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U.S. Department of Energy
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Immediate mortality of adult American shad (Alosa sapidissima) resulting from passage through a Kaplan turbine at Holyoke Dam, Massachusetts

Book ·
OSTI ID:6058060
Experiments were conducted to determine the immediate mortality of adult American shad, (Alosa sapidissima) resulting from passage through a 17MW Kaplan turbine at Holyoke Dam on the Connecticut River. Radio telemetry was used to monitor movements of post-spawned fish in 1981. The following criteria were used to estimate turbine mortality: (1) sacrificed fish distribution, (2) downstream movement, (3) transmitter signal strength, and (4) instream movement relative to flow. Seventeen test and 16 sacrificed fish were passed through the turbine, and 18 control fish introduced below the turbine in June 1981. A mortality estimate of 53% for test fish and 38% for control fish were calculated. Chi-Square analysis indicated that turbine mortality could not be expressed as the difference between test and control fish mortality. A significant difference in the rate of downstream movement was observed between live test and live control fish suggesting potential sub-lethal effects from turbine treatment. Modifications to the experimental design to more accurately assess turbine mortality were utilized in 1982. Pre-spawned shad (36 test and 21 sacrificed) were used in order to increase sample size and decrease control fish mortality. Sixty nine control fish were released into an instream holding net for direct observation. Chi-Square analysis indicated that turbine induced mortality could be partitioned from the total test fish mortality. The results of 1982 experiments provide a baseline mortality (18.5%) for pre-spawned adult shad passed through a 17MW Kaplan turbine. 34 references, 5 figures, 2 tables.
OSTI ID:
6058060
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English