Can high volume hydraulic fracturing effects be detected in large watersheds? A case study of the South Fork Little Red River

Austin, Bradley J.; Kelso, Julia E.; Evans‐White, Michelle A.; Entrekin, Sally A.; Haggard, Brian E.

doi:10.1016/j.coesh.2018.04.003

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Elevated chloride and bromide concentrations downstream of the discharge point and sediment Ra levels in excess of limits for disposal of radioactive wastes were measured directly downstream of the Josephine Brine Treatment Facility in southwestern Pennsylvania (Warner et al 2013), and elevated chloride concentrations downstream of treatment plants accepting UOG wastewater were observed at a broad, statewide level (Olmstead et al 2013). However, recent work in Arkansas showed no discernable effect of hydraulic fracturing on water chemistry, algal biomass (Austin et al 2017(Austin et al , 2018, or biofilm communities (Johnson et al 2017).…”

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confidence: 99%

Association between unconventional oil and gas (UOG) development and water quality in small streams overlying the Marcellus Shale

Knee

Masker

2019

Freshwater Science

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Unconventional oil and gas (UOG) development has increased dramatically in the Marcellus Shale region over the past decade, and there is widespread public concern about the potential effects that UOG development may have on water quality. The goal of this study was to assess whether a suite of stream water quality constituents was related to the intensity of UOG development in corresponding catchments. Nineteen streams in southwestern Pennsylvania, where UOG development is prevalent, and 10 streams in western Maryland, where no UOG development has occurred, were sampled in summer 2013. Dissolved metals, radium isotopes, radon, specific conductance, stream discharge, and pH were measured. Principal component analysis revealed that samples tended to cluster by state, but some overlap in water quality existed between Maryland and Pennsylvania. Linear models were used to assess how response variables were related to UOG, other extractive activities, and landscape characteristics. These models showed that an index of oil and gas development had significant explanatory power for specific conductance, As, Ca, K, Mg, Na, and Sr. Other land use and land cover variables, such as forest, urban development, and coal mining, as well as stream discharge and pH, also were significantly associated with response variables. These results suggest that, in the Marcellus Shale region, UOG may elevate specific conductance and dissolved element concentrations in streams, but it should be considered in the context of broader patterns of land use and human activity.

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confidence: 99%

Association between unconventional oil and gas (UOG) development and water quality in small streams overlying the Marcellus Shale

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2019

Freshwater Science

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“…This could indicate a long-term impact of UOG development in the watershed as high strontium levels have been found in produced waters (Cozzarelli et al 2017;Geeza et al 2018). Although strontium appeared significant within the UOG impacted systems, other water parameters (i.e., magnesium, conductivity, bromide and barium) which have been found to be positively correlated with UOG activity did not stand out (Cozzarelli et al 2017;Austin et al 2018;Keller et al 2018). The flashy nature of produced water spills and leaching suggests that the chemicals are readily diluted and transported downstream.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Analysis of Unconventional Oil and Gas Impacts on Downstream Fish Assemblages and Physiological Stress

Ankeny¹

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Unconventional Oil and Gas (UOG) production has been steadily expanding throughout the mid-Atlantic since 2008. Increased sedimentation, degraded water chemistry and an overall decrease in habitat quality due to UOG is anticipated to negatively impact aquatic inhabitants, a common observation in other stressed landscapes (i.e., mining, agriculture, development). We assessed stream health through both community analysis and physiological parameters (i.e., growth and hematocrit). A before-after-control-impact study uncovered three fish metrics that were significantly different following UOG disturbances. The invertivore-piscivore metric decreased following UOG disturbance (p = 0.045) whereas two benthic metrics saw a surprising increase (p = 0.003 and p = 0.011). Further analysis revealed that fish communities are becoming more uniform as tolerant taxa proliferate through the chronically degraded systems. An ANCOVA alongside a linear mixed effect model failed to find a significant difference between the weight and length of Semotilus atromaculatus residing in both treatment conditions. S. atromaculatus were tested for hematological responses within eleven UOG impacted sites and eight reference sites with a linear mixed effect model. Hematocrit levels were found to be significantly lower in S. atromaculatus residing within UOG impacted streams (p = 0.029). A weak negative correlation (r =-0.397) suggests that as UOG well density increases, resident fish health decreases. Our findings indicate that in systems chronically impaired by anthropogenic stressors, physiological health indicators may provide better insight than community analyses. Additionally, we predict that the steady expansion of horizontal wells could lead to an overall degradation of resident fish populations as they exhibit degraded health. Our findings have potential to shape management practices and establish UOG protocols that protect aquatic environment. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to begin by thanking my family for their never-ending support. My wife Chantelle Ankeny, for her motivation every day. She encouraged me to always work my hardest and she always showed interest in my project. I owe her immensely as she set aside her education to support me at graduate school. To our son, Griffin Ankeny, though he does not know it yet, I am motivated everyday by the thought of giving him a great life and providing for my family. My mother, Johnette Mathieson, for her belief in me. As a child, my mother instilled in me the urge to explore the outdoors and see the beauty that this world has to offer. She continuously encourages me to reach new heights. My father, Robert Kim Ankeny, for his encouragement. My father guided me through the Boy Scouts of America where he instilled in me countless life lessons as well as a passion for exploring the outdoors. Additionally, I would like to thank my fellow graduate students, especially Rebecca Long, Kevin Eliason and Brian Gordon. Kevin Eliason was always there when I needed him, be it running statistical ana...

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“…The Tuscarawas sub-basin is traditionally dominated by a mixture of forest land (40% in 2001) and agricultural crop fields (39% in 2001) with pasture areas for livestock farming nearby (Haefner and Simonson, 2010). As the unconventional oil and gas exploration started, the landscape on the eastern Tuscarawas subbasin was rapidly altered that has raised the concerns on long term regional water quality as the consequences of increased surface runoff and transportation of ground level contaminants, such as fertilizer and agricultural wastes, into the nearby surface water (Austin, et al, 2018). However, the watershed with large size generally is found not sensitive to the landscaping change on patch scale.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of hydraulic fracturing induced landscaping change on regional surface water quality in eastern Ohio

Zhang,

Wei,

Kandiah

et al.

2022 ASEE Annual Conference &Amp; Exposition Proceedings

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The impacts of unconventional exploration of oil and gas in eastern Ohio on local landscape and regional surface water quality were studied. The landscaping alteration associated with unconventional exploration resulted in deforestation and increased the impervious and developed land areas on regional scale. It accelerated the movement of water and sediment across the landscape causing a deterioration in surface water quality. A total of ten surface water sampling sites were selected along surface streams in two Ohio counties where hydraulic fracking oil and gas exploration boom was observed in the past decade. Drainage areas were delineated around each sampling site using USGS StreamStats online tool. Land use and land cover were investigated for each delineated drainage area for 2013 and 2019 to study the changes in landscaping patterns. Forest land areas have maintained their steady percentage (with less than ±1% changes) in the majority of the investigated drainage basins since 2013; during the same period, developed land areas have increased by a range of 1.5% to 4.7%. Additionally, landscaping fragmentation was studied using FRAGSTATS to assess the class-level fragmentation of the forested land. Forest patch number within the drainage areas were not observed with significant variations since 2013, which suggest a minor or neglectable deforestation within the region. Surface water sampling were carried out in 2018 and 2019 by collecting surface water samples from two streams and one reservoir. Eleven water quality parameters, including pH, dissolved oxygen, total suspended solids, conductivity, nitrate, Ba, Sr, Ca, and etc., were analyzed onsite and in the lab. Principal Component Analysis showed elevated impacts on water quality in the upstream sampling sites near the unconventional oil and gas well drilling fields. Strong positive correlations (coefficient values close to +0.9) were reported between developed land percentage and metal element concentrations, as well as forestry patch number and turbidity.

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Can high volume hydraulic fracturing effects be detected in large watersheds? A case study of the South Fork Little Red River

Cited by 6 publications

References 32 publications

Association between unconventional oil and gas (UOG) development and water quality in small streams overlying the Marcellus Shale

Association between unconventional oil and gas (UOG) development and water quality in small streams overlying the Marcellus Shale

Analysis of Unconventional Oil and Gas Impacts on Downstream Fish Assemblages and Physiological Stress

Impact of hydraulic fracturing induced landscaping change on regional surface water quality in eastern Ohio

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