14 



FISH HAICHKRY MANAGEMENT 



ABl.F. 1. SUGGESTED WATER qUAl-ITY CRITERIA lOR OI'IIMIJM HEAl.IH OK SAL- 

 MONIl) FISHES. CONCENl'RAIIONS ARE IN PARIS I'ER Mil. I. ION (PPM). (SOURCE: 

 WEDEMEYKR 1!)77.) 



CHEMICAL 



UPPER LIMITS FOR CONTINUOUS EXPOSURE 



Ammonia (NH3) 



Cadmium 



Cadmium 



Chlorine 



Copper 



Hydrogen sulfide 



Lead 



Mercury (organic 



or inorganic) 

 Nitrogen 

 Nitrite (NO2") 



Ozone 

 Polychlorinated 



biphenyls (PCB's) 

 Total suspended and 



settleable solids 

 Zinc 



0.0125 ppm (un-ionized form) 



0.0004 ppm (in soft water < 100 ppm alkalinity) 



0.003 ppm (in hard water > 100 ppm alkalinity) 



0.0;-i ppm 



().00() ppm in soft water 



0.002 ppm 



0.03 ppm 



0.002 ppm maximum, O.OOOO.'i ppm average 



Maximum total gas pressure 1 10"n of saturation 

 0.1 ppm in soft water, 0.2 ppm in hard water (0.03 

 and 0.06 ppm nitrite-nitrogen) 

 (LOO.""! ppm 

 0.002 ppm 



80 ppm or less 



0.03 ppm 



To protect salmonid eggs and fry. For non-salmonids, 0.004 ppm is acceptable. 

 To protect salmonid eggs and fry. For non-salmonids, 0.03 ppm is acceptable. 

 '^Copper at O.OO.") ppm may supress gill adenosine triphosphatase and compromise smoltifica- 

 tion in anadromous salmonids. 



Walleye fry hatched in artesian well water containing high levels of cal- 

 cium and magnesium salts with a dissolved solid content of 1,563 parts per 

 million were twice the size of hatchery fry held in relatively soft spring fed 

 water. This rapid growth was attributed to the absorption of dissolved 

 solids. 



Channel catfish and blue catfish have been found in water with salinities 

 up to 11.4 parts per thousand. Determination of salinity tolerance in catfish 

 is of interest because of possible commercial production of these species in 

 brackish water. 



Turbidity 



Clay turbidity in natural waters rarely exceeds 20,000 parts per million. 

 Waters considered "muddy" usually contain less than 2,000 parts per mil- 

 lion. Turbidity seldom directly affects fish, but may adversely affect pro- 

 duction by smothering fish eggs and destroying benthic organisms in 



