Susquehanna River at Sayre, Pa. (SUSQ 289.1)

Group 1

• Water Quality: Total iron and total aluminum failed to meet water quality standards.
• Macroinvertebrate IBI Score: Nonimpaired
• Habitat Assessment: Excellent
• Discussion: Water quality remained relatively stable in 2009. Habitat was rated excellent, with staff highlighting instream cover and velocity/depth regimes. The macroinvertebrate community at SUSQ 289.1 earned a nonimpaired IBI score for the fourth straight year. Reasons include few pollution tolerant midges collected and an excellent Shannon Diversity Index.
• Other Notes: Fish consumption in the Susquehanna River near Sayre is known to be impaired due to elevated levels of mercury. The source of mercury is not known, but atmospheric deposition is the suspected cause. NYSDEC recommends a limit of one meal per month of walleye over 22 inches (NYSDEC, 2001).