Agency interaction at the Savannah River Plant under the Endangered Species Act
The 300 square mile Savannah River Plant (SRP) offers a variety of protected habitats for endangered species including the alligator (resident), red-cockaded woodpecker (resident), short-nose sturgeon (migratory), and wood stock (fish-forager). The most recent of these four species to be listed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (US FWS) is the wood stock. It had been observed prior to 1983 as an infrequent forager in the SRP Savannah River swamp which adjoins SRP on the south and southwest. In anticipation of its listing as an endangered species, DOE-SR requested in the spring of 1983 that the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, conduct field surveys and studies of the nearest colony of wood storks to SRP (the Birdsville colony in north-central Georgia). The objective of these studies was to determine potential effects of the flooding of the Steel Creek swamp area with cooling water from L-Reactor. L-Reactor, which is proposed for restart, has not been operated since 1968. The survey found that wood storks forage in the Steel Creek delta swamp area of the Savannah River at SRP. Based on the numbers of storks at various foraging locations, sites at SRP ranked higher than non-SRP sites during the pre-fledging phase of the colony. Cold flow testing of L-Reactor also demonstrated that foraging sites in the Steel Creek delta would be unavailable during L-Reactor operation because of increased water levels. Consultation meetings between DOE-SR and US FWS in April 1984, resulted in an agreement between the two agencies to develop alternative foraging habitat for the wood stork to replace potential losses in the Steel Creek delta area. A suitable habitat was located on the National Audubon Society's Silver Bluff Plantation Sanctuary just west of SRP. This location will be developed by the US Soil Conservation Service through an interagency agreement with DOE-SR. 6 references, 4 figures.
- Research Organization:
- Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, SC (USA). Savannah River Lab.
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC09-76SR00001
- OSTI ID:
- 6205006
- Report Number(s):
- DP-MS-84-89; CONF-841187-12; ON: DE85003565
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 5. DOE environmental protection information meeting, Albuquerque, NM, USA, 6 Nov 1984
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Wood Storks of the Birdsville Colony and swamps of the Savannah River site
Evaluation of the Steel Creek ecosystem in relation to the proposed restart of the L-Reactor: interim report
Related Subjects
BIRDS
HABITAT
ENDANGERED SPECIES
INTERAGENCY COOPERATION
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
L REACTOR
MANAGEMENT
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
US DOE
US FWS
ANIMALS
COOPERATION
HEAVY WATER MODERATED REACTORS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
PRODUCTION REACTORS
REACTORS
SPECIAL PRODUCTION REACTORS
US AEC
US DOI
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
VERTEBRATES
520500* - Environment
Aquatic- Site Resource & Use Studies- (-1989)