Objectives

 Provide information about sources and habitats involved with human and fish pathogens  Encourage open discussion of pathogens within Lake Champlain  Make a comprehensive table with Exposure and Importance filters

Presentation Preview



Background on pathogens



Human habitat exposure and importance



Stake holder meeting



Human source exposure and importance



Stake holder meeting

 

Fish habitat exposure and importance Fish source exposure and importance



Recommendations, comments and concerns regarding the region

Background

 Pathogens: disease causing agents  Sub-groups:  Human pathogens (

E. coli

,

Giardia,

etc.)  Fish pathogens Why are we concerned?

What is currently being done?

Human-Pathogen habitat exposure filter

Aquatic Environments=1

    Shallow Lake Champlain Deep Lake Champlain Lakes/Ponds Rivers/Streams

Terrestrial Environments= 0

       Agriculture Development Industrial Barren Land Forest Herbaceous Wetlands

6

Stake Holder Meeting

Human-Pathogen Habitat Importance Filter Shallow Lake Champlain  54 beaches surround Lake Champlain  Visited by 1 million people/year  Sewage discharges at outfalls near shore, creating pockets of high pathogen levels

Human-Pathogen Habitat Importance Filter

Deep Lake Champlain  Low pathogen levels in offshore waters (Adler 1973)  Deep lake is unmonitored by New York and Vermont state

Human-Pathogen Habitat Importance Filter Rivers/Streams    Vermont had 104 miles of contaminated river based on high

E.coli

levels (>77CFU/100 ml) New York had 979 miles of contaminated river based on high E

.coli

levels (>235 cfu/ 100 ml) Rivers are utilized by swimmers, hikers, campers, and recreational boaters

Human-Pathogen Habitat Importance Filter

Lakes/Ponds

 No state monitoring of Lakes/ Ponds  Many larger lakes attract recreational swimmer and boaters (ex. Lake Willoughby, Lake Memphremagog, Lake Bomoseen)

Habitat Importance Filter: Humans

Habitat

Rivers/Streams Lakes/Ponds Shallow Lake Champlain Deep Lake Champlain Developed Barren Land Forest Herbaceous Wetlands Agriculture

Importance Filter

4 4 6 2 0 0 0 0 0 0

Source Exposure Filter: Humans

Sources

Waste Water Treatment Urban Parks Forest Dams Roads Fisheries External Industrial Marinas Agriculture

Human Effect Filter

1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

6

Stake Holder Meeting

Source Importance Filter: Humans

Sources

Waste Water Treatment Urban Parks Forest Dams Roads Fisheries External Industrial Marinas Agriculture

Importance

6 6 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 6

FISH

Fish-Pathogen habitat exposure filter

Aquatic Environments=1

    Shallow Lake Champlain Deep Lake Champlain Lakes/Ponds Rivers/Streams

Terrestrial Environments= 0

       Agriculture Development Industrial Barren Land Forest Herbaceous Wetlands

Fish-Pathogen Habitat Importance Filter

Shallow Lake Champlain

 Carrier shallow habitat fish:  Spottail shiners  Emerald shiners  Mortality in shallow habitat fish:  Bluegill, Black Crappie (spawns in shallow waters)

Fish-Pathogen Habitat Importance Filter

Deep Lake Champlain

   In Great Lakes, VHS has caused massive die-outs Mortality: salmonids, yellow perch, Northern pike, and Rock bass, walleye, black crappie, bluegill Carriers: Burbot, emerald shiner, spottail shiner

Fish-Pathogen Habitat Importance Filter Lakes/Ponds  Mortality: Northern pike, walleye, freshwater drum, walleye, rock bass, and yellow perch  Found in unconnected inland lakes in New York

Fish-Pathogen Habitat Importance Filter Rivers/Streams  Virus spreads through waterways and rivers via carrier fish/bait fish like spottail shiners and emerald shiners (Good 2007)  Might cause mortality Northern pike, rock bass, walleye

Habitat Importance Filter: Fish

Habitat

Rivers/Streams Lakes/Ponds Shallow Lake Champlain Deep Lake Champlain Developed Barren Land Forest Herbaceous Wetlands Agriculture

Importance Filter

4 6 2 6 0 0 0 0 0 0

Source Exposure Filter: Fish

Sources Exposure Filter

Waste Water Treatment Urban Parks Forest Dams Roads Fisheries External Industrial Marinas Agriculture .5

0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

Source Importance Filter: Fish

Sources Fish Importance

Waste Water Treatment 0 Urban Parks Forest Dams Roads Fisheries External Industrial Marinas Agriculture 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 4 6 0

Recommendations

      Use of riparian buffers on agriculture land to help prevent pathogens from entering waterbodies Construct wetlands to minimize pathogen contamination Investigate the possibility of indicators other than

coli E.

Decrease impervious surfaces in developed areas to decrease wastewater runoff Monitor pathogen levels in heavily used, larger lakes Continue monitoring and regulations concerning VHS

Pathogen Habitat Exposure Filter

Human and Fish

Habitat

Rivers/Streams Lakes/Ponds Shallow Lake Champlain Deep Lake Champlain Developed Barren Land Forest Herbaceous Wetlands Agriculture

Human Exposure Filter

1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

Fish Exposure Filter

1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

Pathogen Habitat Importance Filter

Human and Fish

Habitat

Rivers/Streams Lakes/Ponds Shallow Lake Champlain Deep Lake Champlain Developed Barren Land Forest Herbaceous Wetlands Agriculture

Human Importance Filter

4 4 0 0 0 6 2 0 0 0

Fish Importance Filter

0 0 0 2 6 2 6 0 0 0

Pathogen Source Exposure Filter

Human and Fish

Sources

Waste Water Treatment Urban Parks Forest Dams Roads Fisheries External Industrial Marinas Agriculture

Human Effect Filter

1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

Fish Effect Filter

0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .5

0 1 0

Pathogen Source Importance Filter

Human and Fish

Sources

Waste Water Treatment Urban Parks Forest Dams Roads Fisheries External Industrial Marinas Agriculture

Human Importance

6 4 2 2 0 6 0 0 0 0 0

Fish Importance

0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 4 6 0