Forested wetland mitigation resulting from discharges of cooling water into streams

Conference · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1993 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States)

OSTI ID:5882546

Nelson, E A ^[1]

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1. Westinghouse Savannah River Company, Aiken, SC (United States)

The Savannah River Swamp is a 3020-ha forested wetland on the floodplain of the Savannah River and is located on the US Department of Energy's Savannah River Site (SRS) near Aiken, South Carolina. Historically, the swamp consisted of [approximately]50% bald cypress-water tupelo stands, 40% mixed bottomland hardwood stands, and 10% shrub, marsh, and open water. The hydrology was controlled by flooding the Savannah River and by flow from four creeks that drain into the swamp prior to flow into the Savannah River. Upstream dams have caused some alteration of the water levels and timing of flooding within the floodplain. Major impacts to the swamp hydrology occurred with the completion of the production reactors and one coal-fired powerhouse at the SRS in the early 1950s. Water, often in excess of 40 to 50[degrees]C was discharged into one of the small streams from 1954 to 1988, at various levels, ranging from 20 to 40 times the prior flow rate of the stream. This had a major impact on the adjacent swamp land, with erosion, silting, and vegetation destruction. The Final Environmental Impact Statement, Continued Operation of K, L, and P Reactors, Savannah River Site, Aiken, South Carolina, and the subsequent record of decision directed that these areas be restored to functional forested wetland status to the extent possible. This paper describes work begun to reach that objective.

• OSTI ID: 5882546
• Report Number(s): CONF-930601--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States) Journal Volume: 68
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220503* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Environmental Aspects-- Chemical & Thermal Effluents
220600 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Research
Test & Experimental Reactors
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540340 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Thermal Effluents Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
BIOLOGICAL RECOVERY
DOCUMENT TYPES
ECOSYSTEMS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS
EROSION
MITIGATION
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
PRODUCTION REACTORS
REACTORS
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
SPECIAL PRODUCTION REACTORS
STREAMS
SURFACE WATERS
SWAMPS
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
THERMAL EFFLUENTS
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WETLANDS