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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Before and after studies on the effects of a power plant installation on Lake Lyndon B. Johnson. Evaluation of 1971 and 1972 data. Progress report No. 2 to the Lower Colorado River Authority

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:7308465
The overall goal of this project is to determine if the proposed LCRA power plant operations have any significant effect, beneficial or detrimental, on the Lake LBJ ecosystem. One of the purposes of this study during 1971 and 1972 was to evaluate the data obtained. Another objective was to determine if the sampling program designed in January 1971 was adequate or if sampling stations or field collection procedures or measurements should be changed in 1973, the last year before the power plant begins operation. The third purpose was to develop mathematical models to simulate the natural annual thermal cycle of Lake LBJ and to estimate the variation of temperature in the reservoir cove receiving the power plant discharge. The trends in the 1971 and 1972 data indicate that Lake LBJ is essentially functioning as a ''new'' reservoir subsequent to reservoir lowering and refilling in late 1970 and early 1971. Water quality and biological populations are expected to continue this trend through 1973 and possibly during the first years of power plant operations. Hence it appears unlikely that ''before'' data obtained at a specific sampling station can be compared directly to ''after'' data obtained at the same station to estimate the effect of power plant operations. However, the water quality and biological populations throughout the reservoir are not statistically different; hence the power plant effects, if any, probably can be estimated from a comparison of the intake and discharge coves with ''control'' coves. The reservoir's rooted vegetation is practically extinct due to the drying of the sediments during the period in which the reservoir was lowered. However no apparent significant detrimental effect subsequently occurred to the Lake LBJ ecosystem.
Research Organization:
Texas Univ., Austin (USA). Center for Research in Water Resources
OSTI ID:
7308465
Report Number(s):
CRWR-106
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English