Norris, L. A.; Lorz, H. W.; Gregory, S. V. 1983. Forest chemicals: use, behavior, and impact on anadromous fish and their habitat. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-149. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 95 p. [Meehan, William R., tech. ed; Influence of forest and rangeland management anadromous fish habitat in western North America; pt. 9.]
Herbicides, insecticides, fertilizers, and fire retardants are chemicals usedto protect or enhance certain forest resources. Their use may directly affectanadromous fish by exposing them to toxic amounts of the chemical. Indirecteffects are also possible through chemically induced alteration of habitat,including direct effects on fish-food organisms.
Data on the movement, persistence, and toxicity of chemicals provide a basisfor evaluating potential direct effects of chemical use on fish and fish-foodorganisms. Data are included for seven herbicides (2,4-D, picloram, atrazine,MSMA, fosamine ammonium, glyphosate, and dinoseb), five insecticides (malathion,carbaryl, azinphos-methyl, carbofuran, and acephate), urea fertilizer, and theammonium-based fira retardants. Comparison of exposures and toxicities of thesematerials shows their current uses provide a reasonable margin of safety toanadromous fish if direct application to surface waters is avoided.
Much less information is available on indirect effects of chemical use onanadromous fish habitat. The potential effects are known, but few quantitativedata exist to evaluate their importance. Apparently, the best way to minimizeindirect effects is to minimize the effects of chemicals on all biota in theriparian zone.
Research is needed on the role of buffer strips in reducing entry and impactof forest chemicals in streams, patterns of entry of selected chemicals intostreams, instream fate of most forest chemicals, toxicity characteristics ofcombinations of forest chemicals, the interaction between amount and duration oforganism exposure to toxicants, potential latent effects from short-term exposure,effects of forest chemicals on aquatic species under field conditions, and theindirect effects of using forest chemicals on anadromous fish habitat.
KEYWORDS: Anadromous fish, fish habitat, herbicide, insecticide, urea fertilizer,fire retardants, 2,4-D, picloram, atrazine, MSMA, fosamine ammonium, glyphosate,dinoseb, carbaryl, acephate, malathion, azinphos-methyl, carbofuran, ammonia.