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U.S. Department of Energy
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Assessment of the impacts of water intakes on alewife, rainbow smelt, and yellow perch populations in Lake Michigan. [Alewife; smelt; perch]

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6484628
A large volume of water is withdrawn from Lake Michigan for cooling and other industrial and municipal purposes. Potential ecological impacts of such withdrawals have caused concern. This study estimates the impacts of entrainment and impingement at water intakes on alewife, smelt, and yellow perch populations of Lake Michigan. Impingement and entrainment estimates were based on data collected by utilities for 316(b) demonstrations at 16 power plants. Two conventional fishery stock assessment models, the surplus production model and the dynamic pool model, were applied to assess the impacts. Fisheries data were applied to estimate the model parameters. Movements related to spawning and seasonal habitat selection cause high variation in impingement and entrainment over time and location. Impingement and entrainment rates were related to geographic location, intake type and position, and volume of water flow. Although the biomass impinged and numbers entrained are large, the proportions of the standing stocks impinged and the proportions of the eggs and larvae entrained are small. The reductions in biomass assuming full flow at all intakes and our estimates of biomass in 1975 are predicted by the models to be: 2.86% for alewife, 0.76% for smelt, and 0.28% for yellow perch.
Research Organization:
Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
W-31109-ENG-38
OSTI ID:
6484628
Report Number(s):
ANL/ES-109; ON: DE81025030
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English