Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Effects of thermal discharges on the distribution and abundance of adult fishes in the Savannah River and selected tributaries: Annual report, November 1984-August 1985

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6360906

A study of the juvenile and adult fish community in streams draining the SRP and in the Savannah River in the area of the SRP was conducted between September 1984 and September 1985. The major objectives were to examine the abundance and distribution of fishes near the Savannah River Plant in relation to thermal discharges into the river, creeks, and floodplain swamps and to determine the rate of impingement of adult and juvenile fishes on the intake screens at the SRP pumphouses. The most abundant fishes (excluding minnows) taken by electrofishing were the redbreast sunfish (41.6%), spotted sucker (8.8%), spotted sunfish (8.2%), largemouth bass (5.7%), bluegill (5.6%), and American eel (5.4%). The most abundant fishes taken by hoop netting were the flat bullhead (38.0%), channel catfish (11.9%), bluegill (9.4%), white catfish (7.9%), black crappie (6.5%), and redbreast sunfish (5.5%). Dominant species in the intake canals were the bluegill, redbreast sunfish, and black crappie. Dominant species in the nonthermal river were the redbreast sunfish, spotted sunfish, spotted sucker, largemouth bass, channel catfish, white catfish, and flat bullhead. Dominant species in the nonthermal creeks were fairly similar to river species except that the catfishes were not as well represented. The thermal river and creek habitats differed from the nonthermal habitats in having higher percentages (although often lower numbers) of channel catfish, white catfish, largemouth bass, and coastal shiner and a lower percentage of flat bullhead.

Research Organization:
Environmental and Chemical Sciences, Inc., Aiken, SC (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AC09-76SR00001
OSTI ID:
6360906
Report Number(s):
DPST-86-799; ECS-SR-28; ON: DE87012945
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English