A f(Ae h" 1 6 0 RG&E REPORT NO. B-13-389 ROCHESTER GAS & ELECTRIC CORPORATION FISH IMPINGEMENT PROGRAM 1997 THROUGH 2001 ANALYSIS REPORT GINNA NUCLEAR POWER STATION Data Collected by Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation Environmental Laboratory Report prepared by David D. Dakin Environmental Laboratory And Paul M. Sawyko FossillHydro Engineering June, 2002
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A f(Ae h"160
RG&E REPORT NO. B-13-389
ROCHESTER GAS & ELECTRIC CORPORATION FISH IMPINGEMENT PROGRAM
1997 THROUGH 2001 ANALYSIS REPORT GINNA NUCLEAR POWER STATION
Data Collected by Rochester Gas and
Electric Corporation Environmental Laboratory
Report prepared by David D. Dakin Environmental Laboratory
And Paul M. Sawyko
FossillHydro Engineering June, 2002
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION PAGE
TABLE OF CONTENTS ii
LIST OF TABLES iii
LIST OF FIGURES iv
LIST OF APPENDICES vii
1. INTRODUCTION 1
II. PROCEDURES 2
A. Study Site 2
B. Sample Methods 5 C. Data Analyses Methods 6
II!. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 9
Total Fish (All Species) 10
i) Impingement Numbers and Biomass 10
ii) Environmental Effects 12
Alewife 13 i) Impingement Numbers and Biomass 13 ii) Ginna Station Impingement vs; Lakewide 14
Populations iii) Environmental Effects 16
Rainbow Smelt 17 i) Impingement Numbers and Biomass 17 ii) Ginna Station Impingement vs Lakewide 18
40 Wind Speed and Wind Direction Effects, 76 Yellow Perch (Adult and Juvenile)
41 Plant Flow and Water Temperature 77 Effects, Yellow Perch (Adult and Juvenile)
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LIST OF APPENDICES
LETTER TITLE PAGE
A List of Fish Species Collected, 78 1997 through 2001
B 2001 Ginna Station Daily Plant Flows, 80 Intake and Discharge Temperatures, and and Meteorological Data.
C 2001 Ginna Station Impingement Program 88 Collection Data by Study Date
D 1997 through 2001 Adjusted Ginna Station 123 Impingement Projections Utilizing Collection Efficiency Studies
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I. INTRODUCTION
This report provides the results of the impingement program conducted at the Ginna
Nuclear Power Station as required by Additional Requirement No. 4a of the Ginna
SPDES Permit No. NY-0000493, dated February 1, 1998, as well as Additional
Requirement Nos. 3 and 10, concerning cooling water intake description and debris
collection, removal, and disposal. Report content and scope were further defined
during discussions between New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation and Rochester Gas & Electric Corporation, and can be summarized as
follows:
1. include the five-year period 1997 through 2001, and similar in content
and scope to previous RG&E Impingement Program Reports, such as
RG&E, 1998a and,
2. species selected for detailed analyses would include alewife, rainbow
smelt, yellow perch, spottail shiner, and any other fish whose abundance
during 1997 through 2001 exceeded on average greater than 2% of the
organisms impinged.
Per Additional Requirement No. 4a, this program has been conducted in
accordance with the RG&E report entitled "Ginna Nuclear Power Station, Impingement
Program Plan of Study" (RG&E, 1985), and includes the modifications required by
Permit Requirements 4.a.i. and 4.a.ii. These latter two program modifications were
verified in the RG&E report entitled "Impingement Trap Collection Efficiency Study
Report, Ginna Nuclear Power Station" (RG&E, 1997). It should be noted that the
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impingement projections and impacts presented in this report are based upon
impingement findings only and do not include any adjustments due to the findings of the
efficiency studies. Such adjustments to these estimates are presented for informational
purposes in Appendix D of this report.
I1. PROCEDURES
A. Study Site
Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation's Ginna Nuclear Power Station is located on
Lake Ontario's southern shore in Wayne County, New York, about 32 km (20 mi) ENE
from Rochester and 72 km (45 mi) WSW from Oswego (Figure 1). The plant withdraws
cooling water from Lake Ontario through a submerged intake structure located approx
imately 945 m (3,100 ft) from shore (Figure 2). The top of the intake structure is located
4.6 m (15 ft) below water level and measures 15.4 m (50.8 ft) across its octagonal
shape, 6.4 m (21 ft) on a side and 4.6 m (15 ft) high (Figure 2a). The structure is set in
solid rock with incoming water entering through an intake area (or port) 3.0 m (10 ft) by
5.2 m (17 ft) on each side. Each face of the intake structure has three vertical trashrack
panels 2.97 m (9.75 ft) high by 1.7 m (5.67 ft) wide. In 2000, an intake trashrack
modification program designed to reduce occurrences of frazil ice affecting plant water
flow was conducted on two ports. During 2001, trashracks were replaced with the new
design on an additional two ports. The original trashrack panels consist of three rows
of 1.9 cm (0.75 in) diameter steel pipes on 25.4 cm (10 in) centers supported laterally
by two horizontal steel channels, and horizontal steel conduits at the top and bottom of
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the panel. Each of the vertical pipes forming the original trashracks is equipped with a
250V, 1 kW calrod heating unit. The new style trashrack has similar dimensions to the
original style except that the vertical bars are 1.3 cm (0.5 in) diameter steel pipes
vertically spaced on 35.6 cm (14 in) centers. The new pipes are equipped with dual
voltage 250V - 480V, 1.75kW heating units. The normal operating intake velocity is
about 0.24 mps (0.8 fps) through the structure. At full design power, the plant
withdraws water from Lake Ontario at the rate of 400,000 GPM.
Water withdrawn from Lake Ontario moves shoreward through a 3.0 m (10 ft)
diameter concrete-lined intake tunnel entering a forebay in an onshore screenhouse,
where it passes through four vertically traveling screens (Figure 3). The screens, which
remove fish and debris from the cooling water system, are operated sequentially, each
being washed for 10-20 minutes. There is always at least one, and often two, traveling
screens in operation when both or one of the circulating cooling water pumps are
operating. The screens have a two-speed drive system that allows for a faster screen
rotation during periods of high debris impingement. The filtering material of the screens
consists of woven wire mesh fabric with square openings of 0.95 cm (0.375 in) on a
side and 1.35 cm (0.53 in) on the diagonal, resulting in each square having an open
area of 0.90 cm2 (0.141 in2).
In the fall of 2000, an evaluation of traveling screen performance was performed
due to recent problems with Cladophora clogging the traveling screens or passing
through the mesh and getting into the cooling water system. As a result, the screening
material in the "D" traveling screen was replaced with a product produced by Screening
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Systems International. The screen mesh is stainless steel and has a mesh size of 0.48
cm (3/16 in) x 2.54 cm (1 in) and has a "crimped fit" construction, resulting in a
smoother texture. This texture should improve fish survival due to reduced abrasion
while being washed from the screen. There was an overall reduction of the clear open
area by 3% in the traveling screen due to the increased amount of wire in the new
material. The new screen mesh was installed on screens "D" and "A" in 2000 and
2001, respectively. Screen "B" is being replaced in 2002. An anti-fouling coating called
Wearlon Super F3 Hydro was applied to 24 of the 48 baskets in the "D" traveling
screen. This foul-release material is currently in use on the Ginna intake structure's
trash bars.
The material collected on the traveling screens is removed by a spray wash
system that operates when the screen is rotating. Normally, a washwater flow rate of
320 GPM is used per screen. A higher-pressure spray wash system (376 GPM) has
also been added which will be only used during periods of high algal impingement.
The screen washwater, carrying all collected screened material, travels down a
trough and is collected in a sluiceway basket (Figure 3). It is from this point that
impingement samples are removed. The screen washwater discharge fish/debris sluice
(Figure 3a) consists of a concrete trough 0.4 m (1.3 ft) wide and is up to 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
deep. It runs from the four traveling screens to the discharge canal and has four turns,
all >1450 and more than 5.2 m (17 ft) apart. In 1998, this sluice was modified to lessen
impacts upon sluiced fish. All fish and debris, excluding collections during the
impingement studies, are returned to Lake Ontario via this sluice.
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B. Sample Methods
For sampling under the SPDES Permit, commencing in 1986 and continuing
with the 1998 Permit, a sampling schedule of at least 66 samples per year was
statistically validated by RG&E and approved by NYSDEC as described in RG&E
(1985). Sample periods began on the first day and ended 24 hours later, on the
following day. All fish washed off the vertical traveling screens were collected in a
perforated plate basket made to fit in the sluiceway to filter all screen washwater (Figure
3). This basket was lifted, and the contents were removed at the end of the 24-hour
sampling period.
Collected fish were separated, identified to species, counted, and measured for
length and weight. In cases where large numbers of a species were collected, all
individuals were counted and a subsample of approximately 25 specimens was
individually measured for length and weight. Within certain species, the fish collected
were further divided into adults and juveniles based upon a general length criterion of
11.6 cm for alewife, gizzard shad, and smelt, 10.0 cm for Percichthyids and
Centrarchids, or published lengthlyear class relationships (e.g., Scott and Crossman,
1973). Identification of all species collected was done according to Scott and
Crossman (1973) and/or Eddy and Underhill (1983). Appendix A presents a taxonomic
list of fish species collected during the 1997-2001 period, using the scientific names
presented by the American Fisheries Society (1991). Appendix C includes data tables
for each impingement study conducted during 2001. These data tables provide the
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basic information compiled from each impingement study, and are the basis for the
analyses presented in this report. A total of 70 studies were conducted during the 2001
Impingement Program.
Records'of plant circulating cooling water flow and intake and discharge
temperatures for 2001, as well as meteorological data (i.e., wind speed and direction)
obtained from the meteorological station on the Ginna site, are included in Appendix B
of this report.
C. Data Analyses Methods
The analyses used in this report are of two types: rate and projected numbers.
The rate of fish impinged is important because flow changes result in different volumes
of water passing through the screens; thus impingement may differ only due to water
flow and not to concentration of fish. In order to eliminate this source of variability, the
number of fish per unit volume of water, expressed in this report as numbers of
fish/billion gallons of water (or FIBG), is utilized throughout when comparing
relationships in impingement. Absolute numbers of fish, such as projected numbers per
year, are utilized only to put the impingement levels in perspective and to evaluate the
actual impact of impingement upon lake populations. The same relationships can be
used for biomass, i.e., kilograms of fish/billion gallons or absolute kilograms impinged.
This use of rate for impingement analyses assumes that numbers impinged are
proportional to the volume of water withdrawn.
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The rates of fish impinged are determined by finding the average flow rate over
the two days during which the sampling was conducted and dividing this average flow
into the number of fish impinged over the study period, and, subsequently, transforming
this rate to F/BG. Since the studies are conducted from Day I to Day II, the rate thus
determined is applied to both Day I and Day II. Rates for non-sampled days are
determined by averaging the rates for days that bound the unsampled days.
Impingement rates determined for each 2001 study date by species and for total fish
are provided in the 2001 data tables (Appendix C).
Using the above method, each day of the month or year was assigned an
associated impingement rate, based upon plant flows. These rates were totaled and
divided by the number of days in the month (for average monthly rates) or by the
number of days in the year (for average yearly rates). On any given day, the rate for
the day multiplied by the flow for that day results in an estimated number of fish
impinged for that day. Summing all these estimates for a month or year resulted in
monthly or annual projections of fish impingement. Biomass projections are done in the
same manner.
RG&E has conducted collection efficiency studies during previous years to
investigate the efficiency of the traveling screens to remove fish from the forebay
(RG&E, 1989), as well as the efficiency of the impingement trap to collect fish from the
washwater sluiceway (RG&E, 1997). Adjustments to projected numbers of fish
impinged, for the species included in the collection efficiency studies, are presented in
Appendix D; however no adjustments have been included in any of the numbers utilized
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in the Results section of this report.
Selected species were chosen for analysis and impact assessment. Alewife,
smelt, and yellow perch were originally selected by NYSDEC and RG&E during
development of the Impingement Program Plan of Study (RG&E, 1985), while spottail
shiner was added (for analysis only) due to its inclusion in a Collection Efficiency
Program (RG&E, 1989). Threespine stickleback was added, since this species has
become the most commonly impinged species.
In order to assess the impact of impingement for alewives and smelt, the
numbers of these two species estimated to be impinged are compared to the Lake
Ontario alewife and smelt populations. These Lake Ontario population estimates are
based upon data reported by O'Gorman, et al. (2002) for the 1997-2001 period. In
previous years RG&E had developed a conversion factor to extrapolate from the trawl
data reported each year by O'Gorman, et al. to a population estimate for adult and
juvenile alewife and smelt for the U.S. waters of Lake Ontario. Note that the lake
populations utilized are for U.S. waters of Lake Ontario only, thus theoretically, these
populations could be doubled for impact assessment, or, alternatively, the percent
impact could be halved.
Analysis for environmental effects was performed by arbitrarily identifying
categories for comparison (for example: wind speed of <5, 5-10, 10-15, and >15 mph)
and then determining the average impingement rate for the subject species and life
stage during all occurrences of that category over the five-year period. In the above
example, average rates of impingement (for a given species) for wind speeds of <5, 5-
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10, 10-15, and >15 mph would be compared. In the figures such comparisons are
presented in terms of the proportion of the total impingement of that species which
occurred for each category. This manner of presentation was selected in order to allow
easy comparison from one species to another. While this form of analysis does not
address the effects of combined environmental parameters, it seems appropriate for
these basic analyses. Although a fish may not have been selected for analysis, certain
basic results, such as projected numbers per year or rate per year, are presented in this
report for information (Tables 1 and 2).
Since Ginna Station has only two circulating water pumps and the plant is
normally operated at full power, most of the impingement studies are conducted at
maximum plant flow. The second most abundant pump operating condition is with one
pump, during time of outage or power reductions. A lesser amount of operating time
occurs with flows between half and maximum due to recirculation or pumps being put
on- or off-line. Therefore, impingement vs. velocity analyses was limited to one-pump
vs. two-pump operation, as presented in the analyses figures. Such operations equate
to intake velocities of approximately 0.4 fps for one-pump operation and 0.8 fps for two
pump operation.
Ill. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Table 1 presents the annual rates for all fish impinged at Ginna during the 1997
2001 period. Table 2 presents the annual projected total number and biomass of fish
impinged for each species during the five-year period. Alewife, rainbow smelt and
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yellow perch are analyzed in this section for the 1997-2001 period, including annual
trends and possible impacts of impingement upon lake populations (Table 3). Spottail
shiner, threespine stickleback and total fish (or "All Species") impinged were analyzed
for information regarding annual trends. In order to investigate environmental factors
influencing impingement, analyses of wind speed, wind direction, intake velocities
(based upon intake flows), and water temperature are also presented for the species
identified above and all species combined.
Concerning screen debris collection, removal, and disposal, these collections
consist mainly of Driessenid mussels (zebra and quagga) and the algae Cladophora.
The total quantity of debris collected in 2001 was estimated to be 1,411 kg, all of which
was returned to the fish/debris sluice for transport to the discharge canal.
Total Fish (All Species)
i) Impingqement Numbers and Biomass
Results of total fish, or "All Species," impingement is of interest due to the
overall numbers of fish impinged, the annual trends of total impingement, and
the general impingement patterns, if any, in relation to environmental factors.
The projected number of fish impinged at Ginna during 2001 was 16,100.
Projected annual Ginna impingement ranged from approximately 9,900 fish in
1998 to approximately 55,400 fish in 1997 (Table 2), with an annual mean of
about 25,000 fish/yr. Utilizing fish rates, 1997 was the highest year at 342 F/BG
(Table 1, Figures 4 and 5). In 2001, the rate for total fish was 96 F/BG. The
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five-year lowest rate at about 56 F/BG was found in 1998. The annual average
impingement rate for the five-year period was 165 F/BG (Table 1).
Biomass for all species peaked in 2001 at 3,241 kg, even though the year
was the second lowest in terms of fish numbers. This was due to the numbers of
lake trout impinged during this year (Table 2). The five-year low of 616 kg
occurred in 1998 (Table 2; Figure 6).
Appendix A presents a list of species impinged for each year during 1997
2001. Within this five-year period, there has been a substantial and steady
increase in the number of species impinged from the five-year low of 10 in 1997
to the high of 30 species found in 2001. It is interesting to note that the year with
the highest impingement rate of the analysis period (1997) had the fewest
numbers of species impinged (10). Conversely, the past two years had the
highest numbers of species impinged since 1984, even though impingement
numbers were relatively low. Eight species were found each year in
impingement: rock bass, alewife, lake chub, emerald shiner, spottail shiner,
threespine stickleback, rainbow smelt, and lake trout. Finally, no exotic species
recently found within the Great Lakes (e.g., round goby) were collected at Ginna
during this five-year period.
For the overall five-year period, impingement occurred on a regular basis
during all months except August and September, which are consistently the
months of lowest impingement. This has long been the pattern at Ginna. Peak
monthly rates tend to vary from year to year, commonly reflecting the peak
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abundance of a particular species. During 2001, the peak month was November,
when the threespine stickleback monthly peak occurred. Monthly projections of
total fish impingement are presented in Table 4. The months with the greatest
biomass impinged averaged over the five-year analysis period are December
and November with 730 and 580 kg, respectively (Figure 6). This is a change
from previous findings and is due to the increased impingement of lake trout
during this time of year.
ii) Environmental Effects
Figure 7 shows that impingement of all species was highest when wind
speed was in the <5 mph and the >15 mph ranges. The least impingement was
observed with winds in the 5-10 mph range. Concerning wind direction, the
greatest impingement (53% of total) was with winds from the north, while all
other wind directions resulted in comparable impingement (Figure 7).
Impingement was substantially higher during two-pump operation (77%) than
when one pump was operating (Figure 8). Finally, relatively consistent
impingement rates were found as temperatures increased from <400 F through
600F, with an abrupt and substantial decrease (to only 4%) as temperatures
reached the >600F range (Figure 8).
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Alewife
i) Impingement Numbers and Biomass
In 2001 the projected alewife impingement at Ginna Station was only 829
fish. This is a reduction from the projected number impinged in 2000 of 3,100.
During the five-year analysis period, the highest projected alewife impingement
was in 1997 (16,200 fish). This peak was followed by several years of numbers
fluctuating between 2,000 and 5,000 before reaching the lowest number in 2001
(Table 2). Using impingement rates these extremes are more dramatic, ranging
from the higher year of 1997 with 91 F/BG to the lowest rate of 5 F/BG found in
2001 (Table I and Figure 9). Alewife was the third (19%) most impinged fish
during five-year analysis period and comprised only 5% of the total impinged in
2001. Juvenile alewife was impinged at a rate of 0.64 F/BG with a projected total
number impinged of 114 fish in 2001. The juveniles comprised 14% of the total
alewife impinged in 2001, which is a decrease from 2000 when juveniles
composed 35% of the total alewife impingement (Table 1; Figures 10 and 12).
Concerning seasonal impingement, the 1997-2001 adult impingement
coincided very well with the sample plan devised for Ginna (RG&E, 1985). Using
the five-year average rates, more than 98% of adult alewives were collected
during the March through August period, with the three months of April, May, and
June accounting for 95% of the annual impingement (Figure 10). The monthly
rates for all five years were comparable in that adults were impinged primarily
during the April through June period (Figure 10). The primary peak rates for
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juvenile alewife impingement also occurred during the months of April through
June; however, lower impingement rates were found throughout all months for
juveniles (Figure 12). Overall, the 1997-2001 monthly averages for total alewife
corresponded well with the sampling scheme developed in the Plan of Study
Report (RG&E, 1985). Monthly projections of both adult and juvenile alewife
impingement are presented in Table 5.
Total alewife biomass impinged in 2001 was 16 kg. Average biomass of
impinged alewife was 111 kg/yr for the five-year period, ranging from 16 kg in
2001 to 288 kg in 1997 (Table 2). Juvenile alewife impingement comprised only
1% of the total alewife biomass in 2001 (Table 2; Figures 11 and 13). The
average size of adult alewives impinged in 2001 was 22.1 gm, which was an
increase from the 19.2 gm observed in 2000. The average size of 1.8 gm for
juvenile alewife in 2001 is the lowest of the five-year analysis period. During the
five-year analysis period, the juvenile alewife sizes varied from 1.8 gm in 2001 to
6.1 gm in 1998.
ii) Ginna Station Impingement vs. Lakewide Populations
In this section the annual projected alewife impingement at Ginna Station
is compared to the estimated Lake Ontario population of alewives (based upon
O'Gorman, et al., 2002) for purposes of evaluating impacts of such impingement
by determining the percentage of the lake population impinged each year.
Table 3 and Figure 14 show the annual average rate of impingement for
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adult alewives and the annual estimate for adult alewife population in Lake
Ontario. It is apparent that the impingement of adult alewives fluctuates much
more than is seen in the lake population estimates (Table 3; Figure 14). Adult
alewife impingement rates have shown differences of nearly twenty fold over the
five years analyzed, compared to about fourfold for the lake population.
Impacts of adult alewife impingement at Ginna Station are presented in
Table 3. In 2001 the lake population of adult alewives was estimated to be the
largest of the five-year period, at 2.62 billion, and is the second consecutive year
of increase for this population. This peak number, combined with the lowest
adult alewife impingement during this period, resulted in the lowest percentage of
the population impinged at Ginna over the five-year period, at 0.00003%. The
five-year range is from 0.00003 to 0.00152%, with an average of 0.00058%.
Juvenile alewife impingement impacts are very similar to those found for
adults (Table 3 and Figure 14), although the fluctuations in lake populations are
much greater than that of adults. During the five-year period, the lake
populations ranged 120X. Juvenile lake population numbers have shown
substantial declines over the past two years, with 2001 being the lowest of the
five-year period. The percentage of the lake population impinged for juvenile
alewife in 2001 was 0.00091%. The five-year range was 0.00001% to
0.00733%, with an average of 0.00173%.
Historically, impingement of alewives at Ginna has reflected only gross
changes in the lake alewife population. It would seem reasonable that environ-
15
mental factors making alewives susceptible to impingement would play a role in
accounting for the variability seen in alewife impingement rates and the lack of
closer correlation with lake population size. One consistent finding, however, is
the low percentage of the lake population impinged each year. From this, RG&E
concludes that impingement of alewives at Ginna Station should not impact the
alewife population in Lake Ontario. This is based upon the fact that the impinge
ment impact, i.e., the percentage of alewives impinged vs. the total lake
population, per year, is very low and must be considered negligible.
iii) Environmental Effects
The majority of adult alewives (75%) and all juvenile alewife were
impinged when winds were <5 mph (Figure 15). Concerning wind direction
(Figure 15), adult alewife impingement was highest (68%) with winds from the
east, followed by west, south, and north. Most juvenile (10%) impingement
occurred when winds were from the east. All adult and juvenile alewife
impingement occurred during two-pump operation (higher velocity) instead of
during one-pump operation (Figure 16). Both adult and juvenile alewife
impingement rates were highest when the intake water temperature was
between 40-60*F (Figure 16).
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Rainbow Smelt
i) Impingement Numbers and Biomass
The projected rainbow smelt impingement at Ginna Station in 2001 was
700 fish, with a corresponding rate of 5.51 F/BG (Table 2 and Figure 17). This
projected number was a 1OX decrease from the 2000 number of 6,800 fish and
is the lowest of the five-year analysis period. Total rainbow smelt numbers
peaked in 1997 at 9,000 fish and a rate of 58.50 F/BG (Tables 1 and 2). More
juvenile rainbow smelt were impinged than adults (571 compared to 139) in 2001
(Table 2). This is the only occurrence of juveniles being the dominant life stage
during the analysis period. In 2001, the rainbow smelt impingement rate was the
third highest of all species impinged. In 2000, it was the highest rate, while in
1998 and 1999 the rainbow smelt impingement rate was the second-highest rate
of all species impinged. Over the five-year period, rainbow smelt impingement
averaged 21 % of the total impingement (Table 1).
Concerning seasonal impingement, the 1997-2001 adult rainbow smelt
impingement primarily encompassed the January through April period, while the
juvenile impingement was spread out over the months of October through May.
The sample plan devised for Ginna (RG&E, 1985) identified the months of
January, August, and September as least necessary to define rainbow smelt
impingement, and the current five-year results support this reasonably well.
However, the peak adult rainbow smelt impingement was in January 2000.
Generally, the peak is in March with elevated rates possibly continuing into April
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and May. For the months of June through December, the monthly rate trends for
all five years were very comparable for adults with few impinged (Figure 18),
while juvenile year-to-year results are a bit more sporadic (Figure 20). Monthly
projections of both adult and juvenile rainbow smelt impingement are presented
in Table 6.
Corresponding to the large numbers impinged, the peak biomass for
rainbow smelt was 121 kg in 2000, with the smallest numbers impinged in 2001
at 3.6 kg (Table 2; Figures 19 and 21). Adult rainbow smelt biomass varied from
year to year with their numbers, ranging from 119 kg in 2000 to only 1.6 kg in
2001. Juvenile biomass represented 54% of the total rainbow smelt biomass in
2001, which is the largest percentage of the analysis period. The 2001 juvenile
rainbow smelt biomass of 2 kg was similar to that impinged in 2000. The
average size of adult rainbow smelt impinged in 2001 was 12.2 gm and is a large
decrease from the 18.7 gm average in 2000. For juvenile rainbow smelt, the
2001 average weight was 3.5 gm.
ii) Ginna Station Impingqement vs. Lakewide Populations
In this section the annual projected rainbow smelt impingement at Ginna
Station is compared to the estimated Lake Ontario population of rainbow smelt
(based upon O'Gorman, et al., 2002) for purposes of evaluating impacts of such
impingement by determining the percentage of the-lake population impinged
each year. Table 3 and Figure 22 show the annual average rate of impingement
18
for adult rainbow smelt and the annual estimate for adult rainbow smelt
population in Lake Ontario. The 2001 lake population of adult rainbow smelt
showed a slight increase from the record lows found in 2000; however, they
remain well below the numbers estimated for 1997-1999. Adult rainbow smelt
impingement decreased substantially in 2001, down to only 136 fish. This low
impingement of adult rainbow smelt resulted in the lowest lake impact of the five
year period, with only 0.00004% of the lake population impinged (Table 3). The
percentage of the adult rainbow smelt population removed at Ginna during 1997
through 2001 is estimated to range from 0.00004 to 0.00377%, with an average
of 0.00092%.
Juvenile rainbow smelt impingement impacts have been more consistent
over the past five years (Table 3 and Figure 22). The percentage of lake
population impinged for juvenile rainbow smelt ranged from 0.00016 to
0.00062% during the five-year period, with an average of 0.00040%. The 2001
percentage was 0.00024%.
RG&E concludes that impingement of rainbow smelt at Ginna Station
should not impact the rainbow smelt population in Lake Ontario. This is based
upon the fact that the impingement impact, i.e., the percentage of rainbow smelt
impinged vs. the total lake population, per year, was very low and must be
considered negligible.
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iii) Environmental Effects
Adult rainbow smelt impingement rates were high with wind speeds >10
mph with rates less than 1% for each of the other speed ranges. Juvenile
impingement peaked with winds 10-15 mph with some reduced levels found at
the other speed ranges (Figure 23). Adult rainbow smelt showed predominant
impingement rates with winds from the north, while juveniles had no
impingement at north and relatively equal rates at east, south, and west
directions (Figure 23). Approximately 90% of total rainbow smelt impingement
occurred during one-pump operation (Figure 24). Eighty-six percent of total
rainbow smelt impingement occurred at water temperatures of <400F, and the
rates for the other water temperature ranges were similarly low at approximately
10% (Figure 24).
Spottail Shiner
i) Impingement Numbers and Biomass
Projected spottail shiner impingement at Ginna in 2001 was 263 fish with
a corresponding rate of 2.15 FIBG, both of which are increases from the 2000
values of 157 fish and 1.08 F/BG. The five-year analysis period peak was in
1999 with a projected impingement of 1,300 fish and average rate of 27.6 F/BG.
The five-year average was 638 projected fish and rate of 7.90 FIBG (Tables 1
and 2). In 2001, spottails were the sixth most abundant fish impinged, an
increase from ninth place in 2000. Normally, spottail shiner monthly
20
impingement is lowest from May through September, as was observed in 2001;
however, both 1997 and 1999 had relatively larger numbers throughout these
months. There was one prominent monthly peak during the five-year period,
occurring in March 1999 when 257 F/BG were impinged (Table 7; Figure 26).
Spottail shiner biomass in 2001 was 2.6 kg, twice that of 2000, yet the
second lowest of the five-year period (Table 2; Figure 27). During 2001 the
average spottail-was 9.7 gm, which was an increase from the 8.2 gm impinged in
2000. The five-year period average was 6.3 gm/fish.
ii) Environmental Effects
For the five-year period, more than 90% spottail shiner impingement
occurred with wind speeds of >10 mph (Figure 28). For wind direction, spottail
shiners were most likely to be impinged (60%) when winds were from the east,
while remaining directions were relatively comparable (Figure 28). Spottail
shiner impingement was far greater (79% vs.21 %) during one-pump operation
compared to two pump (Figure 29). Finally, the impingement of spottail shiners
was greatest when the intake water temperatures were in the <400 F range
(80%), while other temperature ranges were relatively similar (Figure 29).
21
Threespine Stickleback
i) Impingement Numbers and Biomass
Projected threespine stickleback impingement in 2001 increased to
10,100 from the 2000 number of 4,000 fish. The projected annual impingement
has been oscillating between years with lower similar numbers (1998 - 3,700
and 2000 - 4,000) and years of higher numbers (1997 - 28,900; 1999 - 15,200;
and 2001 - 10,100) (Table 2). In terms of rates, the range was 20.6 F/BG in
1998 to 183.6 F/BG in 1997. In 2001, the rate was 58.09 F/BG, which is about
the middle of the range (Table 1; Figure 30). Threespine stickleback was the
most abundant species impinged each year during the five-year analysis period,
except during 2000 when it was second most abundant. Concerning seasonal
impingement, the only consistent finding is that threespine stickleback
impingement during the months of August and September appeared to be
relatively low (Table 8; Figure 31). The largest peak of the five-year period was
found in February-March 1997. In 2001, peak rates were observed in the
November-December time period. Since threespine stickleback are small fish,
their.biomass numbers were relatively low, yet in 1997 the total biomass reached
up to 59.3 kg. Biomass in 2001 was 12.0 kg, which was a large increase from
the 2000 biomass of 6.1 kg (Table 2; Figure 32). Annual average biomass was
20.3 kg over the five-year analysis period. Threespine stickleback sizes ranged
from 1.1 to 2.2 gm/fish during the analysis period. In 2001, threespine
stickleback size was 1.2 gm, which is at the bottom of the range.
22
i
ii) Environmental Effects
Stickleback impingement increased as wind speeds increased, with 75%
occurring during wind speeds in the >15 mph range (Figure 33). The greatest
impingement was found when winds were from the north (77%) (Figure 33).
With respect to plant flow, most impingement occurred during two-pump
operation (85%) (Figure 34), while the temperature ranges of <40'F, 40-50*F,
and 50-60OF showed equal impingement rates (30-34%) for threespine
stickleback, with virtually no impingement when temperatures were greater than
60'F (Figure 34).
Yellow Perch
i) Impingqement Numbers and Biomass:
Total yellow perch impingement at Ginna Station for 2001 was projected
to be 253 fish, only 8% of which were juveniles (Table 2). This species was
absent from Ginna between 1994 and 1997 but has been steadily increasing
since 1998. Out of the 30 species impinged in 2001, yellow perch were ninth in
abundance (Table 2). On a unit volume basis, yellow perch rates were 1.60
F/BG in 2001, which is the highest of both the five-year analysis period (Table 1
and Figure 35) and since 1985. Adult yellow perch rates in 2001 were 1.48
F/BG, which continues the annual increase seen since 1998 when adult rates
were 0 F/BG. Their rate has doubled each of the last two years. Juvenile rates
23
I
in 2001 were 0.12 F/BG, which is an increase from the 2000 rate of 0.05 F/BG.
The majority of yellow perch impingement in 2001 occurred during April,
with smaller numbers occurring in February, March, and September (Figure 36).
This seasonal peak is normal for this species at Ginna, and the sampling plan
developed for this program (RG&E, 1985) designated the period of January
through May for yellow perch sampling. Figures 36 and 38 indicate that most
yellow perch impingement continues to occur in that period.
Total biomass for yellow perch in 2001 was 21.6 kg, which is largely due
to the increased adult impingement. Over the last three years, total yellow perch
biomass has increased, corresponding to impingement of adult yellow perch.
The average weight of the adults impinged in 2001 was 93 gm/fish, which is a
decrease from the weights of 105 and 187 gm/fish observed in 2000 and 1999,
respectively. Average juvenile weight in 2001 was 6 gm/fish.
ii) Ginna Station Impingement vs. Lakewide Populations
Unfortunately, lakewide assessments of yellow perch populations have
not been conducted to the extent that alewife and rainbow smelt have been.
Therefore, no quantitative information is available. Qualitatively, annual reports
on yellow perch populations from NYSDEC findings were used to compare lake
population levels to the yellow perch impingement findings at Ginna Station.
Since the early 1990s, yellow perch were essentially not found in the
Ginna impingement collections; however, numbers have increased within the
24
past few years, and ,the 2001 rate was twice that of 2000. Even so, numbers
impinged in 2001 were slightly lower than those found in the late 1970s at Ginna.
This compares to an increase of 478% in the yellow perch population reported
by Eckert and Pearsall (DEC, 2002) for Pultneyville over this same time period.
In the Eastern Basin of Lake Ontario the corresponding finding was a decrease
of 86% in yellow perch. While the Ginna and Pultneyville data suggest at least a
local increase in the yellow perch population, there does not appear to be a good
correlation between these two locations, at least with respect to the late '70s
data. In conclusion, RG&E does not believe that the impingement of 250 yellow
perch at Ginna during 2001 would cause a significant impact upon this
population.
iii) Environmental Effects
Yellow perch impingement vs. wind speed (Figure 40) was highest when
winds were in the 5-10 and 10-15 ranges. Wind direction for adults showed little
difference amongst all directions, while juveniles were mostly east followed by
west (Figure 40). Intake velocities (Figure 41) showed that all of the yellow perch
impingement occurred during two-pump operation rather than one pump. Nearly
80% of total yellow perch impingement occurred when water temperatures were
<40'F (Figure 41).
25
REFERENCES
American Fisheries Society, 1991. Common and Scientific Names of Fishes from the United States and Canada, fifth edition. AFS Special Publication 20. 183 pp.
Eckert, T.H. and W. Pearsall, 2002. Comparisons of warm water gill netting: Pultneyville and Eastern Basin. In: 2001 Annual Report, Bureau of Fisheries, Lake Ontario Unit and St. Lawrence River Unit to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission's Lake Ontario Committee. NYSDEC. Section 22, 7 pp.
Eddy, S. and J.C. Underhill, 1983. How to Know the Freshwater Fishes. The Pictorial Key Nature Series, Wm. C. Brown Co. Pub., Dubuque, Iowa. Third Edition. 215 pp.
O'Gorman, R., R.W. Owens, T.H. Eckert, and B.F. Lantry, 2002. Status of major prey fish stocks in the U.S. waters of Lake Ontario, 2001. In: 2001 Annual Report, Bureau of Fisheries, Lake Ontario Unit and St. Lawrence River Unit to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission's Lake Ontario Committee. NYSDEC. Section 12, 8 pp.
Rochester Gas and Electric, Corp., 1985. Ginna Nuclear Power Station, Impingement Program, Plan of Study. RG&E Report No. B-13-293. 31 pp.
_ _, 1989. Impingement Collection Efficiency Study, Final Report, Ginna Nuclear Power Station. RG&E Report No. B-13-336. 18 pp.
__ , 1997. Impingement Trap Collection Efficiency Study, Ginna Nuclear Power Station. RG&E Report No. B-1 3-366. 14 pp.
_ _, 1998a. Fish Impingement Program, 1993 through 1997 Analysis Report, Ginna Nuclear Power Station. RG&E Report No. B-1 3-370. 104 pp.
_ _, 1998b. Fish Impingement Program, 1992 through 1996 Analysis Report, Ginna Nuclear Power Station. RG&E Report No. B-13-367. 232 pp.
Scott, W.B. and E.J. Crossman, 1973. Freshwater Fishes of Canada. Fish. Res. Bd. Can., Ottawa, Can., Bulletin 184.
26
TABLE I
GINNA NUCLEAR POWER STATION IMPINGEMENT
AVERAGE FISH IMPINGEMENT RATE (FISH/BILLION GALLONS)
Fantail Darter Johnny Darter Tessellated Darter Yellow Perch Walleye
1 1 1 2 2 9 9 9 0 0 9 9 9 0 0 7 8 9 0 1
x x x x
x x x
x x x x x x x x
x x x x x x
x x x x x x x x x
x x x x x x x x x
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x~
x x
x
x x x x x
x x x x x x x x x
x x x x x
x x
x x x x x x x
x x
xTrout Perch
Sea Lamprey
Coho Salmon Rainbow Trout Atlantic Salmon Brown Trout Lake Trout
x x
x x
x x x x x
x x x x x
x x x x x
79
GENUS
APPENDIX B
Ginna Nuclear Power Station Daily Plant Flows, Intake and Discharge Temperatures and Meteorological Data
2001
Key to Table: DATE -MM/DD/YY; Month, Day, Year Water Temperature
IN(MIN) -Daily Intake Temperature Minimum (Degrees F) IN(AVG) -Daily Intake Temperature Average (Degrees F) IN(MAX) -Daily Intake Temperature Maximum (Degrees F) DIS(MIN) -Daily Discharge Temperature Minimum (Degrees F) DIS(AVG) -Daily Discharge Temperature Average (Degrees F) DIS(MAX) -Daily Discharge Temperature Maximum (Degrees F)
FLOW -Daily Plant Flow (Million Gallons/Day) WIND CONDITION (Default Values are 99.9 and 999)
WSPD -Daily Average Wind Speed, Ginna NPS (miles/hour) WDIR -Daily Average Wind Direction, Ginna NPS (degrees)