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Fish Kill Task Force co-chair to speak May 3
CLIFTON FORGE - While spring is usually a time of great anticipation about upcoming activities on the Cowpasture River, this year anticipation has been replaced by apprehension about another fishkill in these waters.
The Cowpasture River suffered its first expansive fishkills during spring and early summer 2007. Reports of sick or dying fishwere documented from the Williamsville area to 60 miles down river at its confluencewith the Jackson River at Iron Gate. These fishkills were similar to those occurring in the Shenandoah River watershed over the last four years. The expanded Shenandoah River Fish Kill Task Force, a multidisciplinary team including university and government scientists, environmental groups, fishing guides, and volunteer monitors, is investigating the possible causes of the mysterious fishkills.
Don Kain, the task force cochair, will speak at the upcoming Cowpasture River Preservation Association annual meeting on May 3. Kain is the water compliance and assessment manager for Department of Environmental Quality's Valley Regional Office,in Harrisonburg. He will be talking about the 2008 fishkill investigations and will answer questions from the audience.
The public is invited to attend the presentation, which will be held at the Lone Start Advent Christian Church on Nicelytown Road in Clifton Forge beginning at 7 p.m. For more information contact CRPA executive director Caroline Bott at (540) 460-0268 or directorcrpa@gmail.com.
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