r i c a l and r e c r e a t i o n a l values o f "ou ts tand ing Canadian value" and was accepted as a cand idate r i v e r i n June 1984. The St. C ro i x R i ve r can be o f f i c i a l l y des ignated as a "Canadian Her i t age R ive r " upon t a b l i n g o f a management p lan .

It was recogn ized a t t h e ou tse t by a l l p a r t i e s i nvo l ved t h a t t he successfu l management o f t h i s va luab le waterway resource necess i t a ted some form o f coord inated coope ra t i ve management f o r bo th s ides o f t h e waterway.

The In te rdepa r tmen ta l Management Comnittee had i n fo rma l d iscuss ions w i t h t h e S ta te o f Maine on a number o f i tems and p r o j e c t s i n c l u d i n g t h e St. C r o i x Waterway User Survey. Maine and New Brunswick o f f i c i a l s , however, bo th recogn ized t h e need f o r more formal l i a i s o n and c o n s u l t a t i o n .

A f t e r formal c o n s u l t a t i o n between the Prov ince and S ta te o f Maine, Governor Brennan and Premier H a t f i e l d c reated t h e St. C ro i x Waterway J o i n t Adv isory Commission. The Commission's mandate was t o i d e n t i f y management issues and t o recommend a mechanism f o r c o o r d i n a t i n g management o f our j o i n t l y shared resource. The Commission which was es tab l i shed i n J u l y 1986 was t o r e p o r t i t s f i n d i n g s t o t h e Premier and Governor by November 1986.

Contained w i t h i n t h e Report o f t h e St. C ro i x Waterway J o i n t Advisory Commission a re the waterway uses and issues which t h e Commission had i d e n t i f i e d . The very f a c t t h a t t h e r e a re many uses o f the waterway i s an issue i t s e l f . Recreat iona l , commercial and i n d u s t r i a l uses o f t he waterway have been i d e n t i f i e d . P o t e n t i a l c o n f l i c t s between user

groups ( r e c r e a t i o n a l user and i n d u s t r i a l use r ) and w i t h i n user groups (salmon f ishermen and canoe i s t s ) a r e a l s o issues.

Water standards i s one o f t h e most, i f n o t t h e most, con ten t i ous issues i n t h e d i scuss ion o f t h e St. C r o i x Waterway. Water l e v e l s and water q u a l i t y a r e o f c r i t i c a l importance n o t o n l y t o t h e c o n t i n u i - t y o f t h e p l a n t and animal species, g e o l o g i c a l f ea tu res and o t h e r va luab le r i v e r resources such as s h o r e l i n e a rchaeo log i ca l s i t e s bu t a l s o f o r an ou ts tand ing r e c r e a t i o n a l exper ience. The Georgia- P a c i f i c Co rpo ra t i on manages t h e waterway i n compliance w i t h I n t e r n a t i o n a l J o i n t Commission standards. The IJC i s rev iew ing t h e minimum water l e v e l requirements f o r t h e St. C ro i x Waterway and p r e l i m i n a r y r e p o r t has been completed.

Another i ssue i s t h a t o f j u r i s d i c t i o n a l d i f f e r e n c e s . The St. C r o i x i s an i n t e r n a t i o n a l r i v e r and, as such, i t and i t s shores a re governed by p e r t i n e n t l e g i s l a t i o n o f t he IJC, Government of Canada, Prov ince o f New Brunswick, p r o v i n c i a l m u n i c i p a l i t i e s . Un i t ed Sta tes Government, t h e S ta te o f Maine and s t a t e m u n i c i p a l i t i e s . The l a r g e r number, comp lex i t y and ove r l app ing n a t u r e o f p u b l i c j u r i s d i c t i o n s a t t h e f ede ra l , p r o v i n c i a l , mun ic ipa l and s p e c i a l u n i t (such as t he IJC) l e v e l s may make management d i f f i c u l t . J u r i s d i c t i o n a l d i f f e r e n c e s e x i s t i n such areas as Maine and New Brunswick f i s h i n g and h u n t i n g r e g u l a t i o n s , campf i re pe rm i t r e g u l a t i o n s and land use c o n t r o l .

The S t . 'C ro i x Waterway J o i n t Adv isory Commission recommended the c r e a t i o n o f a permanent commission t o dea l w i t h these many issues and t o p lan f o r t h e management o f t he waterway.

As a r e s u l t o f t h e i r recommendations, a Memorandum o f Understanding dated November 1986 was signed whereby New Brunswick and Maine agreed t o j o i n t l y c r e a t e t h e St. C r o i x I n t e r n a t i o n a l 'Aaterway Commission t o develop a p l a n f o r managing t h e uses and resources o f the St . Cro ix .

The Prov ince o f New Brunswick and t h e S ta te of Maine have each passed l e g i s l a t i o n , t he St. C r o i x I n t e r n a t i o n a l Waterway Commission Act, d u r i n g t h e i r r ecen t r e s p e c t i v e l e g i s l a t i v e sess ions. The i r l e g i s l a t i o n f u l f i l l s t h e P rov ince ' s and S t a t e ' s commitment t o t h e c r e a t i o n o f t h e Commission as agreed t o i n t h e Memorandum and g i ves e f f e c t t o t h e general p r i n c i p l e s conta ined i n t he Memorandum.

As s t a t e d i n t h e Memorandum, t h e Commission w i l l c o n s i s t o f e i g h t members, o f whom f o u r s h a l l be appo in ted by t h e Premier o f New Brunswick and f o u r appo in ted by t he Governor o f Maine. An observer f rom each o f t he governments o f t h e Un i ted Sta tes and Canada w i l l be i n v i t e d by t h e Governor and Premier, r e s p e c t i v e l y , t o s i t on t he Commis'sion.

The Commission w i l l prepare a p l a n f o r t h e management o f t he n a t u r a l , h i s t o r i c a l , c u l t u r a l and r e c r e a t i o n a l resources o f t he Waterway i n coopera t ion w i t h l o c a l landowners. As s p e c i f i e d i n t h e Memorandum o f Understanding, t he p lann ing and

management a c t i v i t i e s o f t h e Commission w i l l be based on t h e work o f f o u r Committees: l and use, r e c r e a t i o n , f i s h e r i e s and w i l d l i f e and non-recrea- t i o n a l uses. Representa t ives o f P r o v i n c i a l , S t a t e and Federal Departments and agencies, communi t i e s , p r i v a t e c i t i z e n s , p r i v a t e o rgan i za t i ons and p r i v a t e sec to r commercial i n t e r e s t s w i l l compose t h e committees es tab l i shed by t h e Commission. The work o f t he Committees w i l l be coord inated by an execu t i ve d i r e c t o r employed by t h e Commission.

The f i r s t execu t i ve d i r e c t o r o f t h e Comnission w i l l be nominated j o i n t l y by t h e S ta te o f Maine and t h e Prov ince o f New Brunswick, and approved by t h e Commission, and s h a l l serve f o r a pe r i od o f 3 y r i n an o f f i c e w i t h i n a comnunity a long t h e S t . C r o i x R i ve r .

The management p l a n w i l l r e c e i v e ex tens i ve p u b l i c rev iew be fo re adopt ion by t h e Commission. The Commission w i l l submit t h e p l a n t o t h e Prov ince and S ta te o f Maine f o r approva l . Under t h e p r w i s i o n s o f t h e Act passed i n New Brunswick, t h e Lieutenant-Governor- in-Counci l may, on b e h a l f o f t he prov ince, approve, i n whole o r i n p a r t , a management p lan submi t ted by t h e Commission. The a c t u a l implementat ion o f t h e p l a n w i l l be th rough t h e l i n e agencies i n t h e Prov ince o f New Brunswick and t h e S ta te o f Maine.

The f i r s t meet ing o f t h e Commission w i l l be c a l l e d by t h e Governor o f Maine and w i l l be h e l d i n Ca la i s , Maine. The Premier o f New Brunswick s h a l l des ignate a person t o serve as t he temporary c h a i r o f t h e Commission a t t h e f i r s t meet ing u n t i l t h e Commission nominates f rom i t s members co-chairpersons.

The Management Plan w i l l ensure t h a t t h o u g h t f u l development o f t he Waterway's resources f o r increased t o u r i s m and employment w h i l e p r o t e c t i n g the resources which make t h i s area so a t t r a c t i v e . The St . C ro i x I n t e r n a t i o n a l Waterway Commission i s v i t a l t o assu r i ng t h a t a balanced and coope ra t i ve approach f o r managing t h e r i v e r i s achieved.

OTHER RIVER USERS

Discussion Summarv

Much of the recreational use of the St. Croix Waterway comes about through the

services and advertising of the outfitters in the upper watershed, and this is

directed largely at users from outside N.B. and Maine.

The perception in the early 1980's was that natural recreational resources in

Canada were under strain and may be diminishing, the St. Croix being included

in this view. This was part of the explanation offered for the interest

generated in studying the recreational potential of the St. Croix River and

developing conservation measures.

Recreational fisheries in the River and the St. Croix estuary were cited as

having strong development potential. and good possibilities for a lot of

increased recreational activity.

Each of the 11 outfitters located in the St. Croix watershed take in an

average of approximately $30,000 annually. This represents monies paid by

clients for angling only, and would be only a portion of the total income of

the outfitters. It was obvbious that the "value" of the recreational

resources of the river was of great interest to the particpants and of

importance to further recreational development.

SESSION IV

DISCUSSION GROUP REPORTS

FISHERIES

(K. Beland)

We in the fisheries group did come to some vague consensues as to what we

know, what we donft know and where we're possibly headed. I'll make a few

general comments on the session we had and perhaps tie it into what we found

out yesterday and then, Ron Brokow will discuss some specific topics that we

felt were a priority that should be brought to the Board's attention.

The fishery issues came down to a couple of things. One is we had the

enviable position of having more fish and therefore more fishery problems

especially in the anadromous area. And as was heard yesterday, one of the new

kids on the block, in the upper river, the alewife, is a considerable concern.

What appears to be a simple problem of alewives versus small mouthed bass in

Spednic Lake is part of a much broader issue. If you look at Spednic Lake,

you look at the situation there as a result of a series of choices that have

to be .made between other fish species. Ralph Feck indicated yesterday, he has

a bunch of water to play with and he has a rule curve to operate under and

that he has three main storage reservoirs to play with: the West Branch,

Spednic, and East Grand. What you do or don't do in East Grand and West

Grand, essentially leaves you with Spednic to take up the slack in terms of

providing the volume of water needed down below for the other river uses. So

really the problem of the alewife and bass in Spednic Lake is a problem of

water use and the choice amongst land-locked salmon (togue) small mouthed bass

and alewife. We really have to look at it in that broader context.

A few years ago the question was is the water quality in the St. Croix below

Woodland suitable to keep fish alive long enough for them to migrate past the

effluent plume. Now we're in the position of asking - is the water quality below Woodland suitable to use it as a rearing area for anadromous Atlantic

salmon; and does that habitat now have a production potential for resident

sport fisheries such as small mouthed bass, brook trout, etc.? There are

questions there that need to be answered in a broader context. Yes we can

keep fish alive long enough for them to swim through. We also appear to be in

a position where we might be able to grow some fish there.

Questions were raised and needs discussed with regards to fish passage. What

is going on with respect to upstream passage for migratory species? What is

needed? What does the future hold? What do we know about the downstream

passage needs for the St. Croix River? We also very briefly touched upon the

fact that the St. Croix River can't be looked at in the context of isolated

species ; i.e. the salmon or the alewife. Rather it really is a multiple use

river from a fisheries perspective, much as it is a multiple use river in a

broader context, in which fisheries is just one of the perspectives. And with

those prefacing remarks, I'd like to let Ron Brokaw who was our reporter,

describe the specific questions that we would like to reflect back to the

Board.

(R. Brokaw)

I'd like to start off by saying that we had a pretty spirited discussion.

There were at least two matters that certain individuals thought would be very

high priority concerns. The first was a suggested mapping of the riverene

habitat. We don't have any real good data on the specific habitat types

available yet. For the surveys that we do have, the data is quite old and

circumspect in some regards. Another high priority matter that Dr. Anderson

suggested, was to explore the socio-economic implications on a species-by-

species basis within the drainage. What are the real benefits, the potential

benefits as far as employment goes, again on a species-by-species basis? And

there were other suggestions, that also certain individuals thought were

pretty high priority matters but I can't list them all, obviously. Regarding

the potential conflicts, we couldn't agree whether they are real or perceived.

First there is the Spednic Lake situation of small-mouthed bass versus

alewives. There's also a potential conflict with Lake Trout management. It

is our recommendation, and that of the Maine Fish and Wildlife Department,

that the headwater lakes, East Grand and West Grand, not be drawn down below

their October 15th levels throughout the winter to enhance the spawning

success of togue. But by doing this it does create a potential problem for

the management of the river for enhancing the successful hatching of the

Atlantic Salmon eggs.

We felt that there is, no real evidence at the current time that there is a

significant water quality problem in the lower portion of the river. The

juvenile salmon have survived well and are growing quite well under the

minimum flow conditions that have been in effect. There are some concerns

from an aesthetic viewpoint, specifically color and foam from the G-P

effluent, but we pretty much agreed that these have no really severe

biological implications. There is a need for additional information in the

section of St. Croix down by the Baring area.

We do want to definitely make a strong pitch for improved downstream passage

on the fishways in the system. We feel there is a need to improve the

downstream passage facilities, from both - viewpoints, for both species,

Atlantic Salmon and anadromous Alewives. Of course there is ongoing

construction right now at the Milltown dam for this improved downstream

passage.

It was also pointed out that the fishways appear to be working quite

efficiently at the current time. We feel that some improvement here could be

recommended, but we do not have good hard data at this point in time to say

that. There has been work done which indicates that salmon, once they

approach the fishways, and this evidence was gathered through radio tagging,

they are successful in locating the fishways and migrating upstream.

Concerning the -question, should one fishery be preferred over another, there

was broad base consensus that we should try to manage the system from a

multiple species standpoint. Certain specific lakes or portions of the

system, might prefer one species over another. The general angling public,

just by their habits, clearly show certain angler perferences which should

manage the system for all species, as has been the case, and we know that this

will inevitably lead to compromises but that's been the status of the system

for a long time anyway.

We recommend that the possibility of promoting or exploring a potential or

commercial harvest of alewives below Milltown should be considered. Lou Flagg

also points out the potential enhancement of the striped bass fishery down in

the estuary. One person pointed out that the Pollution Advisory Board has

been asked by the Commission to design a monitoring study to show or attempt

to show how the River's health is actually improving, especially with regard

to the Atlantic Salmon resource. Under this type of mandate we feel that a

lot of needed biological information and research could be collected for the

pertinent species. I think that's a fair summary of our deliberations. Do

any members of our committee have any other insights they'd like to add?

(W. witt)

I tried to make the point, that in my opinion, it's just never going to be

possible to get 75% of the salmon run above Grand Falls if they have to go

through three fishways. I don't think we can possibly get the average

recovery rate at those three fishways up above about 70%. And if you get 70%

at each of three fishways you can only get about a third of the fish up to

that upper three quarters of the habitat.

(R. Brokaw)

Just one comment 'too, on the topic of fish passage. One thing that didn't

come up was a discussion of an alternate way of getting more of the fish into

that upper river area.

WASTE HANAGEHENT

(J. D e Gonzague)

When our group got together a lot of talk centered at the beginning on what

pollutants were of concern in the river system and what legislation we had to

control these. We felt that legislatively, we had the power to control on

both the American and Canadian side adequately. Where are we going from the

present situation? I've taken everything that was said and tried to relate

this to what we're trying to protect. It boils down to the shellfishery, the

migrating fish species, and recreational uses on the river system. And

basically I think what we're talking about too, is the lower part of the river

system below Georgia-Pacific.

With regard to the shellfishery, the present situation is that most areas are

either closed or restricted. There are no conditional areas and there are no

open areas. Everything that's being done right now in terms of shellfishery

is commercial shellfishery, where we need depuration. It was the consensus in

the group that we should try to do better than that; that we should try to

open up the area to a recreational type shellfishery where everybody could

participate. To do that, we came up with a couple of recommendations, one

being that we felt what was needed was a comprehensive survey on the lower

part of the river system to identify point and non-point sources and to try to

give an indication of the contribution of non-point sources. It's important

to identify the contributions of non-point and point sources so that we can

look at cost-effective solutions to the point source problems. Another thing

we wanted to do, was to maximize the efficiency of the present control

systems, and that was a recommendation. Also to look at instituting a

management program for the shellfish in the area, especially in the Oak Bay

area.

Moving on to migrating species and particularly salmon, there appears to be,

below Georgia-Pacific, a possibility to improve the situation for fish

propagation. Our recommendations in that area would be to continue to

Increase efforts for fish passage, to review water quality objectives that are

presently in place so that we enhance the opportunity for fish propagation

below the mill, and to perhaps develop a strategy to increase water discharges

during periods where fish are migrating. It is necessary to identify

sensitive and non-sensitive times during the year when we could control water

discharges in relation to the needs of the fishery.

In regard to recreational uses of the river, there was an identification of

the problem of visual pollution or foaming on the river. I think the general

consensus was that we should try to reduce foaming as much as possible and to

identify means to do that.

One of the things that came out too, and is worth noting, is that Georgia-

Pacific is undertaking a program right now to eliminate chlorine from their

system and to reduce temperature by 4 degrees over the next 3 or 4 years.

FLOW t4ANAGEHENT

(R. Peck)

One of the advantages of being a chairperson is you don't have to make long

speeches. Steve Groves is going to give our summary. My concerns, day-to-

day, have to do with making paper. They don't have to do with fishes, they

don't have to do with estuaries, they don't have to do with camp owners. I've

learned a lot of different ideas today, that I haven't thought of a lot

before. I think it's important that we can learn from each other. I think

something that's been a real benefit of this Workshop, is that a lot of

information has been pulled together. And I'd like to think that would be a

benefit that could come of this Workshop.

As Ken suggested this morning, and I've made the statement before, there's a

finite amount of water out there at any given time, and there's a certain way

it has to be used to assure that there's adequate water to last the whole

year, or five years or ten years. But there's a lot of flexibility on how

that water can be released, how that water can be controlled. And I think if

the different groups here could pull together what they would like to see at

different times of year, and this organization could prioritize that in some

way, there could be some flexibility in trying to meet more objectives than

we're meeting today.

(S. Groves)

How is the water presently used? There are five or six different demands on

the system. You are familiar with all or most of them. The primary use of

the water from Georgia-Pacific's perspective is power generation and to

maintain the minimum flows as established by the International Joint

Commission. And if you look at it in the worst case scenario, like I think we

are trying to do, what you find out is that from June 1st to November lst,

they're operating in a minimum flow mode, of about 750 cfs. That from

November 1st to January lst, they're hoping for some fill-up from fall rains

that they'll be able to use, which would allow additional power generation

above the 750 cfs. From January to June they're hoping to run at about 2600

cfs, which is the optimum power generation level for the turbines that they

have. They do this by trying to make, what I like to think of as a "hole" in

the lake from January 1st to April lst, so that they can have storage for the

spring melt. That starts about April lst, and translates into 10 inches of

runoff, not 10 inches of lake level, but 10 inches of runoff from the land

area that they have around them. That's pretty much standard operation of any

dam system. But some interesting things happen as a result of what you have

to do to try to make this "hole" in the lake to store 10 inches of run-in, not

run-off, but run-in. For example, West Grand is three feet of lake "hole",

that's three feet of draw down, in order to save that much water. At East

Grand it's four feet, but at Vanceboro, it's seven feet. Now one of the

things that we'd like to know more about are the lake level controls and flow

structures and dams in the Skiff Lake and other outlying lake area on the

Canadian side. Because what it looks like is that a quarter to a half of the

land area is not being managed the same way as the other half is, in terms of

water storage. So we want to look at that.

As far as what the water is presently used for: the DEP wants waste dilution,

the Atlantic Sea Run Salmon Commission wants water to cover the salmon eggs

and habitat passage for the salmon and the lake users want as high a lake

level as possible. Are the present flows adequate to meet all these needs?

Obviously not, or we wouldn't be here today.

The next question was, what is the minimum acceptable flow, and this gets down

to what our recommendations are. Minimum acceptable flow gets confusing and I

began to realize it yesterday in talking with Ralph and some of the others.

When we at DEP say something like 750 cfs is a minimum flow, I expect the

other person to realize that what I really mean is 750 cfs at 22 degrees

centigrade. At other temperatures we can accept a lower flow. We begin to

find the same kinds of things about the salmon spawning areas. When A1

Meister talks about 200 cfs, if you squeeze real hard what you find out is

what he means is that that's 200 cfs at 12 degrees centigrade at the time that

the salmon spawn. And he wants more than that after they spawn, but when

they're not spawning perhaps some other figure is appropriate.

We wondered if all these conflicting needs could be satisfied, and concluded

that that's what must be determined over the next year or so. Is the present

monitoring adequate? We think the flow monitoring is alright, but we'd like

to find out what the flow structures are on the outlets of Skiff Lake and

those other lakes to the east. Are they regulated? Are there dams there or

is there some possibility that by some management of that system we can give

some benefit to the people in Vanceboro who are living with a seven foot

"hole"?

Are additional studies required? We said yes, and this is where the

recommendations that we want to make come in. There are two of them. The

first is, that the user groups including estuarian users, be identified and

that their minimum and desired needs be delineated and submitted to a

subcommittee. That subcommittee is to be appointed by the IJC Pollution

Advisory Board chairs, the two Eds. This subcommittee will identify possibly

flexibility in management of the system which might benefit the majority of

the users, and make recommendations to the full IJC Pollution Advisory Board.

Now this should be done prior to the midwinter meeting of the IJC Board so

that we can do something with it if we find some commonality here.

For example, the DEP can live with less than 750 cfs when the water's colder

than 22 degrees. We can give that kind of information to the subcommittee.

Now we can take somebody elses' needs, minimum and desired, and find some

overlap. The goal is that if you can start with a full lake on June 1st at

Vanceboro, and then maintain whatever is the minimum flow you have to

maintain, your drawdown then is a heck of a lot less than 7 feet, and we

benefit all the lake users. That's where we have to start. Everybody might

have to squeeze a little bit in August, late August to early October and maybe

in January.

It also seems that a lot of the people who are speaking the loudest do not

understand much about the lake system. They don't understand that if the dam

wasn't there, they'd probably be in a worse situation than they presently are.

They don't undertstand what the water is being used for. They probably

perceive that the goal of G.P. is to produce power at 2600 cfs every day of

the year, to optimize their power production and don't realize that a good

part of the time they're dealing with mandates from outside forces. They're

just doing things because somebody else says they have to or they're trying to

please the canoe group as mentioned earlier. When you talked about politics,

G.P. has its politics just like Maine, New Hampshire, and New Brunswick and

everybody else. I'm sure that when the new manager says release some water

because my buddy is going canoeing this week, you release the water. So they

have to deal with those things too. What we recommend is to have an

informational document prepared by a professional that could be used to

educate people as to what the system is being managed for and what all the

pressures are on it. Maybe with a little understanding of the problems that

we run up against, they would be more amenable to compromise.

(Participant)

Can I make a comment about what you said? You were talking about reducing the

flow rates in the wintertime, and I can understand your point of view based on

the metabolic need of the resource but you also have to take into account when

you reduce those flows in the wintertime you're increasing your chance of ice

freeze-up down within the gravel strata and that can have a very serious

impact on your resource.

(S. Groves)

You may not be able to reduce flows in January, but there's a possibility that

you can reduce them prior to spawning or some other time of the year. But

that's what we'd like to find out, if you need it, sure you've got to have it.

The other thing that the group said is that the biology and biota and

APPENDIX A: LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

(P) = Presenting Paper/Introduction

(C) = Chairman of Session

(I) = I.J.C. Advisory Board

Mr. Jeffrey Allen (P) Dr. Ronald Brokaw (P) Bureau of Water Quality Control Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Maine Dept. of Environmental Wildlife Protection 68 Water Street

State House Machias, Maine, USA Augusta, Maine, USA 04654 04333

Dr. Don Ambler (P) Regional Hydrologist Water Resources Branch Inland Waters and Lands 45 Alderney Drive Dartmouth, NS B2Y 2N6

Dr. John Anderson Vice President of Operations Atlantic Salmon Federation P.O. Box 429 St. Andrews, NB EOG 2x0

Mr. Kenneth Beland (P) State of Maine Atlantic Sea-Run Salmon Comm. P.O. Box 1298 Bangor, Maine, USA 04401

Dr. Melboun Carriker Professor Emeritus University of Delaware Marine Station Lewes , Delaware, USA

Mr. Edward J. Conley (C) (I) Co-Chairman Director, Envtl. Serv. Division EPA, Region 1 New England Regional Laboratory 60 Westview Street Lexington, MA, USA 02173

Dr. Robert Cook (C) (I) Director St. Andrews Biological Station Fisheries and Oceans Canada St. Andrews, NB EOG 2x0

Mr. Larry Bergen (P) Corps of Engineers New England Division Department of the Army 424 Trapelo Road Waltham, MA, USA 02154

I

Mr. Peter Cronin (P) Dept. of Natural Resources and Energy

P.O. Box 6000 Fredericton, NB E3B 4x7

Mr. Dick Cutting Stock Assessment Division Biological Sciences Branch Scotia-Fundy Region Fisheries and Oceans Canada P.O. Box 550 Halifax, NS B3J 2S7

Ms. Sue Davies (P) Bureau of Water Quality Control Maine Department of Environmental Protection

State House Augusta, Maine, USA 04333

Mr. John de Gonzague District Director for Environmental Protection

Environment Canada 364 Argyle Street Fredericton, NB E3B IT9

Dr. Peter Eaton (I) (Canadian Secretary) 45 Alderney Drive, 5th Floor Dartmouth, NS B2Y 2N6

Mr. Jean Cormier (P) Tourism, Recreation and Heritage P.O. Box 12345 Fredericton, NB E3B 5C3

Mr. Doug Cullen Inland Waters Directorate Environmental Conservation Service P.O. Box 861 Moncton, NB E1C 8N6

Mr. Joel Fisher Science Advisor International Joint Commission U.S. Section 2001 S. Street N.W. 2nd Floor Washington, D.C., USA 02440

Mr. Lewis Flagg (P) State of Maine Department of Marine Resources State House, Station 21 Augusta, Maine, USA 043333

Mr. Walter Foster (P) Maine Dept. of Marine Resources State House, Station 21 Augusta, Maine, USA 04333

Mr. Bill Groom Regional Manager NB Department of Fisheries P.O. Box 5001 St. Stephen, NB E3L 1GO

Ms. June Elder (P) Research Officer Tourism, Recreation and Heritage P.O. Box 12345 Fredericton, NB E3B 5C3

Mr. Ralph W. Feck (P) Electrical Power Superintendant Georgia-Pacific Corporation Mill Street Woodland, Maine, USA 04694

Mr. Steve Fenety Regional Director Inland Waters Directorate 4th Floor, Queen Square 45 Alderney Drive Dartmouth, NS B2Y 2N6

Mr. Brian Jollymore Scotia-Fundy Region Fisheries and Oceans Canada P.O. Box 550 Halifax, NS B3J 2S7

Mr. Rudi Koop Science Advisor International Joint Commission Canadian Section 100 Metcalfe Street Ottawa, ON KIP 5M1

Mr. David Le Marquand External Relations Directorte Environment Canada Ottawa, ON KIA OH3

Mr. Steven Groves (C) (I) Director, Bureau of Water Quality State Dept. of Envtl. Protection State House Augusta, Maine, USA 04333

Mr. Harold Hickman US Transboundary Division Dept. of External Affairs 125 Sussex Drive Ottawa, ON KIA OG2

Mr. Geoff Howell (P) Inland Waters and Lands Directorate Environment Canada P.O. Box 861 Moncton, NB E1C 8N6

Dr. Don Martin Corps of Engineers New England Division Dept. of the Army 424 Torapelo Road Wlatham, MA, .USA 02154

Mr. David McBride (P) Inland Waters Directorate 4th Floor, Queen Square 45 Alderney Drive Dartmouth, NS B2Y 2N6

Mr. Alfred Meister (C) (I) Atlantic Sea-Run Salmon Comm. P.O. Box 1298 Bangor, Maine, USA 04401

Dr. Neil MacEachern Chief, Enhancement, Culture and Anadromous Fisheries Division

Biological Sciences Branch Scotia-Fundy Region Fisheries and Oceans Canada P.O. Box 550 Halifax, NS B3J 2S7

Mr. John Machell Environmental Protection Environment Canada 15th Floor, Queen Square 45 Alderney Drive Dartmouth, NS B2Y 2N6

Mr. Tom Maloney (P) US Geological Service 26 Ganneston Drive Augusta, Maine, USA 04333

Mr. Ron Manfredonia (P) Environmental Protection Agency Region 1 60 Westview Street Lexington, MA, USA 02173

Mr. David R. Silliphant (C) (I) Director, Pollution Control Branch Environment New Brunswick P.O. Box 6000 Fredericton, NB E3B 5H1

Mr. Amar Menon (P) Environmental Protection Conservation and Protection Environment Canada 45 Alderney Drive Dartmouth, NS B2Y 2N6

Mr. Paul Mitnik (P) Bureau of Water Quality Control Maine Dept. of Envtl. Protection State House Augusta, Maine, USA 04333

Mr. Edward J. Norrena (C) (I) Co-Chairman Regional Director, EP - C&P Environment Canada 15th Floor, Queen Square 45 Alderney Drive Dartmouth, NS B2Y 2N6

Mr. John Norton (P) Georgia-Pacific Corporation Mill Street Woodland, Maine, USA 04694

Mr. Craig Ten Broeck (P) Dept. of Conservation, Parks and Recreation

State House, Station 22 Augusta, Maine, USA 04333

Mr. Gary Turner Senior Advisor Anadromous Fisheries Fisheries and Habitat Management

Branch Scotia-Fundy Region P.O. Box 550 Halifax, NS B 3 J 2S7

Mr. Robert Welch (P) Commissioner for Canada c/o I . J . C . 100 Metcalfe Street Ottawa, ON KIP 5M1

Dr. Walton Watt (P) Fisheries and Oceans Canada Scotia-Fundy Region P.O. Box 550 Halifax, NS B 3 J 2S7

on the st. croix river · croix river) was formed to ensure the maintenance of water quality...

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