Okanogan County Research Articles

Postglacial Fire and Vegetation History from Doheney Lake in the Sinlahekin Wildlife Area, Okanogan County, Washington

In recent decades, dry ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa)-dominated forests of the eastern Cascades have experienced a dramatic increase in large, high-severity wildfires resulting in significant damage to natural resources. However, relatively little is known about long-term trends in postglacial fire activity in these forests. The purpose of this study was to reconstruct the fire and vegetation history of the Doheney Lake watershed, located in north-central Washington, using macroscopic charcoal and pollen analysis of a ca. 12,330-year-long lake sediment record. The results illustrate that regional climatic change, as well as climatically-controlled vegetation shifts, were the primary drivers of fire activity during much of the postglacial period. In particular, the establishment of the modern forest between ca. 7500 and 6000 cal yr BP due to cooler and moister conditions led to greater amounts of burnable biomass and generally higher levels of fire activity. The study results also suggest that greater interannual climate variability linked to drought may have played a role in the highly variable fire activity during much of the past 6,000 years. Additionally, it is likely that Indigenous cultural burning contributed to the fire activity at the site prior to Euro-American settlement, in particular during the past 4,000 years. Since ca. 125 cal yr BP (1825 CE), an almost complete absence of fire has allowed for the encroachment of shade-tolerant trees and has resulted in the potential for catastrophic wildfire, like that experienced at the site in 2015.

Evidence for adaptation of Rhagoletis pomonella (Diptera: Tephritidae) on large-thorn hawthorn, Crataegus macracantha, in Okanogan County, Washington State, USA.

The apple maggot fly, Rhagoletis pomonella (Walsh) (Diptera: Tephritidae), was introduced from eastern North America into western North America via infested apples (Malus domestica Borkhausen) about 44 yr ago, where it subsequently adapted to 2 hawthorn species, Crataegus douglasii Lindley and C. monogyna Jacquin. Here, we test whether R. pomonella has also adapted to large-thorn hawthorn, Crataegus macracantha Loddiges ex Loudon, in Okanogan County, Washington State, USA. In 2020, 2021, and 2022, fruit of C. macracantha were shown to ripen in late September and were infested at rates from 0.7% to 3.0%. In laboratory rearing studies, large-thorn hawthorn flies from C. macracantha eclosed on average 9-19 days later than apple flies from earlier ripening apple (August-early September), consistent with large-thorn hawthorn flies having adapted to the later fruiting phenology of its host. In a laboratory no-choice test, significantly fewer (64.8%) large-thorn hawthorn than apple flies visited apples. In choice tests, greater percentages of large-thorn hawthorn than apple flies resided on and oviposited into C. macracantha versus apple fruit. Large-thorn hawthorn flies were also smaller in size than apple flies. Our results provide further support for the recursive adaptation hypothesis that R. pomonella has rapidly and independently specialized phenologically and behaviorally to different novel hawthorn hosts since its introduction into the Pacific Northwest of the USA, potentially leading to host race formation.

Aleiodes (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Rogadinae) diversity in Washington U.S.A. including three new species.

Aleiodes Wesmael is a large cosmopolitan genus of endoparasitoid wasps that is evidently especially speciose in the Western Hemisphere based on numbers of described species. As with most diverse insect groups, relatively little is known about Aleiodes species diversity and biology. Here I summarize what is known about Aleiodes diversity in Washington State and contiguous Inland Northwest states and province, and I report three new species recently collected by malaise trap sampling for Aleiodes in Okanogan County, WA: Aleiodes khalafi, Aleiodes okanoganensis, and Aleiodes quasiburrus. Given the number of new species (three) and first records of previously described species (two) in Washington elucidated by this study, there is evidently much work to do to reach a fair estimate of Aleiodes species diversity in the Inland Pacific Northwest.

COVID-19 Outbreak Among Farmworkers - Okanogan County, Washington, May-August 2020.

Okanogan County, Washington, experienced increased community transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, during summer 2020 (1). Multiple COVID-19 outbreaks occurred in agricultural settings, including a large outbreak among employees of a fruit grower during May-August. Because of this outbreak, Okanogan County Public Health and the Washington State Department of Health initiated one-time, on-site screening testing (2) of all orchard and warehouse employees in August 2020 and assessed risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Among 3,708 known orchard employees, a valid SARS-CoV-2 test result or information on COVID-19-like symptoms in the absence of a test was available for 3,013 (81%). Cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection during approximately 3 months among tested orchard employees was 6%. Cumulative incidence was 12% in employees residing in the community, compared with 4% in employees residing in farmworker housing (p<0.001); point prevalence during the single screening testing event was 1% in both groups. Among 1,247 known warehouse employees, a valid result was available for 726 (58%). Cumulative incidence over approximately 3 months among tested warehouse employees was 23%, with substantial variation across job roles. Positive test results were received by 28% of employees who worked packing and sorting fruit, 24% of those in other roles in the packing and sorting area, 10% of forklift operators, 7% of employees in other warehouse roles, and 6% of office employees. Point prevalence among all warehouse workers was 1% at the screening testing event. Collaboration among employers, community groups, and public health authorities can reveal risk factors and help decrease farmworkers' risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection in the community and the workplace. Creation of a COVID-19 assessment and control plan by agricultural employers, with particular focus on indoor workers whose jobs limit physical distancing, could reduce workplace transmission.

Wetland Surface Water Detection from Multipath SAR Images Using Gaussian Process-Based Temporal Interpolation

Wetlands provide society with a myriad of ecosystem services, such as water storage, food sources, and flood control. The ecosystem services provided by a wetland are largely dependent on its hydrological dynamics. Constant monitoring of the spatial extent of water surfaces and the duration of flooding of a wetland is necessary to understand the impact of drought on the ecosystem services a wetland provides. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) has the potential to reveal wetland dynamics. Multitemporal SAR image analysis for wetland monitoring has been extensively studied based on the advances of modern SAR missions. Unfortunately, most previous studies utilized monopath SAR images, which result in limited success. Tracking changes in individual wetlands remains a challenging task because several environmental factors, such as wind-roughened water, degrade image quality. In general, the data acquisition frequency is an important factor in time series analysis. We propose a Gaussian process-based temporal interpolation (GPTI) method that enables the synergistic use of SAR images taken from multiple paths. The proposed model is applied to a series of Sentinel-1 images capturing wetlands in Okanogan County, Washington State. Our experimental analysis demonstrates that the multiple path analysis based on the proposed method can extract seasonal changes more accurately than a single path analysis.

Mapping legal authority for terrestrial conservation corridors along streams.

Wildlife corridors aim to promote species’ persistence by connecting habitat patches across fragmented landscapes. Their implementation is limited by patterns of land ownership and complicated by differences in the jurisdictional and regulatory authorities under which lands are managed. Terrestrial corridor conservation requires coordination across jurisdictions and sectors subject to site‐specific overlapping sources of legal authority. Mapping spatial patterns of legal authority concurrent with habitat condition can illustrate opportunities to build or leverage capacity for connectivity conservation. Streamside areas provide pragmatic opportunities to leverage existing policy mechanisms for riverine and terrestrial habitat connectivity across boundaries. Conservation planners and practitioners can make use of these opportunities by harmonizing actions for multiple conservation outcomes. We formulated an integrative, data‐driven method for mapping multiple sources of legal authority weighted by capacity for coordinating terrestrial habitat conservation along streams. We generated a map of capacity to coordinate streamside corridor protections across a wildlife habitat gap to demonstrate this approach. We combined values representing coordination capacity and naturalness to generate an integrated legal‐ecological resistance map for connectivity modeling. We then computed least‐cost corridors across the integrated map, masking the terrestrial landscape to focus on streamside areas. Streamside least‐cost corridors in the integrated, local‐scale model diverged (∼25 km) from national‐scale least‐cost corridors based on naturalness. Spatial categories comparing legal‐ and naturalness‐based resistance values by stream reach highlighted potential locations for building or leveraging existing capacity through spatial coordination of policy mechanisms or restoration actions. Agencies or nongovernmental organizations intending to restore or maintain habitat connectivity across fragmented landscapes can use this approach to inform spatial prioritization and build coordination capacity. Article impact statement: Combined mapping of legal authority and habitat condition reveals capacity to coordinate actions along streams for clean water and wildlife.

Toward a better understanding of climate and human impacts on late Holocene fire regimes in the Pacific Northwest, USA

In order to fully appreciate the role that fire, both natural and anthropogenic, had in shaping pre-Euro-American settlement landscapes in the Pacific Northwest (PNW), it is necessary to develop a more robust method of evaluating paleofire reconstructions. Here we demonstrate an approach that includes the identification of charcoal morphotypes (i.e. visually distinct charcoal particles), and incorporates both paleoecological and archaeological data sets, to more specifically determine both the nature of past fire regimes (i.e. fuel type and fire severity) and the likely ignition source of those fires. We demonstrate the usefulness of this approach by reconstructing the late Holocene fire and vegetation histories of Lake Oswego (Clackamas County), Oregon, and Fish Lake (Okanogan County), Washington, using macroscopic charcoal and pollen analysis of sediment cores. The histories were compared with climatic records from the PNW as well as archaeological, ethnographic, and historical records from the Lower Columbia River Valley and Southern Columbia Plateau cultural regions. Our results indicate that while centennial-to-millennial-scale climate change had limited influence on the fire regimes at the study sites during the past ∼3800 years, the use of fire by Native Americans for a variety of reasons, particularly after ca. 1200 calendar years before present (AD 750), had a far greater impact. Charcoal morphotype ratios also indicate that fires in the two watersheds were fundamentally different in their severity and impact, and led to major shifts in the forests and woodlands surrounding Lake Oswego, but helped maintain the ponderosa pine-dominated forest at Fish Lake. The elimination of fire from the two study sites during the past 100–300 years is likely the combined result of Euro-American contact and the arrival of disease in the PNW, as well as 20th-century fire suppression and grazing effects on fuel continuity, which has implications for future forest management and restoration efforts in the PNW.

Rare-earth crystal chemistry of thalénite-(Y) from different environments

ABSTRACTThalénite-(Y), ideally Y3Si3O10F, is a heavy-rare-earth-rich silicate phase occurring in granite pegmatites that may help to illustrate rare-earth element (REE) chemistry and behaviour in natural systems. The crystal structure and mineral chemistry of thalénite-(Y) were analysed by electron microprobe analysis, X-ray diffraction and micro-Raman spectroscopy from a new locality in the peralkaline granite of the Golden Horn batholith, Okanogan County, Washington State, USA, in comparison with new analyses from the White Cloud pegmatite in the Pikes Peak batholith, Colorado, USA. The Golden Horn thalénite-(Y) occurs as late-stage sub-millimetre euhedral bladed transparent crystals in small miarolitic cavities in an arfvedsonite-bearing biotite granite. It exhibits growth zoning with distinct heavy-rare-earth element (HREE) vs. light-rare-earth element (LREE) enriched zones. The White Cloud thalénite-(Y) occurs in two distinct anhedral and botryoidal crystal habits of mostly homogenous composition. In addition, minor secondary thalénite-(Y) is recognized by its distinct Yb-rich composition (up to 0.8 atoms per formula unit (apfu) Yb). Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis and structure refinement reveals Y-site ordering with preferential HREE occupation of Y2 vs. Y1 and Y3 REE sites. Chondrite normalization shows continuous enrichment of HREE in White Cloud thalénite-(Y), in contrast to Golden Horn thalénite-(Y) with a slight depletion of the heaviest REE (Tm, Yb and Lu). The results suggest a hydrothermal origin of the Golden Horn miarolitic thalénite-(Y), compared to a combination of both primary magmatic followed by hydrothermal processes responsible for the multiple generations over a range of spatial scales in White Cloud thalénite-(Y).

Age and Method of Release Affect Migratory Performance of Hatchery Steelhead

AbstractHatchery programs that are designed to aid recovery of natural populations of anadromous salmonids, including steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss, require locally derived, natural‐origin broodstock. In such programs, achieving smoltification size thresholds may require extending hatchery rearing beyond age 1. We compared out‐migration survival and travel rates of 142,990 PIT‐tagged steelhead smolts released at age 1 (S1 rearing strategy) or age 2 (S2 rearing strategy) over five release years at Winthrop National Fish Hatchery (WNFH, Okanogan County, Washington). An S2 rearing cycle produced larger smolts with more uniform size distributions, resulting in higher survival during the first portion of their out‐migration than for S1 smolts in three of the five release years. The S2 smolts migrated more rapidly to the ocean than S1 smolts in all years except 2011 and arrived in the Columbia River estuary 5.4 d earlier on average than the S1 smolts. The S1 steelhead that did not leave during the volitional release were subsequently forced from the hatchery to measure their survival. Nonvolitional S1 migrants were smaller and had survival rates that were 2.3–66.3 times lower than those of S1 steelhead that left WNFH on their own. The same was true for S2 steelhead, but the magnitude of the survival difference between volitional migrants and fish forced from the raceways was less variable and ranged from 2.5‐ to 4.6‐fold. We conclude that S2 rearing can be a successful strategy for producing smolts from local natural‐origin broodstock, with out‐migration survival and travel times that are equivalent to or better than those of S1 smolts produced from nonlocal broodstock.Received July 25, 2016; accepted March 31, 2017 Published online May 31, 2017

Crystal chemistry of brannockite, KLi3Sn2 Si12O30, from a new occurrence in the Golden Horn Batholith, Washington State, USA

A second locality of the milarite-group mineral brannockite (ideally KLi 3 Sn 2 Si 12 O 30 ) has been discovered at Liberty Bell/Washington Pass in the alkaline granite of the Golden Horn Batholith, Okanogan County, Washington, USA as sub-millimeter euhedral bladed clear crystals in a single miarolitic cavity in a biotite granite. The Washington Pass brannockite shows micro-scale compositional zoning involving tetravalent A-site Sn 4+ , Zr 4+ , Ti 4+ , and Hf 4+ substitution and the coupled substitution A (X 4+ )+ B □ ⇔ A (Fe/Al) 3++B (Na, K) + . In contrast, brannockite analyzed from the type locality in the late hydrothermal zone of the Li-Sn-rich pegmatite of the Foote Mine, Kings Mountain, North Carolina, USA exhibits near end-member composition with only minor Na + , Al 3+ , and Ti 4+ . Single-crystal X-ray diffraction of Washington Pass brannockite confirms the space group P 6/ mcc with unit-cell parameters a = 10.014(2)A, c = 14.268(5)A, and V = 1239.16(8)A 3 . Washington Pass brannockite co-exists with its Zr-analogues, both the milarite-group sogdianite and the related tuhualite-group mineral zektzerite. Selected samples of both minerals show Sn as minor element. The sogdianite contains unusually low Na and Ti compared to most other localities and has near endmember composition. The results emphasize the high compatibility of the milarite structure with different heterovalent cations, associated with the cation-size dependent coupled distortion of the octahedral A and tetrahedral T2 sites.

Oreoleptis torrenticolaZloty, Sinclair and Pritchard (Diptera: Tabanomorpha) Discovered in a Fourth-Order Stream of the Cascade Mountains of Eastern Washington

The recently described Oreoleptis torrenticola Zloty, Sinclair and Pritchard (Diptera: Tabanomorpha), belonging to the monotypic family Oreoleptidae, was previously described from the Northern Rocky Mountains of the USA and Canada. However, as part of a broad, multidisciplinary study by the Yakama Nation, 30 larvae of O. torrenticola were collected at multiple sites within the Twisp River of the Cascade Mountains in Okanogan County, Washington, 2008–2010. This finding represents a substantial range extension for the species.

Protecting the idyll but not the environment: Second homes, amenity migration and rural exclusion in Washington State

Researchers are beginning to take notice of amenity migration processes and their impacts in exurban areas of the U.S. Our research explores second-home owners as contributors to processes of amenity migration. Using a mixed-method approach combining spatial data and interview analyses, we investigate both the structural and behavioral aspects of amenity migration in San Juan and Okanogan counties of Washington State. Results indicate that second-home owners’ desire for privacy and escape is reflected in patterns of spatial isolation among second homes in the study area. These patterns have potentially significant ecological effects. Second-home owners also seek to protect their investments by supporting regulations which support their version of a rural idyll. Therefore, policy-makers should be wary of strategies to promote regulations which promote aesthetic rather than social and ecological function.

Susceptibility of &lt;I&gt;Choristoneura rosaceana&lt;/I&gt; (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) to Two New Reduced-Risk Insecticides

The response of field-collected populations of the obliquebanded leafroller, Choristoneura rosaceana (Harris) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), to chlorantraniliprole, spinetoram, spinosad, and azinphosmethyl was assessed using a diet incorporation bioassay. Populations of obliquebanded leafroller were collected from nine orchards in Chelan, Douglas, Grant, and Okanogan counties of Washington. The neonates of the F1 or F2 generation were used in all assays. The parameters of probit regression lines were estimated and lethal concentration ratios were calculated for all populations compared with a susceptible laboratory population. Significant variation was detected in response to all four insecticides including chlorantraniliprole and spinetoram, which had never been used in the field, lethal concentration ratios were 3.9-39.7 for azinphosmethyl, 0.5-3.6 for spinosad, 1.2-5.3 for chlorantraniliprole, and 0.5-4.1 for spinetoram. Correlation analysis indicated possibility of cross-resistance between spinosad and spinetoram, which are both members of spinosyn class. The occurrence of low but significant levels of resistance against chlorantraniliprole and spinetoram in field-collected populations of C. rosaceana before their first field application indicates that the risk of resistance evolution against these two new reduced-risk insecticides exists. However, it is likely that these low levels of resistance can be managed if the insecticides are used judiciously in conjunction with sound resistance management programs. Implications of these results for developing and implementing resistance management strategies are discussed.

Nest Site Selection by Western Gray Squirrels at Their Northern Range Terminus

The western gray squirrel (Sciurus griseus) in Washington, USA, is limited to 3 disjunct areas and is a state threatened species. Information is lacking for the North Cascades population, which is the northernmost population for the species. Squirrels in this population exist without oaks (Quercus spp.) that provide forage and cavities for maternal nests elsewhere in their range. During May 2003 to August 2005, we studied selection of nest sites and nest trees by 18 radiocollared squirrels in Okanogan County, Washington. Without oak cavities, females reared their young in dreys. General nest-tree characteristics were similar to characteristics of western gray squirrel nest trees in Southeastern Cascades: relatively tall ponderosa pines (Pinus ponderosa) ≥40 cm diameter at breast height. Results from conditional logistic models determined that the odds of a squirrel selecting a tree for nesting increased with greater diameter at breast height and with infection by dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium spp.). Nest sites with high selection probability by squirrels had greater basal area and number of tree species than available unselected sites. Retention of forest patches that include a mix of conifer species or conifer and deciduous trees and moderate to high basal area could promote nesting opportunities, connectivity for arboreal travel, as well as abundance and diversity of hypogeous fungi. Experiments to test the efficacy of retaining untreated patches of varying size (including trees infected with mistletoe) on nesting by western gray squirrels within stands managed for fire suppression and forest health would provide important information about the effects of forest fuel management on arboreal wildlife.

Proshchenkoite-(Y) from Russia — a new mineral species in the vicanite group: descriptive data and crystal structure

AbstractA REE-bearing fluorosilicate from the Tommot REE-Nb deposit in Yakutia, Russia, described without a name in 1966, is characterized here as a new species, proshchenkoite-(Y), of the vicanite group of borosilicates. Wavelength-dispersive electron probe analyses gave the following empirical formula: Y3.70REE7.54Ca1.55Na1.16Mn0.77Th0.10Pb0.01)Σ14.83(Fe2+0.83Mn0.15Ti0.02)Σ1.00Ca1.00(P0.70Si0.26As0.04)Σ1.00Si0.26B3.20(O34.55F13.45)Σ48. Boron was analysed with a nuclear microprobe method based on the nuclear reaction 11B(p,α)2α. The simplified formula is (Y,REE,Ca,Mn)15(Fe2+,Mn)Ca(P,Si)Si6B3O34F14. The mineral is trigonal, R3m, with a = 10.7527(7) Å, c = 27.4002(18) Å, V = 2743.6(6) Å 3, Z = 3. The crystal structure was refined to Rl = 0.042 for 1819 observed reflections. Proshchenkoite-(Y) is isostructural with okanoganite-(Y), vicanite-(Ce) and hundholmenite-(Y), and the differences in site occupancies are discussed. The strongest six reflections of the X-ray powder-diffraction pattern [dobs in Å, (I), (hkl)] are: 4.441, (36), (202); 3.144, (77), (214); 3.028, (45). (009); 2.968, (100), (027); 1.782, (32), (330); and 1.713, (32), (1.2.14). The mineral is optically uniaxial (—) with ω 1.734(2) and 8 1.728(2). The Mohs hardness is about 5; density measured on material subject to incipient metamictization is 4.72 g/cm3, as compared to Dcalc = 4.955 g/cm3.The result of electron microprobe analyses of alleged okanoganite-(Y) from the type locality in Okanogan County, Washington, USA, is also presented. We find here also that P &gt; Si at one of the sites, whereas the analytical data of Boiocchi et al. (2004) indicate Si &gt; P. Consequently, the mineral we have analysed is the P analogue of okanoganite-(Y), another new species.

Cell Pathology and Developmental Effects of Mine Waste Contamination on Invertebrates and Fish in the Methow River, Okanogan County, Washington (USA)

A study of the effects of mine waste on Methow River habitat in the north Cascade Mountains in the state of Washington, U.S.A. revealed impacts of sediment metal contamination on invertebrates and fish. The objectives were to determine: (1) effects of metal contamination on the growth and development of caddisfly larvae (Ecclesomyia spp.) and trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), (2) whether in vivo exposure of caddisfly larvae in microcosms to metal contaminants induces nuclear apoptosis and the formation of electron-dense granules in gut epithelial cell mitochondria, (3) whether in situ exposure of trout and caddisfly larvae to sediment metal contamination induces nuclear apoptosis and the formation of electron-dense granules in mitochondria of gut epithelial cells and hepatocytes, and (4) whether the composition of the mitochondrial granules reflects sediment metal contamination. Electron microscopy was used to detect the cytotoxic effects of metal contamination. An above-and-below-mine approach was used to compare exposed and reference populations. Copper contamination in sediments was associated with effects on trout and caddisfly larvae at the cellular level and with secondary effects related to reduced body weights and delayed development occurring at higher levels of biological organization. Electron dense granules in the mitochondria of exposed caddisfly and trout mitochondria were detected. Elemental analysis of mitochondrial granules by X-ray analysis suggested Cu was being sequestered by mechanisms that normally regulate transient cell Ca concentrations. Chromatin compaction, margination, and the observation that large vesicles with bi-layer membranes were being expelled from the nuclei of affected cells suggest that apoptosis was also occurring.

The effects of mine waste contamination at multiple levels of biological organization

This study shows that metal-contaminated sediments cause adverse biological effects at all levels of biological organization, from cellular to ecosystem-level responses, even where the corresponding surface water meets water-quality-based criteria. We studied the effects of contamination from the abandoned Alder Mine, Alder Mill, and Red Shirt Mill located near the town of Twisp on the eastern slopes of the north Cascade Mountains in Okanogan County, Washington (U.S.A.) on fish and wildlife habitat in the Methow River. Ore deposits in the area were mined for gold, silver, copper and zinc until the early 1950s. An up-gradient and down-gradient approach was used to compare impacted sites to control sites. Although the dissolved metal concentrations in the Methow River were below the limits of detection, eight elements were identified as contaminants of potential environmental concern (COPECs) in sediments. Results revealed contamination impacts at ecosystem, community, population, individual, cellular, subcellular, and molecular levels. Metal contaminants in forest soils around the mines were present at concentrations toxic to soil bacteria suggesting that functional properties related to nutrient cycling and energy flow have been effected. Exposed trout in the Methow River showed reduced growth compared to controls. Histopathological evidence is consistent with copper-induced metabolic disease. Glycogen bodies were present in trout hepatocyte cytosol and nuclei and the presence of glycogen inclusions was pathognomic of Type IV glycogen storage disease (GSD IV). This condition suggests food is being converted into glycogen and stored in the liver and that the glycogen is not being converted back normally into glucose for distribution to other tissues in the body, which is a likely cause for the poor growth and development observed in fish and macroinvertebrates. Glycogen storage disease is caused by either a deficiency or inactivation of the glycogen branching enzyme, which results in the synthesis of an abnormal glycogen molecule that is insoluble due to a decreased number of branch points and increased chain length. Further examination of hepatocytes by transmission electron microscopy also revealed the accumulation of electron-dense metal-granules in the mitochondrial matrix.

Health risks associated with contamination of groundwater by abandoned mines near Twisp in Okanogan County, Washington, USA.

Abandoned mines are known to contaminate private drinking water wells with toxic metals and arsenic (As). Little attention is given, however, to sites in rural areas with low population densities where natural, geogenic sources of contaminants might also occur. This study measured arsenic and trace element exposure among residents consuming water from wells adjacent to abandoned mines near Twisp, in Okanogan County, Washington, USA, estimated the risk of adverse health effects, and considered the degree of uncertainty associated with the assessed risk. Water samples were collected between October 1999 and June 2001. Average As concentrations ranged from <1 to 298 microg L(-1), lead (Pb) ranged from 0 to 94 microg L(-1), cadmium (Cd) 0-5 microg L(-1), and selenium (Se) 0-390 microg L(-1). Concentrations varied seasonally with maximum concentrations occurring in conjunction with snow-melt. The calculated risk of mortality from cancer following exposure to As at average concentrations as low as 8 microg L(-1) was greater than one in 10,000. Additional noncarcinogenic risks are associated with exposure to As, Cd, Pb and Se. A potentially affected population, estimated to be between 1000 and 1287 residents, live within a 6.5-km (4-mile) radius of the study site. This study emphasises the need to test drinking water wells in the vicinity of abandoned mines during times of maximum snow-melt to determine the extent of risk to human health. Residents drinking water from wells tested in this study who want to reduce the estimated carcinogenic risk and the noncarcinogenic hazard quotient should consider treating their water or find alternative sources.

A Record of the Spotted Bat (Euderma maculatum) from Crescent Bar, Washington

bia, Idaho, and Oregon (Watkins 1977; Nagorsen and Brigham 1993; Verts and Carraway 1998). Sarell and McGuinness (1993) presented the first reports of spotted bats in north-central Washington State. Subsequent surveys have noted spotted bats at additional locations, including sites in Douglas, Grant, and Okanogan counties (John Fleckenstein, Natural Heritage Program, Washington Department of Natural Resources, Olympia, WA, pers. comm.; Neal Hedges, Bureau of Land Management, Wenatchee, WA, pers. comm.). However, limited information is available about the distribution

Coquandite, Sb6O8(SO4).H2O, a new mineral from Pereta, Tuscany, Italy, and two other localities

AbstractCoaquandite, a new antimony oxy-sulphate hydrate, occurs as spheroidal knobs of silky fibres or, rarely, as tiny transparent colourless lamellar crystals on stibnite at the Pereta mine, Tuscany, Italy; it is associated with klebelsbergite, peretaite, valentinite, sulfur, gypsum, stibiconite, and senarmontite. Coquandite is triclinic P1, with a 11.434(7), b 29.77(4), c 11.314(4) Å, α 91.07(7)°, β 119.24(3)° γ 92.82(1)° . It has a cell volume of 3352(5)Å3 with Z = 12 and a calculated density of 5.78 g cm−3. The crystals, elongated along [001] and flattened on {010}, display polysynthetic twinning with (010) as the twin plane. Optically, they are biaxial (+) with z ≈ c, 2V ≫ 60° n = 2.08(5). The strongest lines of the X-ray powder pattern are [d in Å, (I), (hkl)] 14.84(50)(020), 9.27(41)(111, 110), 6.81(67)130, 3.304(93)(090), 3.092(100)(330).Coquandite has also been found at the Cetine mine, Tuscany, Italy, and at the Lucky Knock mine, Tonasket, Okanogan County, Washington, USA. 22 microprobe chemical analyses (elemental microanalysis for H) gave Sb2O3 88.91, SO3 8.35, CaO 0.04, Na2O 0.03, H2O 1.43, total 98.76 wt.%, corresponding to the empirical formula (Sb + S = 7) Sb5.98Ca0.01Na0.01O7.96(SO4)1.02.0·78H2O, and to the idealised formula Sb6O8(SO4).H2O. The I.R. spectrum, which confirms the presence of water in the formula, is given.A partial structural arrangement is also given: the Sb polyhedra lie in nine layers perpendicular to [010] and form 'hexagonally' shaped groups surrounded by SO4 tetrahedra.