Table Of ContentIfrN&U, pUJb?&A*H
New RiverGorge National River National ParkService
U.S. Departmentofthe Interior
Bluestone National Scenic River
Gauley RiverNational Recreationa Area
Water Quality Monitoring Program 1998-2000
New River Gorge National River
Bluestone National Scenic River
Gauley River National Recreation Area
Lisa Wilson
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
Jesse M. Purvis WATER RESOURCES DIVISION
COLORADO
FORT COLLINS,
RESOURCE ROOM PROPERTY
Water Quality Monitoring Program 1998-2000
New River Gorge National River
Bluestone National Scenic River
Gauley River National Recreation Area
Lisa Wilson
Jesse M. Purvis
Cover: National Park Service digital images by Kathy Oney. Upper left image is Meadow River
(site G05). Upper right image is Bluestone River near Bluestone State Park (site B01). Bottom
image is of National Park Service Resource Management employees Karen Vandersall (L) and Lisa
Wilson (R) monitoring water quality at New River at Sandstone Falls parking lot (site N04).
United States Department ofthe Interior
National Park Service
Glen Jean, West Virginia
March 2003
The use oftrade or product names in this report is for identification purposes only and
docs not constitute or imply endorsement by the U. S. Government.
For additional information please contact:
National Park Service
New River Gorge National River
P. O. Box 246
104 Main Street
WV
Glen Jean, 25846
EXFXUTIVE SUMMARY
New River Gorge National River and Gauley River National Recreation Area
contain some ofthe most popular and demanding Whitewater recreation in the
eastern United States. New River Gorge National River supports the most
significant and highest quality warm water fishery in West Virginia. Bluestone
National Scenic River remains one ofthe last vestiges ofrelatively undisturbed
reaches ofriverine habitat in the central Appalachians, and provides outstanding
opportunities for solitude. Taken together, these three parks represent some ofthe
most significant water resources in the National Park System.
Situated in the Kanawha-New River basin ofthe Ohio River drainage, areas in
and around the three parks have experienced extensive resource extraction
activities. Mining oflow-sulfur coal and timbering removed vegetation and led to
increased erosion and sedimentation. Development ofautomobile and rail
transportation networks, and communities to handle the influx ofpeople, inflicted
further impacts upon the land, and upon the streams draining the land.
As coal and timber were depleted, many people lost theirjobs and moved away.
Decreased resource extraction allowed re-establishment ofnatural communities
and ecosystems. Lush mixed mesophytic forests now cover most ofthe three
parks. Commercial Whitewater rafting, rock climbing, angling, and other outdoor
activities now draw hundreds ofthousands ofvisitors to the New River area.
Appalachia has a long history ofimpoverishment. Today this is reflected in
infrastructure that is often less than adequate. Sewage treatment is woefully
inadequate in many areas, including the New River watershed in the vicinity of
the three parks. In areas with inadequate sewage treatment, untreated or partially
treated household sewage commonly ends up in local streams and rivers.
The National Park Service regularly monitors fecal coliform bacteria, an indicator
ofhuman domestic waste pollution, in and around the three parks to assess the
potential health risk to people engaged in water-based recreational activities. This
report presents water quality data collected from 1998 through 2000. Some new
sampling sites that were added to the monitoring program during this period, and
limited older data from these sites are also presented. Besides the fecal coliform
bacteria, this report also contains information on basic field parameters (turbidity,
(temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, and pH).
This report provide a general overview ofwater quality conditions and trends over
the monitoring period. These data, when combined with data from previous
years, provide a broad basis for evaluating status and trends ofwater quality in the
three parks, and permits National Park Service decision-makers to more
accurately assess activities that may impact, or be impacted by, water resources.
in
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Our thanks is extended to the following people and agencies for their assistance with this
study: United States Army Corps ofEngineers, Bluestone Dam, Hinton", West Virginia
and Summersville Dam, Summersville, West Virginia; United States Geological Survey,
Water Resources Division, West Virginia District; West Virginia Department ofNatural
Resources, Bluestone State Park and Pipestem State Park; West Virginia Department of
Environmental Protection Inspectors Larry Robertson and Ron Garrett; National Weather
Service, Beckley and Charleston, West Virginia; the family ofCharles Page Kuntz;
former plant operators Kim Deane and Jack Pennington ofthe Mount Hope Waste Water
Treatment Plant; and the following current plant operators Mike Giannini ofthe Oak Hill
Sewage Treatment Plant; Randy Atwell ofthe Fayetteville Sewage Treatment Plant;
Robert Zimmerman ofthe Arbuckle Public Service District; and Frank Morris ofthe
White Oak Public Service District.
Completion ofthis report benefited from the contributions ofspecialists at New River
Gorge National River. Geographic Information System Technician Andy Steel
developed the site maps. Computer Specialist Greg Phillips provided expert technical
assistance. Our thanks to both ofyou. Field and laboratory assistance was provided by
Kathy Oney, Sara Pyles, Monique Keeney, Jeremy Bandy, James Blankenship, Danny
Fraley, Jennifer Dunford and Karen Vandersall. Karen Vandersall reviewed the final
draft ofthe report.
Additional thanks are extended to stafffrom other Divisions at New River Gorge
National River and other individuals whom we may have neglected to mention.
IV
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Title
i
Executive Summary
iii
Acknowledgements
iv
Map of New River watershed - vi
Introduction
Park Establishment
1
Monitoring History 1
The 1998-2000 Effort 2
Methods
Study Area 3
Sampling Sites 8
Sampling Schedule 9
Sampling Parameters 9
General 9
Fecal Coliform Bacteria 10
Results and Discussion 13
Bluestone National Scenic River 14
New River Gorge National River 21
Gauley River National Recreation Area 55
General Discussion
Bluestone National Scenic River 61
New River Gorge National River 63
Gauley River National Recreation Area 71
General Considerations 72
Literature Cited 75
Appendices
Appendix 1 - Bluestone National Scenic River data 79
Appendix 2 - New River Gorge National River data 81
Appendix 3 - Gauley River National Recreation Area data 89
Appendix 4 - Codes for observations 91
Appendix 5 - River Level Information 92
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Map ofthe New River watershed, showing the locations ofBluestone National Scenic
River, New River Gorge National River, and Gauley River National Recreation Area.
VI
INTRODUCTION
PARK ESTABLISHMENT
New River Gorge National River (NERI) was established by Public Law (PL) 95-625 on
November 10, 1978. The park was created to conserve and interpret outstanding natural
values and objects, and to preserve an important segment ofthe New River as a free-
flowing stream for the benefit and enjoyment ofpresent and future generations.
Gauley River National Recreation Area (GARJ) was established on October 26, 1988 by
PL 100-534. The park was created to protect and preserve scenic, recreational,
geological, and fish and wildlife resources ofthe Gauley River and its tributary, the
Meadow
River.
The legislation that established GARI also made boundary adjustments to NERI, and
amended the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 USC 1274(a)), to designate Bluestone
National Scenic River (BLUE). This designation was made to protect and enhance the
natural, scenic, cultural and recreational values ofa free-flowing segment ofthe
Bluestone River for the benefit and enjoyment ofpresent and future generations.
MONITORING HISTORY
In 1980 the National Park Service initiated a monitoring program to provide baseline
information on water quality in New River Gorge National River. This information
would be used to evaluate existing water quality, analyze water quality trends, and
provide information useful in evaluating the impacts ofvarious activities on water
quality. The National Park Service entered into a cooperative agreement with the West
Virginia Department ofNatural Resources (WVDNR) to collect the information.
Parameters to be monitored were those commonly associated with commercial and
domestic pollution.
Samples collected between 1980 and 1984 frequently had high densities offecal coliform
bacteria (Wood 1990a,c). This led to the determination that sewage or animal wastes
were a major cause ofwater pollution within the park. Fecal coliform bacteria live in the
lower gut ofwarm-blooded animals (mammals and birds), and are excreted with the
feces. Fecal coliform bacteria are not necessarily pathogenic (disease-causing).
However, many other pathogenic microorganisms (including bacteria, protozoa, and
viruses) also live in the lower gut and are excreted with the feces. Fecal coliform
bacteria, being relatively easy to detect, serve as an indicator offecal pollution, and are
the basis ofrelevant West Virginia water quality standards. The State ofWest Virginia
standard for waters suitable for primary contact recreation (West Virginia Water
Resources Board 1998) is that the density offecal coliform bacteria not exceed a density
of200 per 100 milliliters (200 FC/lOOml) ofwater. This standard is based on the
geometric mean ofat least five samples per month. Alternately, waters should not exceed
400 FC/lOOml in more than 10% ofsamples taken during a month. Fecal coliform
bacteria can be influenced by temperature, environmental conditions and water type
(Pipes 1982).
In 1985 the National Park Service monitored fecal coliform bacteria using Millipore
Corporation's Colicount samplers. This method was quick and inexpensive, but not
approved by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In 1986 the National
Park Service contracted with the U. S. Department ofAgriculture (USDA) Appalachian
Soil and Water Research Station in Beckley, West Virginia to analyze fecal coliform
bacteria in their laboratory using the EPA-approved membrane filter (MF) technique -
(SM909C; American Public Health Association 1985, 1992). This effort produced mixed
results (mentioned by Schmidt and Hebner 1991; no report prepared; data on file at New
River Gorge National River). For 1987-1988, fecal coliform bacteria were monitored by
MF WVDNR.
the technique under another cooperative agreement with Evaluation of
these results (West Virginia Department ofNatural Resources 1988, 1989) led to the
decision that a less intensive, more extensive, monitoring effort would be more
appropriate for New River Gorge National River. In 1989 the National Park Service
WVDNR
instructed to reduce the number ofsamples collected per site per month from
five to one, while adding additional sites (Wood 1990b).
USDA
In 1990, with assistance from the lab, the National Park Service resumed
responsibility for bacterial monitoring. In 1991 a newly equipped Water Resources
Laboratory was completed at the National Park Service headquarters, and park staff
assumed full responsibility for water quality monitoring. Also in 1991, monitoring
efforts were extended to GARI and BLUE. Since 1991, the National Park Service has
continued the water quality monitoring program for all three parks. The primary focus of
this effort remains fecal coliform bacteria. Several reports have summarized the
monitoring effort between 1991 and 1997 (Schmidt and Hebner 1991, Hebner 1991a,b,
Sullivan 1993a,b,c, Gibson 1993, Purvis and Wilson 1999, Wilson and Purvis 2000).
THE 1998-2000 EFFORT
This report presents water quality data collected by the National Park Service at the three
parks between 1998 and 2000 (Appendices 1-3). Results oflimited sampling conducted
at some sites before 1998 that were not presented in earlier reports is also included.
Samples were collected at 34 sites, 24 associated with NERI, and five each associated
with GARI and BLUE. Samples were analyzed for basic field parameters (temperature,
conductivity, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, and pH), and fecal coliform bacteria.
Interpretation ofthe results focuses on fecal coliform bacteria, and their relationship with
factors (turbidity, discharge, recent precipitation, land use, and sewage treatment
patterns) shown to be related to changes in the density offecal coliform bacteria.
