ML11095A005

Monthly Turtle Removal Summary for March 2011

ML11095A005
Person / Time
Site:	Saint Lucie
Issue date:	04/04/2011
From:	Weege S Inwater Research Group
To:	Koperski M Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, US Dept of Commerce, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Admin, National Ocean Service
Balsam B
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ML11095A007	List: ML11095A005 ML11095A008 ML11095A009 ML11095A010
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Download: ML11095A005 (1)

Text

From: Stephen Weege To: Meghan Koperski Cc: Mike Bresette; Dave Clark; Ken Frehafer; Jodie Gless; Bob Hoffman; Ed Hollowell; RidsNrrDlr Resource; Vince Munne; Dave Niebch; Shelley Norton

Subject:

FPL Marine Turtle Removal Monthly Summary - March 2011 Date: Monday, April 04, 2011 12:38:41 PM Attachments: March 2011 Marine Turtle Captures.rtf Monthly Report Notes 2011.xls FPL St. Lucie Capture Summary 2011.xls

Dear Meghan,

Attached, please find the monthly summary of marine turtle removals for March 2011. This month, we captured sixteen (16) Caretta caretta and three (3) Chelonia mydas in the intake canal of the St. Lucie power plant on Hutchinson Island. The power plant has remained in outage mode throughout the month of March. During the month there were no mortalities and no turtles were transported to rehabilitation facilities.

On March 12th, Inwater Research Group adopted a new algae reporting protocol. The category negligible was added to mirror the power plants qualitative terminology for algae. The categories are strictly defined in terms of millimeters of algae captured in a 15 minute plankton tow near the intake headwall. The categories, or ranges, for entrainment of algae into the intake canal are negligible, light, moderate and severe.

Throughout most of the month of March, the 5 barrier net experienced negligible to light loads of algae that entered into the intake canal. This temporary barrier has effectively kept turtles from moving further down the canal. A permanent fix to the primary net continues to remain in the design phase.

On March 21st, the north end of the 8-inch A1A barrier net became partially submerged. The top of this net is approximately 6 inches underwater for a span of about 20 feet from shore. It appears that some of the support hardware attaching the floats to the net failed under the combined strain of unusually high tides and higher than usual water levels resulting from the power plant outage. Land Utilization was notified and a solution is underway.

The tag numbers and morphometric data for all the turtles are attached. Also included is a spreadsheet for all captures, mortalities, injuries, and causal events delineated by species and by month for 2011.

This spreadsheet also tracks fresh scrapes incurred on captured turtles for the current month, as well as the entire year.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

Sincerely, Steve Weege Environmental Specialist Inwater Research Group, Inc.

4160 NE Hyline Dr.

Jensen Beach, FL 34957 sweege@inwater.org (772) 349-7252