Global Warming and Climate Change: Effects on Streams and Rivers
By
Eugene P. Macri Jr.

The effects of global warming and climate changes on streams and rivers are massive and deadly. Unfortunately, the religious nuts, tea baggers, the Koch Brothers, Exxon and other industries have done a good job of muddying the waters or putting noise into the system which makes it unintelligible to a dim witted American public. Add to this mess, the likes of Fox news and the scientific illiterate Mainstream Media, and you get our present situation. In America as I have stated previously everyone thinks they are a scientist. This is the nation where Senators and Congressmen brag about their scientific illiteracy. It's 2015 and we are still fighting Galileo's and Darwin's battles: Separation of Church and State; and Evolution. So it comes to no surprise that Global Warming and Climate Change is some evil plot dreamed up by scientists to destroy those "God Fearing" people.

This is the view held by these geniuses. Many of these people including our politicians believe the earth is around 6000 years old and that dinosaurs walked the earth with man! Nevertheless, global warming and climate change continues just like evolution whether you believe in it or not. Over the last thirty years a number of things have occurred on our rivers and streams which are the results of these changes.

Effects of Global Warming And Climate Change On Streams and Rivers: Temperatures, Drought, Cumulative Damage and Synergism

The Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania was at one time one of the best Smallmouth Bass rivers in the country but no more.  The biogeochemical soup which enters the river from the air, water and land combined with the synergistic effects of low water volume and temperature increases have had dire consequences for the river. One of the main ways that rivers deal with pollution is by dilution.  However, when the water volume is low due to climatic changes as well as temperature increases, concentration of toxins, endocrine disruptors and bacteria cause havoc.  For example, common bacteria that would not normally be a problem become a problem due to lower volumes of water and higher temperatures that increase their concentrations. They damage the immune system of fish. Fish do not have an immune system like a mammal. Other perturbations such as the accumulation of methyl mercury act as a one two punch against the fish.

Another problem is that species that once inhabited certain streams have disappeared due to the increase in stream temperatures. Many trout streams are doomed in the next ten years as these trends continue.  In some streams the extreme drought kills the majority of trout in the summer due to these temperature regimes.

Insect populations are declining on streams due to the cumulative effects of pollution, drought and temperature changes.  On the famed British Chalkstreams the riverkeepers estimate that they have lost 65% of their insect populations.  My own analysis from Pennsylvania spring creeks puts their loss at over 75%.

Global Climate Change is a world wide problem and it will affect everyone economically, socially, and environmentally whether you believe in it or not.  No one will be spared and chaos will ensue.  Trout streams are especially important because they are the "canary in the coal mine."