ML20005C004

Aquatic Impacts from Operation of Three Midwestern Nuclear Power Stations.Fort Calhoun Station,Unit No. 1 Environmental Appraisal Report

ML20005C004
Person / Time
Site:	Fort Calhoun
Issue date:	10/31/1981
From:	Elshamy F ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & ENGINEERING, INC.
To:	Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
CON-FIN-B-6854 NUREG-CR-2337, NUREG-CR-2337-V01, NUREG-CR-2337-V1, NUDOCS 8111170197
Download: ML20005C004 (200)

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P NUREG/CR-2337 Vol.1 Aquatic Impacts from Operation  :

of Three Midwestern Nuclear Power Stations f e,g ff +n

'S%;,4'(9f, ff/h I Fort Calhoun Station, Unit No.1 9 %':;j*;/% t/ '

Environmental Appraisal Report E  % <

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Prepared by F. El-Shamy Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc. ,

l Prepared for U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission l

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NOTICE This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, or any of their employees, makes any warranty, expressed or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for any third party's use, or the results of such use, of any information, apparatus product or process disclosed in this report, or represents that its use by such third party would not infringe privately owned rights.

Available from GP0 Sales Program Division of Technical Information and Document Control U. S. fluclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D. C. 20555 Printed copy price: $6.00 and t

flational Technical Information Service Springfield, Virginia 22161

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( NUREG/CR-2337 Vol.1 t

Aquatic Impacts from Operation c of Three Midwestern Nuclear 1 Power Stations Fort Calhoun Station, Unit No.1 Environmental Appraisal Report Manuscript Completed: August 1981 Date Published: october 1981 Prepared by F. El-Shamy Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc.

P. O. Box ESE Gainesville, FL 32601 Prepared for Division of Engineering Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation U.S. Nuciear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555 NRC FIN B6854 t

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l Availability of Reference Materials Cited in NRC Publications i Most documents cited in NRC publications will be available from one of the following sources:

1. The NRC Public Document Room,1717 H Strest., N.W.

Washington, DC 20555

2. The NRC/GPO Sales Program U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555

3. The National Technical information Service, Springfield, VA 22161 Although the listing that follows represents the majority of documents cited in NRC publications, it is not intended to be exhaustive.

Referenced documents available for inspection and copying for a fee frcm the NRC Public Document Room include NRC correspondence and intemal NRC memoranda; NRC Office of Inspection and Enforce-ment bulletins, circutam, information notices, inspection and investigation notices; Licensee Event Reports; vendor reports and correspondence; Commission papers; and applicant and licensee documents ,

and corresponder.ce.

The fo! lowing documents in the NUREG series are available for purchase from the NRC/GPO Sales Pro-gram: format NRC staff and contractor reports, NRC-sponsored conference proceedings, and NRC booklets and brochures. Also available are Regulatory Guides, NRC regulations in the Code of Federal Regulations, and Nuclear Regula tory Commission Issuances. i Documents available from the National Technical Information Service include NUREG series reports and technical reports prepared by other federal agencies and reports prepared by the Atomic Energy Commis-sion, forerunner agency to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Documents available from public and special technical libranes include all open literature items, such as i books, journal and periodical articles, transactions, and codes and standards. Federa/ Register notices, k feceral and state legislation, and congressional reports can usually be obtained from these libraries.

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Single copies of NRC draft reports are available free upon wntien request to the Division of TechnicalInfor-mation and Document Control U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555

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ARSTRACT q

}k Fort Cal ho un Station, Ibit 1, i s l oc a t ed on t he we s t b an k o f t he

• , Missouri River in Wb sh ing to n G) un t y , Neb ra s ka . The station, a nuclear powered generat ing facilit y producing 475 net megawat ts , utilizes a h onc e-through cool ing design. The station in fluences the aquatic biota 1 o f t he Mi s so uri River v ic init y ',a several ways. The hea t ed d i sc harge s 1

3 o f the stat ion were fo und to hav e no sig ni fic an t bnpac ts to fi sh ,

1 fg periphyton , and benthic macroinver t ebrates . Minor e f fect s to d

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phyt apl ankton were noted in warm stamner months at the po in t of f d i s- harge . An e s t ima t ed 227,900,000 fish larvae were entrained ann uall y 1 from the river's ichthyoplankton connunity, the majorit y identified as

.] fresh umt er dr tm. Fort Cal ho un St a t ion im ping ed an est bnated 170,882

fish annually, l arge ntmber s o f which were freshwater drin and gizzard u

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,. shad with potential losses to channel and flathead cat fish. The station

t was shown to have lit tl e impac t on the zoo pl an kt o n c msn un i t y .

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IABLE OF CONTENTS Section Page

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SUMMARY

OF FINDINGS 1

1. 0 INTRODUCTION 1.

1.1 BACKGROUND

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1. 2 APPROACH AND RATIONALE -

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1. 3 DOCU1ENTATION FORMAT l -4

2. 0 STATION DESCRIPTION 2-1 a

2.1 INTRODUCTION

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2. 2 PLANT WATER USE AND COOLING SYSTEM 2-1 t

2.2.1 Plant Water Use 2 -1

2. 2. 2 Cooling Wat er Syst em 2 -3

2. 3 INTAKE AND DISCHARGE SYSTHi 2 -3 4

2. 3.1 Int ake structure 2-3 2.3.2 DischarRe Structure 2-6

2. 4 STATION ENVIRO.?f ENTAL TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS 2-8 2.4.1 operating Limits 2-8 2.4.2 Monitoring and Surveillance Program 2 -9 2.4. 3 ' Study and Evaluation Progrars 2-10

2. 5 S UMM ARY OF STATION DESCRIPTION 2-12

3. 0 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT 3-1

3.1 POTENTIAL Df EACTS OF INTAKE AND DISCHARGE 3-1

[ 3.1.1 Potential Pirect E f fec t s 3 -1 3.1. 2 Potential Indirect Ef fects 3-3 3.1. 3 Aesthetic Changes in Missouri River 3 -4

3. 2 PREOPERATIONAL FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT PROJECTIONS OF DiPACTS 3-4 3.2.1 Thermal Discharges 3-5 3.2.2 Entrainment and Impinsement 3-6 3.2.3 Chemical E f fluent s 3-7

3. 3 OPERATIONAL D! PACTS 3 -7 3.3.1 Thermal Impact s 3-7 3.3.2 Entrainment and Impingement 3-13 v

1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Pace 3.4 EVALUATION OF OBSERVED IMPACTS 3-14 3 . /4 .1 Thernal Discharge 3- I f.

3.4.2 Entratnment of Fish Eggs and Larvae 3-57 3.4.3 Impingement _of Juventle and Adult Fishes 3-82 4.0 SITMMARY AN'D CONCLUSION 4-1

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REFERENCES 1 APPENDICES APPENDIX A-ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS (1973) A-1 APPENDIX B-ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS (1980) B-1 APPENDIX C--FORT CALHOUN STATION NPDES C-1 Vt

l LIST OF TABIES Table Page 3-1 Re presentative High River Fl ow mnd ; tion , R ipl e-De pt h ,

Fort Calhoun Station, Febr uar y 2 8, 1977 3-10 3-2 Re presen tat ive Figh River Flow Omd ition , W ipl e-De pth ,

Fort Cal houn Station, April 15,1976 3-11 3-3 Representative Average River Flow &ndition, Tr i pl e-De pth , %emal Pltrnc Measuronents, Fort Calho un St ation , August 21, 1975 3-12 3-4 Estimates of Zooplankton Entrainment For tality at Fort Ca lhoun St a t ion , th it 1, 1973 through 1977 3-23 3-5 Mechanical and %ermal Ef fec t s o f Fort Cal ho un St ation, thit I, D nd en se r Pa s sag e on To tal Zoo plankton o f the Missouri Riv er , Oc tober 1973 through April 1976 3-25 3-6 Nunber of Ihys Per Year hat t h e 8 a .m . Mi sso uri Riv er Water Temperature was 80 to 84*F for 1955 t hrough 1970 3-30 3-7 Av erage Catch Per thit Effort (30 Minutes) of Fish Coll ec ted by El ec troshocking at the Di scharge of For t Calhoun Station, Ihit 1, Dur ing Per iod s o f

, N>n-Operat ion and Operat ion 3-42 3-8 Fo ur teen N st Ab und ant Species of Fish Coll ec t ed 3-44 3-9 Ca tch Pe r Un i t of the Five N st Ab und an t Fi sh Specles Col 1ected 3-47 3-10 Comerc ial Fish land ing and Ca tc h Pe r th it of Effort in the Missouri Riv e r , 1976 3-54 3-11 Commercial Fi sh land ing and Ca tc h Pe r lh it of Effort in the Missour Riv er , 1972 Throtgh 1976 3-55 3-12 Densit y o f Fi sh larvae Olllec ted 3-61 3-13 Sinmary o f the Rel a t ive Abundance of M ul t IA rv a l Fi she s in the Missouri River Near Fo r t Ca l houn Station, I 974 throtgh 1977 3-63 3-14 Re l at iv e Ab und anc e o f Fi sh IA rv ae Oil l ec ted 3-65 3-15 Niriber of larvae Fntrained Daily 3-68 vii l

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LIST OF TABLES (Continued) 3-16 Intake, Density, and Plume Densities of Fish Larvae 3-75 3-17 Entrainment of Larval Fish Collected '7 3-18 seasonality of the occurrence of Eggs 3-ht-3-19 Estimated Monthly Impingement Rate of Fish, 1973 Through 1977 3-97 3-20 Sunmary of Fish Inoingement Rates,1973 Through 1977 3-101 3-21 Summary of Fish Inpingement Rates, Based on Day and Night Differences, 1973 Through 1977 3-102 3-22 Comparison of Number of Fish Impinged to Commercial Catch Statistics of Commercially Important Species 3-105 viii

LIST OF FIGliRES Figure Page 2-1 Site Map Depicting Location of Rart Cal houn Station, thit 1 2-2 2 '; In t ake and Di sc harg e St r uc ture s for Fb r t Ca l ho un St a t ion , thit 1 2 -4 4

2-3 Fort Ca l houn St a t ion , th i t 1, In ta ke St r uc t ur e De pic t ir.e Six In ta ke For eba ys 2-5 2-4 Fort Ca lho un St a t ion , Ub it 1, In t a ke St r uc t ure De pic t ing Cur t a in Wall s and Sluice Cate Openings 2-7 3-1 Sa r fac e The rmal Pl un e Fk a sur emen t s Ta ken b y On aha Publ ic Po wer Di s t r ic t on Febr uar y 28,1977 at Fort Ca l houn St a t ion 3-8 3-2 Tr i pl e-De pth Thermal Pl ume Measured on April 15, 1976 by Q,aha public Power Di st ric t 3-4 3-3 Locat ion of Phyto plankton Senpling Stat ions at For t Ca lhoun St a t ion , th i t 1 3-16 3-4 Carbon Fix a t ion Ra t e , Chl oro ph yll a and Ph yt o pl an kt on N) und anc e at the nt scharge Wel at ive to the In take of Fort Cal houn Stat ion, thit 1, 1973 through 1977 3-1A 3-5 Prod uc t ivity Ind ice s ( Carbon Fixation Rate per Chlorophyll ji) at Discharge Relative to In t a ke o f Fort Calhoun Stat ion, thit 1, 1973-1977 3-2n 3-6 Benthic Mac roinvertebrates Ar tific ial Sub st r a te Sanpling Statione in the Vicinity of Fort Cal houn st a tion , Ibit 1 3-31 l

3-7 Species Diversit y (d) for Macroinvertebrate Sanples Co ll ec ted in 1975 from the Missouri River Near Fort Cal houn Station 3-35 3-8 Species Diversity (d) for Macroinvertebrate Samples Coll ec t ed in 1976 from the Missouri River Near Fo r t Ca l houn St a t ion 3-36 IX

LIST OF FIGURES (Continued)

Figure Page 3-9 Species Diversity (d) for Macrovinvertebrate Samples Collected in 1977 from the Mtssourt River Near fort Calhoun Station 3-37 3-10 95 Percent Confidence Intervals Using-Tukey's Standard-ized Range for Macroinvertebrates tollected Near  !

Fort Calhoun Station, 1975, 1976, and 1977 3-38 3-11 Fish Sampling Station, Fort Calhoun Station, Unit 1 3-40 3-12 Relative Abundance of Maurice River Fish Species 3-46 3-13 Sections of the Channelized and Unchanne'ized Missouri River 3-57 3-14 Sampling Stations of Missouri River Fish Larvae l Fort Calhoun Station, Unit 1, 1974-1977 3-58 3-15 Missouri River Fish Larval Sampling Stations, Fort Calhoun Station, Unit 1, 1978 3-60 3-16 Seasonal Abundance of Larval Fish in Missouri River Near Fort Calhoun Station, Unit 1, 1975-1977 3-70 1-17 Density of Fish Larvae in Missouri River Above Fort Calhoun Station, Unit 1, 1974-1977 3-76 3-18 Average Length of Fish Impinged at Fort Calhoun

Station, 1973-1977 3-85 3-19 Length Freauency Histograms, Species

Aplodinotus, Grunniens, All Samples (1973-1977) 3-86 3-20 Length Frequency Histograms, Species: Aplodinotus, Grunniens, Grouped by Year (1973-1977) 3-87 3-21 Length Frecuency Histograms, Species: Dorsoma Cepedianum. All Samples (1973-1977) 3-88 3-22 Length Frequency Histograms, Species: Ictalurus Punctatus, Grouped By Year (1973-1977) 3-89 x

1 LIST OF FIGURF.S (Continued)

Figure P_ age 3-23 Length Frequercy Histograms, Species: Icalurus Functatus, All Samples (1973-1977) 3-90 3-24 Length Frequency Histograms, Species: Dorosoma Cepedianum, Grouped By Year (1973-1977) 3-91 3-25 Length Frequency Histograms, All Species, All Samples 3-47 3-26 Average Number of Fish Impinged Per Hour at Fort Calhoun Station (1973-1977) 3-94

. 3-27 Diel Pattern of Fish ImpinRement at Fort Calhoun Station, Unit 1, 1974-1975 3-96 3-28 Summary of Fish Impinged Per Hour at Fort Calhoun ~

Station, 1973-1977 3-99 l

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SUMMARY

OF FINDINGS I

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SUMMARY

OF FINDINGS Fort Ca l houn St a t io n , Unit 1, is located in Wb shing to n Ca un t y , ?bb ra s ka ,

on t he we s t b an k o f t he Missouri River at River Mile 646. The s t a t ion is 20 miles north-northwest of Onaha and 3 miles south o f Bl air ,

Nebraska. Fort Cal ho un Station, Unit 1, is a nuclear powered elec tric generating station which is cooled by a circulating water system o per a t ed in compliance with U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC, formerly At omic Energy Cammission) o pe rating lic en se Number DPR-40 and Environmental Technical Speci fications ( see Append ix B) . The station al so o pe r ate s in c ompl ianc e wi t h l im it s spec i fied bi ?bb ra ska Na t ional Poll ut ion Di sc ha rge El im ina t ion System (N PDES ) permit n unber NE 000r418 (see Append ix C) .

Fo r t Ca l houn St a t ion , Un i t 1, in fluences the aquatic biota of the Mi s so ur i Riv er in the vicinit y o f the station in sev er al wa ys . tb s ig ni fic ant adv er se impac ts on biota of the river could be direc tl y at tributed to heated discharges froa the station. Hea t ed d i sc harges from the station neither enhance the fisheries o f the Mi s so ur i Ri v er nor do they provide good winter fisher ies as re por t ed for other stations.

Fo r t Ca l houn St a t ion , Un i t 1, removes an estimated 22 7,900,000 fi sh l a rv ae and an unident i fied n traber o f fi sh eggs annuall y fran the Missouri Ri v er ' s ic hth yo pl ankton ommunit y. Of the larvae entrained, an e s t ima t e d 227,900 l arv ae were an t ic i pa t ed to su rv ive to ad ul thout if they had avoided the in t a ke , g iv en that appropriate ecologic al cond i-t ions are avail able in the river. The majorit y of entrained l a rv ae were identified as fr e sh wa te r d r um . The stat ion does not signi fic an t l y im pac t larvae o f g ame fish species but could impact freshwater drim and s uc ke r po pul at io n s , a s s um ing that hab it a t s for these spec ies are available, which might not be the case. Fr e sh wa t er d r tr.. is a n onc ommerc ial spec ie s in Missouri at d the suc ke r is commerc iall y valuable to the fisher ies o f the Missouri Riv er .

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Juvenile freshwater drum and gizzard shad are impinged in large numbers by the station's traveling screens. There have been some potential losses due to impingement of channel catfish and flathead catfish, both '

of which are. commercially -itnportant in the region; however,.it_is

- uncertain if these fish could have survived and propagated in the river I

.had they avoided the i'ntake screens. Fort Calhoun Station impinged an estimated 170,882 ' fish annually in the 1973 ' to 1977 operational period, 29 percent of which were gizzard shad and 21 percent were freshwater drum. An additional 9 percent and 1.9 percent 'of all fish impinged annually were channel catfish sind flathead catfish, respectively.

1 The station impinged an unusually large number of channel catfish in 1976. This impingement occurred only once since the .;tation's operation began in late 1973. however rare, there is no mechanism to orevent such an event from recurring in future years.

Significant adverse impacts of the station's operations to phytoplank-ton, periphyton, and benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages of the Missouri ~ River'were not detected in the 1973 to 1977 operational years.

Minor ef fects on phytoplankton productivity were noted during the warm summer months at thef discharge location, however, this~is offset by phytoplankton stimulation at downriver stations, particularly in cool periods. Data on the zooplankton community indicated a lack of appreci-able harm to that community.

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1.0 INTRODUCTION

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1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 RACKGROUND On August 9, 1973, the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued nonradtological Environmental Technical Specifications (ETS) for the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station, Unit 1. (Fort Calhoun Station is owned and operated by Omaha Public Power District IOPPDJ). The ETS, referred to as Appendix B to operating license Number DPR-40, for Fort Calhoun Station, Unit 1, sets forth limitations on plant operations applicable to the condenser cooling water discharge temperature, chemical discharges, and intake characteristics.

The Fort Calhoun Stction ETS can be divided into three maior categories:

1. Operating Limits--These deal with condenser cooling water dis-charge temperature and chemical releases.

2. Monitoring and Surveillance Program--This requires monitoring the ambient river water temperature and chemical properties above and below the station. This program also evaluates the

loss of aquatic life due to station operation.

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3. Study and Evaluation Progran--This program nonitors the river aquatic community (plankton, macroinvertebrates, and fish). It also evaluates the ef fects of the operations on the aquatic eco-l l system.

i l The objectives of the ETS are to:

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1. Protect the aquatic community of the Missouri River in the victnity of the station from being exposed to excessively high l

l Lemperature or to a sudden change in water temperature;

7. Assure that chemical discharRes from the station do not have adverse impacts on the Missouri River aquatic connunttv; and

3. Evaluate the loss in aquatic life aLLributed to plant cooling t

water intake.

The ETS defines the duration for each of these three maior programs.

Both the monitoring and surveillance program and the operating limtts are 1-1

I to remain in effect throughout the operating life of the station. Mean-while, the study and evaluation program shall be conducted for a minimum of 5 years of plant operation unless results of these 5 years of study justify a longer duration.

The contents of this document generally follow a standard scientific approach and are arranged in a manner capable of adequately addressing questions on probable plant impacts on near-field and far-field aquatic communities of the Missouri River.

The information contained herein includes, but is not limited to:

1. Data submitted by OPPD to NRC;

2. Data obtained from Nebraska Department of Environmental Control (DEC);

3. Data obtained from Nebraskac:ame and Parks Commission (GPC);

4 Data acquired from OPPD environmental consultants;

5. Data obtained from published literature;

6. Results of a meeting held at the plant site in August 1980, and observations reco;.Med during a station visit;

7. Results of telephone interviews with staff of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS); and 8 Other pertinent data sources.

1.2 APPROACH AND RATIONALE Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station began commercial operation on September 26, 1973. Monitoring of the preoperational aquatic communities has been conducted by OPPD since 1971. Data collected during the 1971 to 1977 period are considered the primary source of information upon which conclusions in this document were reached, both for preoperational (1471 to 1972), and operational (1973 to 1977) monitoring. Independent calcu-lations and other sources of information were also used. Additional infornation was gained from visiting the site and the surrounding area.

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i Apparently, based on available data and the results of interviews, the .

t oischarge of heated ef fluents into the Missouri River from Fort Calhoun ,

Station has occurred for' a suf ficient time to allow postonerational innact evaluation. Similarly, data collected on ent rainment and impingement (plankton, fish, and fish larvae, (no fish eggs were collected until 1478]) were adequate to address the question of the type and magnitude of aquatic life lost _to plant intake.

The rationale and approach used in this document for denonstrating the type, nagnitude, and duration of the stations's impacts are based on the following criteria:1,2 Il Reduction of successful completion of the' life history of I j indigenous species;

2. Substantial reduction of community heterogeneity or trophic structure; l 3 Substantial increases in abundance and/or distribution of j- nuisance species; 4 Changes in community structure to resemble a simpler successional stage rather than the naturally occurring changes; l

5. Elimination of species of potential economic (conmercial) and/or recreational values; 6 Relation of plant water intake location, depth of intake, water velocity, and screen design in relation to the existing aquatic community;

7. Changes in aesthetic appearance, odor, or taste of the -

receiving waters; and R. Presence f or absence) of prior appreciable degredation (prior to plant op ration) to the balanced indigenous connunity in t' e L vicinity of the plant.

l Riological communities of the chaqnelized portion of the Missouri Di rer

( (including the plant site) have been subjected to various disturbances over the years due to natural and man-induced changes. The Missouri '

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River in the vicinits of the Fort Calhoun Station is wholly channelized.

The shorelines consist of rock revetment. The river is danned in several locations, and the main channel is maintained for navigation from Msrch through November. Joncomitant with this, exotic species (e.g., gtzzard shad) have invaded and established themselves in the river. The invasion of new habitats by exotic species is a natural phenomenon and is anticipated to continue; however, due to dense populations of gizzard shad in the vicinity of the station,4 this may have resulted in significant changes in the original riverine fish community structure. For the sake of simplicity, it is presumed that 1

prior to plant operation, there had been a balanced indigenous community in the vicinity of the Fort Calhoun Station. ,

1.3 DOCCF.NTATION FORMAT This document provides specific infornation renuired hv NRC for environmental appraisal and/or possible regulatory action, which is dependent on the outcome of each of the nonitoring programs conducted at Fort Calhoun Station during the plant's operational period.

Section 1.0 of this document provides th e approach, rationale, and the basis for using the type of analysis adopted in the production of this report.

Section'2.0 provides a concise description of the plant intake and discharge structures. Furthermore, the discharge zone, existing thernal plunc, and lit are discussed here in relation to operating limits.

Power use and operating history will be briefly discussed. This section will include a sunnary on the contents of the 1473 FTS and any additional modification and/or amendment. A copy of the original and the nodified ETS will he presented in an appendix form.

Section 3.0 provides assessments and the major conclusions reached in this document. This section includes a short discussion on potential 1-4

discharge and intake impacts generally associated with power plant operation. Analyses will be provided on operational impact predictions as projected in 1971 to 1972. An in-depth analysis of operational impacts observed during the operational years will be provided in Section 3.0 A comparison will be made between preoperational projec-tions to impacts and impacts observed during the operational years.

Operational impacts evaluated in this section will be carried out on a trophic level-by-trophic level basis.

Section 4.0 summarir.es concrete conclusions achieved in this document, based on data, analyses, and discussions presented in Section 3.0.

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2.0 STATION DESCRIPTION

2.1 INTRODUCTION

The Fort Calhoun Station, Unit 1, is located in Washington County, Nebraska, on the west bank of the Missouri River at about River Mile 646. The station is approximately 20 miles NNW of Onaha and 3 miles south of Blair, Nebraska (see Figure 2-1).

Fort Calhoun Station, Unit 1, is a 481-megawatt gross nuclear electrical generating station. The cooling water is withdrawn from'and returned to the Missouri River. In operation at reactor thermal rating 1,420-megawatt, the plant rejects 3.3 x 10' BTU / hour to the condenser 8

cooling water and I x 10 BTU / hour from miscellaneous bearing cooling and waste streans.'

The nuclear steam supply system is pressurized water, designed and furnished by Combustion Engineering.' The turbine generator was built by General Electric Company. The design powar rating is 1,500 megawatts with a net electrical power output of 475 megawatts.

2.2 PLANT WATER USE AND COOLING SYSTEM 2.2.1 Plant Water Use Cooling water to the plant cooling condenser, auxtliary system, and the primary cooling system is withdrawn from the Missouri River. Water is drawn into the intake by three 120,000 gallons-per-minute (gnm) capacity circulating pumps (a total of 360,000 gpm). Net water consumption is that due to evaporation, domestic use, Icss during waste treatment and l perhaps water loss due to minor leaks.

i No biofouling inhibitors of any kind are added to the intake water.S

The stit contents of the Missouri River water were reported as sufficient to prevent btofouling of the cooling system; the re fore ,

chlorination is not used at the Fort Calhoun Station. Chemicals are used in the water treatment, liquid waste, sanitary waste, and the decontamination systems.

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Chemical discharges from these systems are reduced 'to ' trace levels' and are anticipated to be within the limits specified in' the" plant NPDES -

permit and the ETS.

2.2.2 Cooling Wat_er System Fort Calhoun Station uses once-through cooling (open cycle system) to dissipate waste beat from'the plant condenser'and the auxiliary cooling' systems. Circulating water from ;the station is drawn from the Missouri River and ret urned to the river through 'a submerged discharge structure (see Figure 2 ^).

The circulating water system is designed to allow recirculation.of heated discharge during the cold months (tempering) in order- to minimize tce formation on and near the intake structure and the traveling screens.

A portion of the heated discharge water is returned to the river upstream of the intake forebays through a recirculation tunnel. This flow is normally less than 100,000 gpm of which a portion is recircu-lated into the plant's cooling system. An increase of 4*F above ambient water temperature is anticipated due to tempering.

2.3 INTAKE AND DISCRARGE SYSTEMS 2.3.1 Intake Structure Fort Calhoun Station, Unit 1, has a concrete-reinforced shoreline intake structure extending 80 feet along the western shore of the Missouri River at River Mile 646. Cooling water is drawn into the plant via six water inlet forebays (see Figure 2-3). The forebays are guarded by vertical trash racks, with hars spaced at three-inch intervals to prevent the entrance of logs and large items of debris. This design allows water to enter from the section of the river closest to the plant with a minimal interference with pump operations.

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p INLET SAY cnUQCE 0%4 Awa PUot IC PnWEA fvcTAICT 1977 Figure 2 -3 FORT CALHOUN STATION, UNIT 1 FORT CALHOUN STATION UNIT 1 INTAKE STRUCTURE DEPICTING SIX INTAKE FOREBAYS '

2-5 1

The intake water flows from the intake forebays to the screens .with an approximate velocity of 0.7 feet per second (fps) (at; high ' water level) to 1.1 fps (at low water level),-depending on the river water elevations.

Curtain walls are located between the traveling screens and_ the trash racks (see Figure 2-4). Each curtain wall has an 8-feet high and 6-feet wide opening at its base (sluice gate opening). Each opening is closed and opened by a sluice gate which controls the flow of water from the forebays to the screen well and circulating water pumps.

Slutce gates and curtain walls provide a barrier between the river-and each of the screens, pumps, and internal equipment when sluice gates are closed. Water entering the plant passes through the sluice gate opening located at the base of each curtain wall. At the normal water level' (approximately 992.00 f'et elevation) the major component of intake water entering the plant is drawn from the bottom of the water . column with decreasing portions drawn in from waters at higher locations.5 Little surface water is drawn into the cooling system under normal circumstances.

Fort Calhoun Station utilizes standard 3/8-inch square mesh size traveling screens. Each screen is 8 feet wide with a continuous helt of 2.5-feet high panels. The screens are normally stationary unless clogging becomes a problem, in which case the screens are rotated and backwashed under a nozzle pressure of 110 pounds per square inch (psi).

Washed materials-(including imoinged fish) flow to tLe screenwash troughs which discharge back to the river at the downstream end of the intake structure. Water is drawn into the intake by three 120,000 gpm capacity circulating water pumps. Each pump draws water through two inlet bays.

2.3.2 n i s ch ar g e _ S,t r,uc t t_ir e Heated water is returned to the Missouri River via a submerged discharge tunnel located approximately 60 feet downstream of the intake structure.

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enjocE ovataa puar ic powem nicTairT 1977 Figure 2-4 FORT CALHOUN STATION, UNIT 1, INTAKE STRUCTURE DEPICTING CURTAIN WALLS FORT CALHOUN STATION UNIT 1 AND Sl8JICE GATE OPENINGS i-i

. - ~ - . .

The discharge tunnel is rectangular and has .a . sloped face. It extends j

approximately 30 feet into the river. The tunnel's center line makes a 57* angle with the downstream shoreline. This seems to deflect the heated water into a downstream direction.  ;

2.4 STATION ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Fort Calhoun Station, Unit 1, circulating water system operates in compliance with NRC (previously Atomic Energy Commission),Loperating Itcense Number DPR-40, and Environmental Technical Specifications, y

Appendix B (see Appendix A). The original ETSs were issued in August 4 1073. A modification of the 1973 ETS was issued'in June 1980 -Because

]

primary operational data (on which the analyses presented here are based), cover the period from 1973 to 1977, the 1973 ETS are utilized I for program compliance. A copy of the 1980 ETS is presented .in J

Appendix.B. In addition to the ETS, the station also operates in 1

compliance with-limits set in the final Nebraska NPDES Permit

Number NE 0000418, i

4 4 The 1973 ETSs include the following major classes:

7

1. Operating Limits;

2. Monitoring and Surveillance Program;.and

3. Study and Evaluation Program.

The following is a summary of the contents of the programs covered in i the ETS and the limits placed on station operattons.

i 2.4.1 Operating Limits'(details in Appendices A and B)

1. Condenser Cooling Water Temperature Limits i

4 a. Maximum discharge temperature shall not exceed 103*F;

h. Maximum dLT shall not exceed 18'F, except during changes in power level;

c. Maximun tit from November to April shall not exceed 22*F, when tempering occurs; i

2-8 1

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d. Maximun diT shall not exceed 78'F in winter time when naintenance is required (not to persist for more than two weeks, nor when flow is less than 7,000 cfs); and

e. Nornal plant operations shall he controlled such that changes in the river temperature shall not exceed 2*F per hour at a distance of 2,000 feet downstre.tn f ron discharge.

2. Chenical Discharges

a. Total Residual Chlorine: not to exceed 0.1 n111igrans ner liter (ng/1);

b. Coliform: not to exceed a geometric mean of 10,000 L *al bacterial count or 2,000 fecal organisns/100 ml;

c. Suspended or Settlable Sclids (SS): not to cause more than 10 percent increase in levels in the receiving waters;

d. Toxic Substances: '

.one whien will render water unusable with standard municipal treatment;

e. Dis. 31ved Oxygen (DO): not less than five parts per million (ppm);

f. pH: between 6.0 and 4.0 pH units; and

g. Total Dissolved Solids (TDS): not to exceed 600 ppm and not to increase TDS of the river by nore than 10 percent.

2.4.2 Monitoring and Survet11ance Progran

1. Monitoring of Thernal and_Chenical Discharges

a. Continuous monitoring of anhient and discharge temperatures shall he accomplished;

h. Monthly ( for two years) operational surface, nidwater and botton isothern plots shall be done. Infrared scanning shall be used during icy periods;

c. Weekly DO neasurenents shall be taken above and below station; and

d. Anbient river water above the intake and 75 feet downstream of the lagoon and sanitary waste discharge shall be clinically ana1 3 zed on a weekly basis.

2-9

2. 'Monitorina and Reporting on Loss of Biota by 1_mpingement

a. . Impinged organisms shall be identified, counted, and

' measured. -One of the six screens will be sampled daily for one hour.. From' May to September . an additional one-hour j  ! sample shall be taken each night _ during the first year of

• operation; and

', b.' The method previously presented shall continue, if proven, statistically adequate, to represent daily impingement.

3. Monitoring of Passage Effects on Larvae and Plankton

a. Biweekly samples of plankton and larvae shall be taken near 4 the intake and discharge. - These should be analyzed for condition and relative abundance. Assessment of passage ,

effects:shall be provided.

i 2.4.3 Study and Evaluation Programs

1. Plankton--Planktonic organisms, drifting and attached, are to be collected above-and below the plant; hiweekly samples will he taken over the 5 years of operation usina water numns and rock basket techniaues.

t

2. Periphyton, Macroinvertebrates, _ and F_ish--Fish, macroinverte-4 brates, and periphyton in the Missouri River are to be evalu-ated for 5 years of station operation. Comparison should he -i nade on several dynamic aspects, including fish taod habits, between preoperational and operational periods.

3. Eleven-Agency Study Prorrams--In 1970, a meeting of concerned state and federal agencies resulted in a plan to investigate ,

selected environmental effects associated with warm water I

discharges from Fort Calhoun and Cooper Nuclear Stations. The -J study was divided into three major areas (periphyton and _

l macroir. vertebrates, fish, and chemical-physical). Results of these agency studies (e.g., Hesse and Wallace 1976)?5 or studies funded by this group (Cada 1977)43 are re fe renced j and compared in the appropriate sections of this document.

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. i 4 Entrainment Effects--These studies were' designed to evaluate.

the tmpact of plant operations on fish larvae and invertebrate .

populations. . Samples are to be taken above and below the intake. Techniques used are to be asssessed for suitabtlity during the first _five (5) years of operation. Contributing to l the development of these techniques will be a 3 year program designed 'to assess the nature of the larval fish contribution

, to Missourt River's drift population.

The entrainment effect program is based on five criteria discussed in detati in Appendix A. The sampling period occurred from April to July of each of the f tve years.

]

• nue operat'ing limits and monttoring programs must be conducted throughout the expected life-history of the station. However, l the study and evaluation programs can be terminated at the end of five years of ' operation unless the outcome of the program indicates otherwise (e.g., major problems).

t i

A new ETS was issued in June 1980. This n3w ETS seems to slightly relax the operating limits previously -placed on the

! station. For example, the allowable maximum discharge temperature was increased from 103*F in 1973 to 105*F in 1980.

ilarly, maximum AT limits were changed from IR*F to 2R*F in 1973 to 20*F to 30*F in l4Rn, depending on the ambient river water temperature. Minor nodifications were implemented in 'the chemical discharge Itmits. Detailed descriptions of the 19R0 ETS are shown in Appendix B.

5. NPDES Permit Limitations--Fort Calhoun Station operates in compliance with NPDES permit number NE 0000418, issued by the i-l State of Nebraska, Department of Environmental Control. A copy of this permit is included in Appendix C. The permit places l

i limitation on flow, temperature, and physical and chemical t

2-11

charactertstics of discharge for each pipe from Pipe 001 through Pipe 005. Daily marimum temperature is generally 110*F

~

for Pipe-001 and also for deicing.

2.5

SUMMARY

OF STATION DESCRIPTION Fort Calhoun Station is a nuclear generating station utilizing a once-through cooling system. The station has been in commercial operation since late 1973. It has a generating capacity of 481 gross electrical megawatts and a reactor thermal ' rating of 1,420 megawatts.

Intake cooling water amounts to 360,000 gpm with a lit of 18'F to 22*F.

The station has a shoreline intake structure and a submerged discharge structure located downstream from the intake. The station operated according to the specifications of the Nebraska NPDES and NRC ETS, J

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3.0 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT f

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t i 3.0 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT 3.1 POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF INTAKE AND DISCHARGE

! This section presents a discussion on potential direct and indirect

} impacts that are generally associated with power plant operations. This summary discussion is general; however, site-specific data are used when avatlable. It is designed to clarify those sensitive areas likely to

~

change by intake and discharge modes. It establishes a basis of ,

l comparison for the impact analyses of Fort.Calhoun Station.

3.1.1 Potential Direct Effects 3.1.1.1 Thermal Tolerance and Threshold--Direct effects of heat on acuatic organisms are dependent on a matrix of factors the most significant of which are ambient water temperature, 2kT, and the duration of exposure of an organism to temperature.

Organismal' responses to a heated effluent are species specific.

Organisms exposed to a heated . discharge can experience acute or latent effects. The first ' results in an immediate response,

^

while the latter includes a host of other channes including changesingrowth,reprodbetionpatterns, and other similar i factors. Each organism has a zone of tolerance and a thermal

~

1

preference. Thermal neeference changes with season and results j in avoidance or attraction to a heated zone. Summer preference generally results in avoidance when preferred temperature is

helow plume temperature. In cold months, preference is for

, t warmer effluents which tend to attract organisms to plant-j plume.

During the period of warmer water temperature (June to i i l Septenber), the Missouri River's ambient water temperature is '

ap' proximately 61 to 83*F. Mean summer ambient temperature is 68* to 78'F. The maximum plant discharge temperature from Fort i Calhoun Station during the monitoring period from 1973 to 1977 I i

~

was 103*F.8 Maximum temperature rise, JiT, measured at the 1

4 4 3-1

station from 1973 to 1977 was 31*F, and it occurred in July 1975.8 A maximum d'ischarge temperature of 103*F is generally diluted by discharge velocity and the receiving waters.

I However Itmited the mixing zone, this high temperature value exceeds the sunuuer lethal thresholds for several fish species collected from the. Missouri River.8 ' For example, the suruner lethat threshold is 93*F for carp, 88'F for bluegills, 85'F for channel catfish, Sl*F for' emerald shiner, and 41*F .for largemouth bass. Summer lethal threshold for freshwater drum i (abundant at the station) is not known, however, preferred temperature for adult f reshwater drian is 84.2*F to fl7.8*F measured in the field.

}

Thermal-tolerance limits differ for~different life stages of the same species. It is a well established fact th'at fish tend to avoid higher temperatures during the summer period, but are attracted to higher water temperature during cold perioda.

3.1.1.2 Plant Shutdown-The potential for cold shock impact due to Fort Calhoun Station exists. Cold shock may occur when the addition of heated water is interrupted during the winter months due to plant shutdown. The severity of cold shock stems from lack of physiological ability of aquatic organisms to adjust rapidly to declining water temperature. Generally, fish have greater sensitivity 02 to decreasing water temperature as compared to corresponding increases in water temper ture.

t l During the monitoring program from 1973 to 1977, shutdowns of Fort Calhoun Station occurred on several occasions during the cold months (e.g., November 15, 1974, November 4, 1976, October 13, 1977, and November 23,1977). -

s 3.1.1.3 Impingement--Imoingement impacts are inflicted when organisms too large to pass through the intake screens become trapped.

.Tuvenile and adult fish and larger crustaceans are prime candidates for impingement.

i 3-2

Several factors interact to determine the number of organisms, species, and size classes,-impinged on power plant screens.

These factors are likely to change from year to year, season-ally, monthly, and daily. Therefore, it is imperative in irapac t studies to emphasize : trends and relationships' of' impingement to the ecosystem. ,The numerical derivations of impingement become probabilistic rather than deterministic.

3.1.1.4 Entrainment--Bottom dwellers, including motile forms, free-floating microscopic plants and animals, and fish eggs and larvae are subject to thermal shock and mechanical stresses hy passage through the plant cooling water system. Passage of aquatic organisms through the plant condenser could result in no effect., instantaneous mortality, or changes in thr phys to-logical conditions of the organisms which ultimately affect their survivorship. Several factors act both separately and in conbination to determine the fate of organisms passing through the condenser. These factors include AT across the condenser, tr'e of exposure, nechanical abrasions, and pressure changes.

3.1.? Potential Indirect Effects Fort Calhoun Station has a submerged discharge. That station's discharge through a subnerged system could result in the following:

1. Water movements could draw eggs, larvae , and other free-floating organisms into the heated plume (plume entrain-

' ment), thus exposing them to temperatures higher than ambient. l

2. Production of catrrents acting as a near-field attractant.

3. Movement of plume-entrapped organisms to surface exposes these l

organisms to a sudden change in pressure.

I 4 Potential reduction in dissolved oxygen by heating or increased biological oxygen demands occurs.

i 3-3

i 1

i 4

3.1.3. Aesthetic Changes in Missouri River

Aesthetic problems associated with power plants vary from appearance of intake and discharge structuree to fish die-off s and changes in quality

^

-of the receiving waters.

The Missouri kiver, in the . vicinity of the plant, has been wholly channelized; thus, a variety of habitats has been eliminated, and the surface area of the river has been greatly reduced. This in itself

'seems to play a role in the appearance of the river.

No aesthetic problems associated with Fort Calhoun Station were observed

. Sring a station visit in August 1980. Furthermore, no change in taste, color, or odor of the water of the Missouri River near the station was j reported during the 1973 to 1977 study period.

i 3.2 PREOPERATIONAL FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL STATEENT PROJECTIONS OF I IMPACTS The Final Environmental Statement (FES)b for. Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station, Unit 1,-discussed potential environmental impacts of station operation on the Missouri River aquatic biota. These. impact projections were based on preoperational monitoring from 1971 to 1972. FES l

i concluded in its impact projection (see pages_ i and ii): "At times of high river temperature, fish will probably find that area [the zone where AT exceeds 5'F] unacceptable and avotd it. The thermal plume. is such that no barriers are expected which would restrict the upstream or downstream movements of fish," and ". . . .no permanent population of henthic organisms is expected (to colonize the river's botton near the plant]; however, some entrainment of passing drift organisms is i anticipated. Even in the unlikely event of 100 percent mortality of these organisms during their 2-minute passage through the condenser cooling system, such mortality would af fect only 3 percent of drif t organisms in the river at the plant location during usual sunmer flow condttions and no more than 25 percent during unusually low river flow." i I

I 34

r.

-l The following four factors associated with plant operations have .

potentially detrimental ef fects on Missouri River aquatic life in the l vicinity of the station:

1. Effects resulting from organismic exposure to elevated water temperature at the point of discharge-and in the mixing zone;

2. Effects on river biota by chemical waste discharges from the waste treatment plant.(lagoons);

3. Impingement of fish on cooling water intake traveling screens; and

-4 Entrainment of plankton, ichthyoplankton, and drift benthic organisms in the condenser cooling water.

The following sections summarize arguments and projections of impacts presented in the Fort Calhoun Final Environmental Statement (FES) on each of the four previously discussed parameters.

3.2.1 Thermal Di,scharges ,

1. Freshwater fishes, including those of the Missouri River near Fort Calhoun Station, can detect a temperature dif ference of less than 1*C, and generally will avoid the discharge zone when water temperatures exceed organismic-preferred water temperature.

2. No thermal barrier would be created, and fish movement upstream and downstream would not be interrupted. A temperature rise of 2.4*F will occur at the discharre during the summer period

! while the plume will occupy nearly-50 percent of the river width. The plume will also extend to a distance of 10,000 feet i downstream from the plant outfall. Furthermore, the 5'F e

iso:herms will only occupy 75 percent of the channel width, and will extend 2,000 feet downriver from the outfall.

f During the winter months, the river water temperature will rise by 2.5'F for the total river width and will extend 5 miles downstream from the plant outfall. Neither summer nor winter the:nal conditions would create a thermal barrier.

t 3-5

t

3. Fish.are attracted to thermal dtscharges during-cold seasons.

~ Rapid reduction in cooling water discharge temperature durinh'

~

these periods will result in mortality er thernal stresses to 4 fish and' other aquatic biota found in the mixing zones. f At Fort.Calhoun Station, fish may find warm water discharges u 4 attractive f rom December' to February when the Missouri River-l water temperatures are lowest'. Organisms that' could 'suf fer a cold shock near the station were reported;to occupy a triangu-lar. zone which extends from the point of discharge to the eastern shore of the river (the oppostte l shoreline) land for a distance of 1,000 to 1,200 yards downriver - from the point . of -

1

'dtscharge.

3.2.2 Fntratnment and Impingement I 1. Spring and early summer development of fish ' species in the

, Missouri River probably takes' place in recervoirs located-i upstrean from Fort Calhoun Station. Addittonal spawning and 1

i development were anticipated to occur .in chutes and sloughs of i

the main river channel. (Chutes and sloughs are lacking near j the station.) Consequently, the station was predicted not to

j. impact fist, spawning ~ grounds.

2. A 2-minute exposure to elevated condenser cooling ~ water temperature (ZiT = IR*F) is unlikely to seriously'danage .

aquatic organtsns passing through the condenser, ,

3 Some conditions will prevail when organisms in the plume become exposed to a lit greater than 5*F for 9 minutes.

! 4 Survival of entrained fish larvae (e.g., carp, white catfish) ,

I at Fort Calhoun Station, was projected to he low. Mortality'

. would probably be R3 percent withtn 2 days after entrainment (this was based on data obtained from Haddam Neck Station).

Several factors govern impingement ' rates of ' juvenile and adult N.

fish among which is intake screen approach velocity. An I approach velocity of 1.0 fps or less may limit fish impingement. Approach velocity for Fort Calhoun Station was ,

expected to vary from 0.7 fps to 1.1 fps, denending on river 1

3-6

flow conditions. An approach velocity of 0.75 fps will mintntze impingement for species such as white crappie and~

channel-catfish (based on fish swin speed).

6 Due to high current speed in the Missouri River during summer-months (4 to 6 fps), the zone of intake influence should be -

markedly less in summer than winter. This should be reflected in seasonal impingement (entrainment). rates.

3.2.3 Chemical Effluents Chemical effluents from station blowdown and sanitary treatment plants were not anticipated to pose any threat to existing aquatic biota in the river. These liquid effluents would contain such pollutants as chlorides, ammonium hydroxides, orthophosphates, silica, and others in concentrations below those considered toxic to aquatic biota.

3.3 OPERATIONAL IMPACTS The summary and conclusions of operational impacts presented here

,5,32,33 represent the findings of 5 years (1973 through 1977) of monitoring effects of Fort Calhoun Station on the aquatic community of the Missourt River. These studies involved river fish populations, fish impingement, and fish larval distribution and entratament. Conclusions presented in this section were based on data interpretation by Omaha Public Power District (OPPD). These conclusions are to be distinguished from those of Section 3.4. The latter is based on evaluation and interpretation of preoperational and operational data which were l available.

l 3.3.1 Thermal Impacts l

l 1. River flow conditions and total plant production British Thermal Units (BTUs) dictate, to a large extent, thermal plume

(

dimensions. Thermal blockage did not occur, and a region of I

passage was obtained. Under most conditions of plant i

operations and river flow, vertical mixing extends to a distance of 2,000 feet downriver from the plant outfall, particularly for the 5'F isotherm; examples are shown in Figures 3-1 and 3-2 and Tables 3-1 through 3-3.

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1.oad: 460 MWe gross, Discharge Flow:

325,000 gpm, River Flow: 35,000 cfs, Intake: *F: 58.0 Discharne: "F: 7 5.8. AT: *F: 17.8 Source: Modified from Referente Dntument #8.

l Figure 3-2 l TRIPLE-DEPTH THERMAL PLUME MEASURED ON APRIL 15,1976 BY FORT CALHOUN STATION UNIT 1 OMAHA PUBLIC POWER DISTRICT l

Table 3-1. Representative Nigh River Flow Condition, Triple-Depth, Fort Calhoun Station, February 28, 1977 l lit, 'F l ,_ Distance From_Neh_raska Bank, Feet 10 25 50 100 150 200 l

i Transect No. 1 (RM646.0)

Surface 0 0 0 0 0 0 One-half depth 0 0 0 0 0 0 Bottom 0 0 0 0 0 0 Transect No. 1.5 (RM645.9)

Surface 20.3 20.3 0.2 0 0 0 One-half depth 20.4 19.8 0.3 0 0 0 Bottom 2fi.5 18.2 0.3 0 0 0 Transect No. 2 (RM645.6)

Surface 8.7 8.2 6.1 2.0 0.3 0.2 One-half depth 9.2 8.4 6.6 2.2 0.3 0.7 Bottom 9.3 A.3 6.8 1.9 0.4 0.2 Transect No. 3 (RM644.8)

Surface 6.3 6.0 3.5 1.2 0.4 0.2 One-half depth 6.7 6.2 3.7 1.2 0.4 0.7 Botton 6.3 6.1 1.7 1.2 0.4 0.2 Transect No. 4 (RM641.4)

Surface .3.4 3.4 3.1 1.7 1.0 0.5 One-half depth 3.4 3.4 3.7 1.7 1.0 0.4 Botton 3.5 3.4 3.1 1.7 0.1 0.4 Transect No. 5 (RM640.?)

Surface 2.5 2.6 2.5 2.1 1.5 0.9 One-half depth 2.5 2.5 2.6 2.1 1.5 0.9 Bottom 2.6 2.6 2.4 2.1 0.7 0.9 Missouri River Flow: 64,000 cfs Percent Power: 86%

Snurce: Modified from Reference Document Number 8 3-10

f Table 3-2. Representative Low River Flow Condition, Triple-Depth, Fort Calhoun Station, April 15, 1976 tLT, *F Distance Fron Nebraska Bankt Feet 10 25 50 100 150 200 Transect No. 1 (RM646.0.).

=---.----_

Surface 0 0 0 0 0 0 One-half depth 0 0 0 0 0 0 Botton 0 0 0 0 0 0 Transect No. 1.5 (RM645.9)

Surface 14.3 3.3 0.3 0 One-half depth 16.5 0.3 0.0 Bottom 16.0 6.1 0.0 Transect No. 2 (RM645.6)

Surf ce 2.6 2.9 3.0 1.9 0.5 0.4 One-half depth 2.4 2.8 2.8 1.8 0.4 0.3 Bottom 2.1 2.6 2.6 1.6 0.4 0.3 Transect No. 3 (RM644.8)

Surface 1.4 2.3 2.3 2.1 1.6 0.7 One-half depth 1.4 2.4 2.3 2.1 1.5 0.5 Botton 1.6 2.1 2.1 2.1 1.3 0.6 I

i Transect No. 4 (RM641.4)

Surface 1.2 1.6 1.7 1.5 1.1 0.9 One-half depth 1.1 1.5 1.6 1.4 1.0 0.7 Bottom 0.7 1.3 1.5 1.4 1.0 0.7 f

l Transect No.. 5 ( RM640.2)

Surface 1.1 1.5 1.8 1.5 1.2 1.1 One-half depth 1.0 1.5 1.7 1.4 1.1 0.4 Bottom 0.6. 1.3 1.6 1.1 0.9 0.9 l

i Missouri River Flow: 16,800 Percent Power: 96%

Source: Modified from Reference Doctment Number 8.

3-11

1 l

l Table 3-3. Representative A~ ver Flow Condition, Triple-Depth, Thermal Plune Me 2, Fort Calhoun Station, August 21, 1975

e. _ .. _ ................. .............

25 7 , 'F Distance Fron Nebraska Bankn_ee F 0 25 50 100 150 200 Transect No. 1 (RM646.0)

Surface 0 0 0 0 0 0 One-half depth 0 0 0 0 0 0 Bottom 0 0 0 0 0 0 Transect No. 1.5 (RM645.0)

Surface 1.8 3.8 0.1 0.1 Onc-half depth 16.2 0.1 0 Botton 6.6 3.5 0 0.1 0 Transect No. 2 (Rv645.6)

Surface 1.3 1.4 1.5 0.7 0.4 0.4 One-half depth 1.2 1.6 1.7 0.8 0.4 0.3 Botton 1.1 1.6 1.5 0.7 0.5 0.4 Transect No. 3 (RM644.8)

Surface 1.1 1.1 1.4 0.7 0.6 0.5 One-half depth 1.0 1.3 1.2 0.7 0.5 0.4 Potton 0.9 1.3 1.1 0.8 0.5 0.3 Transect No. 4. (Rv6al.4)

Surface 0.8 0.7 1.0 0.8 0.6 0.7 One-half depth 0.6 1.0 1.0 0.7 0.6 0.6 Botton 0.5 0.8 1.0 0.8 0.6 0.6 Transect No. 5 (RM640.2)

Surface 0.4 0.4 1.2 1.0 0.6 0.5 One-half depth 0.8 1.2 1.1 1.1 0.4 0.8 Botton 0.7 1.0 1.1 1.1 0.9 0.6 l

Missourt River Flow: 35,000 Percent Power: 96Y Source: Modified from Reference Document Number 8.

3-12

2. During periods of station operations, average water temperature in the victntty of the discharge was R.2*C (46.A*F) higher than ambient water temperature; however, within 1,220 meters (6,100 feet), the, elevation in water temperature. averaged 1.7'c (2.2*F).  ;

3. Impacts on river fish populations were not detected. Missouri Rtver fish density in the vicinity of the station changed between years; however, spectes abundance was relatively stable.

4 Production of macroinvertebrates below the outfall was enhanced due to addition of heat. This was attributed to a flourtshing periphyton community which, in tu'rn, provided the support needed for the benthic community.

3.3.2 Entrainment and Impingement

1. The total intake screen impacts on river fish consunity amount to the removal of 500,000 fish (May 1973 to December 1977) by the impingement process.

2. The majortty of tmpinged fish were young-of-the year or year-ling. These fish would_not have contributed significantly to sports and commercial fisheries due to high mortality rates.

3. Generally, the potential number of harvestable fish lost to impingement was low in 1973, 1474, 1975, and 1977. In 1976, large numbers of channel catfish were impinged. It was j suggested8 that such a loss would not significantly damage the river's commercial fisheries.

4. Larvae of game and commercial fish species constituted a minor portion of the total entrained fish larvae. Consequently, potential impacts on game and commercial species were insigniftcant.

5. Fort Calhoun Station *ntrained 1.8 to 17.4 percent of all river larvae passing the p2 ant. It was indicated 8 that not all larvae entratned were ktiled, and a 30 percent survival rate was estimated for larvae passed through the condenser in 1977, 3-13

when discharge temperature varted from 29'C (84.2*F) to 37'C (98.6*F).

6 Expertence has shown that plant entrainment mortality is attributed to a combination of thermal and mechanical ef fects.

Neither one of these two parameters was evaluated separately.

3.4 EVALUATION OF OBSERVED IMPACTS T'n_, section provides an evaluation of impacts of Fort Calhoun Station operations on the aquatic biota of the Missouri River near the station.

This evaluation is based on a comparison of preoperational and operational data sets, when avatlable, as well as changes which occurred during the 1973 to 1977 period. Post-1977 data is also ut.ilized as appropriate. In cases where there are not adequate basel tne data to warrant comparison of a parameter, professional judgment (based upon supportive pubitshed data) will be made.

i in this section, three major areas are addressed. These are thermal discharges, entratnment, and impingement. At the end of each section, a conclusion is given.

3.4.1 Thermal Di,scharge 3.4.1.1 Phytoplankton_--Phytoplankton preoperational data were collected from June 1972 until August 21, 1972. This short sampling period, in addition to hetny deftcie,t in seasonal data, was used to refine sample collections and laboratory techniques. This excludes stattstical com-parisons between preoperational and operational plankton communities.

However, field and analytical methods during operations were consistent. ,

i Sampling was conducted during both periods of station operat ton and shutdown. The combined effects of thermal and mechanical stress were determined from data collected on 72 dates of station operation. Data 3-14

collected on the 17 daten of station shutdown were used to investigate the effects of nechanical stress.

Duplicate phytoplankton sanples were collected twice monthly at the intake (Location 1) and discharge (Location 2) of Fort Calhoun Station (see Figure 3-3). Intake sanples were collected upstrean of the intake.

Surface water grab samples were compostted and placed in 18-Itter translucent carboys. Sanples at the discharge were obtained by pumpinn water from the outfall into a 3R-liter cylinder fron which the duplicate carboys were filled. Each composite sample was natntained in an environmental chanher at the intake water temperature and subjected to a light and dark cycle compatible with normal day length at the time of collection for determining carbon fixation rate.

Three subsamples from each composite water sample were analyzed for chlorophyll a concentrations at 7, 24, 48, and 72 hours8.333333e-4 days <br />0.02 hours <br />1.190476e-4 weeks <br />2.7396e-5 months <br /> after collection. Reference Number 10 includes a detatted description of Eteld and laboratory procedure.

By drawing a large amount of water for the cocling plant's condenser, planktonic organtsns are subiected to acute interaction of thermal, chemical, and mechanical stresses.13 However, at Fort Calhoun Station, entrained plankton will not be subjected to chlorine stress

! since the station does not use chlorine in the circulating water system.

l l Furthernore, by raising the temperature of the receiving waters near the site of disenarge, attached and floating organisms in the zone of I influence are expected to change, but in a less severe manner.

i l By passing through the Fort Calhoun Station cooling avstem, ph ytoplank-I ton of the Missouri River were reduced in abundance cud changed in diversity and species composition in the July to August period when /ST l was highest.9'I0 Phytoplankton and periphyton in the mixing zone of 1

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the st a t io n ex pe r ier.c ed a m od er a te c hang e o f sho r t d ur a t io n in respirat ion , density, and chlorophyll a produc t ion. Ib wev er , t he s e trends are generally reversed for the remainder of the year .

Data collected aboie (ambient) and below (discharge) t he Fort Cal ho un St ation out fall ( see Figure 3-3), ind ic ate seasonal changes in algal densit y and dominancy. Sane of these changes are naturally occurring ,

b ut other s are pl ant-induced . The latter is one of the pr esum ed concequences of the addition of heat to aquatic ec o sys t em . I '

Increases in water temperature result in successional changes in pl an t canmunities from diatoms to green algae, and then to blue green algae .

Al thoug h d ev ia t i<ans occ ur at the species level within each group, it is generally agreel that diatons pre fer temperatures below 30*C (86'F),

species of green algae occupy a wider tem pe r at ur e span and blue green algae are tolerant to high tenperat ures .

Carbon fixation rate, chlorophyll a, and to tal phytoplankton density were generally lower at the For t Calhoun discharge t han a t in ta ke locations during the sumn er pe r iod . Die bar.ed ia te e f fec t s o f t he d iecharge resul t in phytoplankton stress, particularly during sunner. A decline in the phytoplankton carbon fixation rate occurred when water .

temper a t tr e exceed ed 2 2 *C ( 71. 6*F) . Delayed effec ts may resul t in stimul at ion (or no change, 7 to 72 hours8.333333e-4 days <br />0.02 hours <br />1.190476e-4 weeks <br />2.7396e-5 months <br />) of the carbon fixation rate and chlorophyll a prod uc t io n increases at the discharge location.

Ca rbon fixat ion was inhibited during t he s umm er per i od , s t imul a t ed l d ur ing the fall period , and generally not a f fec ted for the remainder of t he year ( see Figure 3-4) .

Similarly, chlorophyll j,i concentration was inhibited in the sumner i season but st imul a t el in the winter season. Na significant change l b et ween in t a ke and d i sc ha rg e v al ue s wa s ev id en t in spring , fall , or i

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Phytoplankton densit y (number per unit of volume) was consistently lower at the discharge than at the intake during plant operations. However, during station shutdown, an increase in abundance of phytoplankton 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> af ter collections was evident, at the discharge location, perhaps due to mechanical effects. The greater values of phytoplankton density at the discharge than at the intake shown immediately after passage through the plant condenser could be attributed to fragmentation of algal cells. Mechanical effects stimulate productivity of filamentous algae by fragmentation which leads to increasing cell surface area and thus the metabolic potential.

Phytoplankton productivity indices (carbon fixation per unit of chlorophyll a) indicate stimulation in sumner, winter, and spring, and slight inhthitton in the fall, soon after entratnnent (see Figure 3-5).

While inhthttion of phytoplankton photosynthesta occurred in the olants' mixing zone during sunner high water temperature, in one case, it was reported that active photosynthesis occurred at 47.5*C (108.5*F) for algae at the plants' outfall, a temperature at which algae from the control waters were inactive. Phytoplankton produc tivit y indice.s during station shutdown were inconsistent; however, the index value at the discharge exceeded that at the intake. The low value of the product-tytty index at the discharge during the fall nay not he attributed to the heated discharge as one expects phytoplankton productivity to be stimulated during that time.

Phytoplankton species comprising 10 percent or more in abundance of all collections from October 1973 to June 1977, showed no consistent pattern j between seasons or among years with one exception. Asterionella formosa was consistently abundant IO and was most dontnant in fall and i winter.

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No evidence of phytoplankton blooms were noted in the data. This ,

perhaps was due to turbidity and river flow. There was a lack of definable spatial and temporal pattern in phytoplankton species dominancy over the sampling period. This is because an interaction. of a complex of factors (river flow, hydrodynamics, discharge rate, etc.),

among which the plant-rejected heat effect is not pronounced and is, in some instances, too difficult to isolate (e.g., increase in plankton density when plant was off-line).

The Fort Calhoun Station discharge affects the local periphyton conmun-ity dominancy during the summer period but not in fall, winter, or spring. On the contrary, stimul.cion effects were noted during most of the year. Periphyton community at the point of discharge was depressed in terms of density and diversity in summer time. The plant discharge in July and August may have altered the natural distribution of the ambient river periphyton community. - For example, water temperature near the discharge zone exceeded 30*C (86*F) in July and August. This temperature is far above the upper thermal tolerance range of most diatoms, however, this temperature quickly dissipates downstream of the point of discharge.I2 Diatoms that naturally exist upstream from

! the plant (or at a distance of 2,000 feet or more below the plant

outfall) show little or no effects, while diatoms at the outfall region i

I were replaced by the nore temperature tolerant blue-green algae during l

the summer season. A similar conclusion could be drawn regarding the green algae. Such ef fects are temporary and not unique to Fort Calhoun l

Station. These effects a: e seen in power plant environments nationwide.

l At Fort Calhoun Station, toth phytoplankton and periphyton communttles )

i i seem to be temporarily depressed 'in July and August at the discharge, but undergo a period of recovery in spring, fall, and winter. This makes the station's impacts of short duration but of frequent occurr-l ence. These impacts are judged to be minor, localized, and limited to regions extending slightly more than 2,000 feet below the station's outfall and to a distance of 100 to 150 feet offshore (based on mixing O

l 3-21

zone in July and August). Furthermore, periods of stimulation could

- -offset impacts observed in the July to August period. .

3.4.1.2 Zooplankton--Duplicate samples were.taken twice monthly with a filter pump; system. Samples were collected from Location 1 at . the station's intake structure and Location 2 in the discharge tunnel (see Figure 3-3). Intake samples generally were taken upstream of the sur-face sluice spray at a depth of 1 to 1.5 m below the . surface, depending on river stage. The filter-pump system was equipped.with Number 10 mesh (153-u) stainless-steel netting and a Rockwell W-160 DR Turbometer.

Sample volumes ranged from 0.4 to 1.1 m3 , depending on . the density of crustacean zooplankton, and were concentrated to 200 m1 for analysis.10 Fort Cal.houn Station entrained 1.2 to 4.9 percent of the datly total Missouri River zooplankton population passing the station (see Table 3-4) between October 1973 and April 1976. The mean number of zoo-plankton entrained daily was 2.8 percent of the total river population passing the rtation. The maximum percentage occurred on January 14, 1974, when the river water temperature was 0.8*C and lit was 10.3*C.

Considering the sampling period, October 1973 to April 1976, as repre-

- sentative and that 100 percent of the entrained organisms which pass through the plant cooling water system do not surviva the discharge canal, a conservative estimate of zooplankton entratnment mortality is 2.8 percent of the total river population. This estimate is greater than that provided by OPPD in 1977 (0.1 percent). An estimate.of 0.1 percent mortality was based on a differential immotility / mortality ratio and a recovery period of 4 and 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> (see Table 3-5) . This low value does not account for long . range effects of plant entrainment on l

the zooplankton community. It assumes motility and immotility for. a

. maximum duration of 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br />. This criterion could not he used when it 3-22

~. . ._ -- -

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Table 3-4. Estimates of Zooplankton Entrainment Mortality at Fort Calhoun Station, Unit 1, 1973 through 1977 Percent of Percent of River Discharge River Water Zooplankton Date Temperature (C) tkT Entrained Entrained

• 10-29-73 17.8 5.5 2.9 2.9 11-12-73 16.3 11.1 2.5 2.5 11-18-73 16.1 11.1 2.5 2.5 12-10-73 11.8 10.6 4.0 4.0 12-17-73 6.0 4.0 4.2 4.2 01-14-74 11.1 10.3 4.9 4.9 01-28-74 1.2 0.2 1.3 1.3 02-11-74 11.2 8.2 3.8 3.8 02-18-74 11.5 8.1 3.5 3.5 03-04-74 11.1 5.5 3.4 3.4 03-18-74 12.8 7.8 3.6 3.6 04-08-74 9.0 0.0 2.4 2.4 04-22-74 '11.0 0.0 2.4 2.4 05-01-74 20.6 5.0 2.4 2.4 05-20-74 23.8 6.8 1.9 1.9 06-03-74 29.0 8.0 2.2 2.2 06-17-74 31.0 9.1 2.3 2.3 07-08-74 34.0 8.3 2.3 2.3 07-22-74 37,1 9.2 2.2 2.2 08-05-74 30.0 8.0 2.2 2.2 08-19-74 32.8 8.3 2.2 2.2 09-04-74 23.6 5.8 2.3 2.3 09-23-74 26.5 8.5 2.3 2.3 10-01-74 23.0 9.0 2.2 2.2 10-14-74 22.2 9.4 2.1 2.1 11-04-74 18.3 7.3 2.3 2.3 11-18-74 14.4 7.8 2.3 2.3 12-03-74 11.1 9.1 4.3 4.3 12-17-74 13.5 13.5 4.1 4.1 01-07-75 11.3 10.8 4.2 4.2 01-20-75 12.8 11.2 4.0 4.0 l 02-04-75 9.0 7.5 4.4 4.4 02-17-75 0.6 0.0 4.4 4.4 03-04-75 0.5 0.0 4.1 4.1 03-17-75 1.7 0.0 4.2 4.2 i

04-07-75 3.4 0.0 2.3 2.3 04-22-75 8.9 0.6 2.3 2.3 l 05-05-75 15.8 c.6 2.0 2.0 05-22-75 27.2 6.1 2.0 2.0 06-11-75 27.0 J,0 1.9 1.9 t

06-23-75 30.8 8.6 1.5 1.5 07-09-75 36.5 8.9 1.5 1.5 07-21-75 34.8 8.6 1.4 1.4 3-23

)

Table 3-4. Estimates of Zooplankton Entrainment Mortality at Fort Calhoun Station, Unit 1, 1973 Through 1977 (Continued, Page 2 of 2)

Percent of Percent of REv'e~r Discharge River Water Zooplankton Date,,,,,_ Temg,erature (C) 2kT _ _ Entrai;n_ed Entrained

• 08-07-75 34.5 5.0 1.3 1.3 08-20-75 29.7 5.3 1.2 - 1.2 09-10-75 30.0 8.9 1.2 1.2 09-29-75 16.5 0.0 1.2 1.2 10-16-75 24.0 10.0 1.2 1.2 10-27-75 20.2 9.5 1.3 1.3 11-06-75 22.0 10.0 1.2 1.2 11-19-75 17.7 9.9 1.3 1.3 12-04-75 13.0 12.5 1.4 1.4 1

12-22-75 12.0 12.0 3.5 3.5 01-07-76 11.6 11.6 3.8 3.8

'01-30-7'- 13.0 11.0 1.9 1.9 02-09 '*- 12.7 11.6 3.1 3.1 02-23-76 3.0 0.0 2.8 2.8 03-09-76 2.0 0.0 2.9 2.9 03-23-76 6.0 0.0 1.3 1.3 04-08-76 23.0 9.5 1.9 1.9 04-20-76 26.5 8.5 2.1 2.1

~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~

Range fPercent) ~ 1.3-4.9 Daily Average fPeide~n't)"~~~~~~~~............

........... -. 2.8__........_.....

• Assuming 100 percent mortality.

Source: Harrow, King, Bliss, and Kline,1977, Modified from Reference No. 5.

l 4

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3-24

Table 3-5. Mclunical ml 'Ihermal Effects of Fort C.alhom Station, linit 1, Onkmser Passage m Total Zooplankton of Llw!

Missouri River, October 1973 throigh April 1976 Differential Imajtility/)brtality* Absolute Discharpe Ilse (Percent Date _0_ lburs ,4,_Ilours_24 Ilours_____Tunperature (C) __ __ A_T_ _, _ , River Flow) 0 llours,_(Percent) 4 Ilours 24 Ilours 10-29-73 15.0 9.6 10.1 17.8 5.5 2.9 0.2 0.3 0.3 11-12-73 11.4 5.3 1.7 16.3 11.1 2.5 0.3 0.1 <0.1 11-18-73 8.5 6.9 5.9 16.1 11.1 2.5 0.2 0.2 0.1 12-10-73 5.5 8.5 7.5 11.8 10.6 4.0 0.2 0.3 0.3 12-17-73 3.0 5.5 -

6.0 4.0 4.2 0.1 0.2 -

01-14-74 6.9 5.2 2.1 11.1 10.3 4.9 0.3 0.2 0.1 01-28-74 0.1 2.0 3.6 1.2 0.2 1.3 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 02-11-74 3.0 0.2 1.2 11.2 8.2 3.8 0.1 <0.1 <0.1 02-18-74 - - -

11.5 8.1 3.5 - - -

u 03-04-74 6.3 1.6 0.3 11.1 5.5 3.4 0.2 <0.1 <0.1 h

03-18-74 5.7 2.2 2.1 12.8 7.8 3.6 0.2 <0.1 <0.1 O'-08-74 4 0.8 1.5 1.1 9.0 0.0 2.4 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 04-22-74 0.0 3.6 1.9 11.0 0.0 2.4 0.0 0.1 <0.1 05-01-74 - -

3.7 20.6 5.0 2.4 - -

0.1 05-20-74 7.0 3.3 -

23.8 6.8 1.9 0.1 0.1 -

06-03-74 1.0 1.0 1.0 29.0 8.0 2.2 <0.1 <0.1 0.1 06-17-74 2.5 -

10.n 31.0 9.1 2.3 0.1 -

0.2 07-08-74 11.8 15 .9 5.3 3'4 .0 8.3 2.3 0.3 0.4 0.1 07-22-74 8.1 17.2 5.5 37.1 9.2 2.2 0.2 0.4 0.1 08-05-74 5.7 6.1 0.2 30.0 8.0 2.2 0.1 0.I <0.1 08-19-74 11.2 8.5 10.4 32.8 8.3 2.2 0.2 0.2 C.2 09-09-74 8.0 9.6 5.4 23.6 5.8 2.3 0.2 0.2 0.1 09-23-74 16.0 10.6 12.7 26.5 8.5 2.3 0.4 0.2 0.3 10-01-74 8.5 -

3.4 23.0 9.0 2.2 0.2 -

0.1 10-14-74 11.6 9.6 4.4 22.2 9.4 2.1 0.2 0.2 0.1 114 %-74 1.1 6.6 9.9 18.3 7.3 2.3 <0.1 0.2 0.2 11-18-74 10.1 -

10.' 14.4 7.8 2.3 0.2 -

0.2 12-03-74 8.5 -

'.7 11.1 9.1 4.3 0.4 -

0.2 12-17-74 - - -

13.5 13.5 4.1 - - -

. Table F5. Mechmical al 1hermal Effects of Fort Calham Station, Unit 1, (hvisser Passage m Total Zouplankton of the .

Missouri River, October 1973 through April 1976 (Contimux1, Page 2 of 3)

Cooling Water ' Teal River Effects Differential Imotility/Mxtality* Absolute Discharge Use (Percent _

(Percet)

Date 0 lburs 4 Hours 24 Hours Tm perature (C) _ __4T

_ _ _ River, Flow) __ 0 Hours 4_m ur_s_ 24 Hours, 01-07-75 1.9 5.5 4.7 11.3 10.8 4.2 0.1 0.2 0.2 01-20-75 7.2 4.7 5.0 12.8 11.2 4.0 0.3 0.2 0.2 02-04-75 0.5 1.2 -

9.0 7.5 4.4 <0.1 0.1 -

02-17-75 0.0 1.2 13.4 0.6 0.0 4.4 0.0 0.1 0.6 03-04-75 4.9 2.8 4.0 0.5 0.0 4.1 - 0.2 0.1 0.2 03-17-75 3.2 4.4 3.5 1.7 0.0 4.2 0.1 0.2 0.1 06-07-75 3.3 1.5 -

3.4 0.0 2.3 <0.1 <0.1 -

04-22-75 7.8 7.6 13.1 8.9 0.0 2.3 0.2 0.2 0.3 05-05-75 9.0 5.7 6.7 15.8 0.0 2.0 0.2 0.1 0.1 05-22-75 2.4 1.3 -

27.2 6.1 2.0 <0.1 <0.1 -

Y 06-11-75 5.7 10.6 14.4 27.0 8.0 1.9 0.1 0.2 0.3

$ 06-23-75 - -

10.6 30.8 8.6 1.5 - -

0.2 07-09-75 10.0 15.4 13.2 36.5 8.9 1.5 0.1 0.2 ' O.2 07-21-75 9.2 1.7 <0.1 34.8 8.6 1.4 0.1 <p.1 <0.1 06-07-75 5.4 3.4 0.1 34.5 5.0 1.3 0.1 <n.1 <n.1 08-20-75 7.5 4.3 1.8 29.7 5.3 1.2 0.1 0.1 <0.1 09-10-75 n.3 3.5 2.1 30.0 8.9 1.2 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 09-29-75 - - -

16.5 n.0 1.2 - - -

10-16-75 8.0 <0.1 0.4 24.0 10.0 1.2 0.1 <0.1 <0.1 10-27-75 0.6 4.1 5.2 20.2 9.5 1.3 <0.1 <0.1 0.1 11-06-75 6.4 2.1 4.3 22.0 10.0 1.2 0.1 <n.1 0.1 11-19-75 3.0 5.8 8.5 17.7 9.4 1.3 <0.1 0.1 0.1 12-04-75 3.5 4.8 0.9 13.0 12.5 1.4 <0.1 0.1 <0.1 12-22-75 4.1 17.5 20.6 12.0 12.0 3.5 0.1 0.6 0.7

Table 3-5. Mechanical mi 1herml Effects of Fort Calhoisi Station, finit I, Gnlenser Passage on Total 7mplankton of the Missourt River, October 1973 throigh April 1976 (Continuevi, Page 3 of 3)

O nling Water Total River Effects Differential Irmatility/ Mortality

• Absolute nischarge Use (Percent (Percent)

Date _ 011ours 4,,Ilours_ _,24_ _lkxtrs, __ _Tyrature (C) AT River Flow) 0 Timrs 4 Ilours 24 Ilours 01-07-76 4.3 2.0 5.2 11.6 11.6 3.8 0.2 <0.1 0.2 01-30-76 2.6 11.7 10.7 13.0 11.0 1.9 <0.1 0.2 0.2 02-09-76 4.3 2.5 -

12.7 11.6 3.1 0.1 <0.1 -

02-73-76 4.9 5.6 14.4 3.0 0.9 2.8 0.1 0.2 0.4 03-09-76 1.2 3.5 1.9 2.0 0.0 2.9 <0.1 0.1 <0.1 03-23-76 -

1.2 3.1 6.0 0.0 1.3 -

<0.1 <0.1 04-08-76 1.1 1.8 5.6 23.0 9.5 1.9 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 04-20-76 5.4 5.6 9.0 26.5 8.5 2.1 <0.1 <0.1 n.2 w

• Differential irmutility/mrtality equal to discharge minus intake im>tility/mrtality.

1 O Source: Onaha Public Power District,1978a, Reference No. 8

I i

l l ts not known if these motile zooplankton will succumb af ter exposure. A reasonable assumption, therefore,Lwould be 100 percent mortality.

' Working on the entrainment impacts of the Yankee Station in the Connecticut River zooplankton population, Massengill l5 observed l nearly 100 percent nortality of the cladoceran and copepod community at J. 31.0 to 34.4*C.15 Evidently these water. temperatures exceed the tolerance limits for najor organisms comprising these two-groups.

Generally, the discharge tenperature at the Fort Calhoun Station reached l 31*C or greater on 7 out of 49 samp' ling dates when the plant was.in i

. operation during the 1473 to 1976 reporting period.

A conhtnation of mechanical . and temperature ef fects would account for such high mortality. The mechanical ef fects attrthutable to Fort Calhoun Station are significant at temperatures below 30*C; above'that temperature, the temperature criterion becomes dominant. Other studies l5 have shown mechanical effects to account for less than one percent mortality of plant entratnment.

Entrainment losses inflicted by the Fort Calhoun Station on the zoo-plankton community were greater on the larger zooplankters (e.g.,

5 Diaptonus and Daphnia spp.) than on the smaller zooplankters. These

] large organisms (e.g., cladocerans) made up a small portion of the com-menity entrained.

1 4

Fish species which constitute the bulk of the river fish community (e.g., freshwater drum, channel'ca'tfish, and gizzard shad) feed

, primarily on henthic macrcinvertebrates, larger crustaceans, t

4 phytoplankton, and other fish (adult gizzard shads are herbivorous and j feed on microscopic plants, phytoplankton, and algae) .16 Larvae and juventies of these fish species are trophic generalists (small gtzzard shad are zooplankton feeders)18 and their feeding behavior is apt to be impacted during early life history stages, i

I 3-28~

E 1 i . .

~

. . The' effects on zooplankton appear to be localized. Despite the fact

that dead zooplankton can be indirectly lost to the food chain (not ,

eaten by larger. predators), they are recycled in the total system.

4 Critical entrainment mortality occurs during the summer period when ambient water temperature is highest. It was reported that . zooplankton ponulation 'ensity d at the station is low during these summer periods due to flow regulation by the Gavins Point Dam. Assuming a maximum l summer fit of 8 to .9.2*C (14.4*F to '16.6*F), when ambient water f temperature is greater than 26.6*C (80*F), critical limits for

! zooplankton would total 16 days per year (see Table'3-6). This period was reported to occur when the population density was low. ,

1 3.4.1.3 Benthic Macroinvertebrates--From the_heginning of the ,

l 'preoperational investigations in 1971, rock baskets were used ' for the quantitative collection of macrotnvertebrates. Samplers aere suspended .

j for 21 days a few ' feet below the water surface using anchors and floats.

l T.n the 1971, 1972, and 1974 collections, all attached material on the

' i netal basket in addition to the rock substrates was analyzed. Beginntnr i I ~

in 1475, only the standardized rock substrates were sampled. The surface area of the rocks was 2,100 c,2 +100 cm2 (approxinately 2.25 square feet).

t Sanpling locations are depicted in Figure 3-6. River Mile 646.0

! location (Station 1) constitute the control and was located'immediately upstream from the thermal ef fluent. Station 1.5 (River Mile 645.8) was j located innedtately downstrean from the effluent. All remaining.

l sanpling stations were progressively further downstream from the 1

effluent.

l Impoundnents, channelization, and maintenance dredging are inportant '

[

elements governing the diversity, distribution, and density of the benthic community of the Missouri River near Fort Calhoun Station.

River channelization has reduced the aquatic habitats which would other-

, wise have been colonized by about 67 percent. Total suspended solids 3-29 n .,,- ,- -. m4.....,. . . . ,c ,m.- , . . . . , , , a e. - _,-.-s -

w__ _ _ - _ _ _ _ . _ _

--_ _. = . . . . . ~ . . . . .. --.. . - _ . - ..

Table 3-6. Nirber of Days Per Year That the 8 a.m. Missouri River Wter Temperature Ws 80 to 84*F for 19551hrouph 1970 Tenperature Year Percent

(*F) 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 -

1960 1%1 1%2 1%3 1964 1%5 ~4 1%7 1968 1969 1970 Occurrence

>R4 0 0 0 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00

, 84 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 0.15 1

83 6 0 11 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 3 0 0.46' i

82 5 2 6 3 2 2 1 1 3 3. 0 0 0 0 2 0 0.69 "!

i 81 6 4 6 8 9 5 1 1 8 6 1 3 0 0 1- 3 1.(E 80 17 28 17 0 9 3 7 3 6 3 2 17 3 2 .5 1 2.02-u.i 117 TAI. 4.3R 0>

f Ntaber of Days 16 Source: Harrow, King, Elics, avi Kline,1977, Reference No. 5.

v O

l l,  ;

1 T

NI 1 U 0 5 N 4

6 8 O

I 7 T 9

1 A T

S T _

C I N _

4 R U T O 4 S 1 DI H 4 L 6 R A E C W

0 T

R f O F

Q_

U B

U P

K N A -

A H r B A u R M n A E O n K i I

E G 1 S M C N T P

T A A U R I L I R N U P N T

M m B E T O

MU T S_

D N C A ,

F E S N S

V T i N E O I

t Y

f i A T T O R A A L T R T

_ P T S S

0 B N U U 4 3 K S O 4 GE L H 6 NE A L OR I A

LC C C I

F I

T 6

T R R A O F

5 4 S F 6 E 2 T O

_ 0 EE A GR R Y 5 5 RU B E

T I 4 AT T 6 C R N I

I I CU E C 0 S R I T V I V

6 DS N 4 I E

6 O H R T E C OT L A N RT T

6 MI S NW O R 3 C N C ST e r

'h O i

u g MIA E

T T

F B S v#

B

(TSS) in the river generally exceeded 100 ppm. This would directly.

interfere with' the feeding mechanisms of benthic filter feeders 19 and indirectly limit their food production. Continua'. instability of '

the river bed provides limited or no opportunity fort the macroinvertebrate community to produce and diversify. ,

Data on the benthic community were available for 1971 and 1972 (preoperational)'and 1974 and 1977 (operational). The benthic community at Fort'Calhoun Station was sampled by rock baskets and artificial substrates at stations indicated in Figure 3-6. Such studies have limitations:17 they are qualitative and generally fatl to determine data reliability.

The basket type samplers, although more reliable than others, are colonized by chance,I0 and there is no mechanism to prevent the organisms from leaving the basket once colonized. Thus, only trend analyses over prolonged periods may aid in the detection of major faunal changes in the river.

There was a general decline in the number of taxa during the study 4

period. A decitne, from 53 to 70 tn the preoperational period of 1971

and 1972 to merely 47 to 40 in the 1476 to 1977 operational period, cannot be overlooked, although there was an increase to 61 to 77 taxa in the 1974 to 1975 period. This decline may be attrthuted to a change in river flow pattern and/or a change in laboratory ' techniques or may be due merely to natural or plant-induced effects.

There is no significant difference in macroinvertebrate community structure between upstream locations when all stations' data were combined. However, henthic macroinvertebrates were not recovered (due to avoidance) from the Fort Calhoun Station point of discharge (but not downstream stations) in the hot summer months. The following results apply: -

i

1. Some of the samples collected at the point of discharge (Station 1.5) had no organisms.

3-32 f

There were indications that diversity was zero at this station

~

2.

on occasions. An example was July 19, 1977 (water temperature l .was 97'F). Meanwhile, the stations above and below were l

normal.

3. On occasions (e.g. , summert me) the total number of organisms found at Station 1.5 were 5 to 10 organisms, thus for all practical purposes there was exclusion or an unfavorable area of colonization at the time of collection there. -

4 The statement was made by the licensee on page 2-17 of Reference 8: " Avoidance: Macroinvertebrates may have avoided colonization during July in the immediate vicinity of the i thermal discharge."

This seems to be the result of elevated water temperature at the point-of discharge (the communities at other stations were healthy) since the major taxa found at the site in both preoperational and operational i

periods were caddisfly larvae (Trichoptera), mayfly naiads (Ephemeroptera) and larval dipterans (mostly chironomids). An increase -

in water temperature changes both'the rate of emergence of aquatic species and the number of emergent species, e.g., the number of spectes of emerging adults belonging to the order Trichoptera and Ephemeroptera

' increased as the water temperature rose from.13 to 20*C (55.4*F to 68'F) but declined for me,bers of Plecoptera.20' An increase in water

~

temperature above this range r'eversed that trend. The water temperature.

measured at the Fort calhoun Station discharge far exceeded that range during the summer period. In contrast to summer nonths, during the fall and cold periods, the warmer water at the outfall stimulated a limited amnunt of henthic macrotnvertebrate production.

No definite pattern in density, diversity, or distribution in the henthic communtty could he detected among stations or between years, 1

because of insufficient data (e.g., lack of repitcates) or natural 4

3-33

-. - -- - - - - - .- ~ - , . . - -

variation. It is too difficult, if not impossible, to isolate the stations' impacts from those of river channelization or channel main-tenance activity. However, on few occasions, organisms with higher affinity to elevated temperatures were greater at the discharge than at control stations (e.g., Hydropsyche orris and Potanyia flava).

An inspection of the data indicated lack of substantial differences in benthic macroinvertebrate populations between 1971 and 1972 and the operational year 1974 in terms of dominancy and abundance. However, differences existed among the operational years 1975,19 76, and 1977.

For instance, in 1975, production of benthic organisms was obviously greater at the control station and at stations least affected by the heated discharge than at stations immediately below the outfall. In 1976 and 1977, there were no aoprect. ale differences between control and discharge stations when all monthly data were combined, i.e., a decline in one month was overcome by a stimulation in another month.

In May, June, and July in 1976 and 1977, the control stations displayed greater benthos abundances than stations below the discharge. Stations below the discharge exhibited greater abundances during other months.

However, biomass data collected downriver showed greater values than those found upriver. It can be concluded that the possibility of avoid-ing the the discharge by benthic macroinvertebrates during May, June, and July is a plausible reason for this variability.

Species diversity for samples collected at all stati.ons in 1975, 1976, and 1977 is shown in Figures 3-7, 3-8, and 3-9. No significant differ-ences in community diversity between stations were detected when all data were treated as a unit 8 (Data were not separated by sampling dates due to lack of replicates.) The diversity pattern between years was inconsistent when 1975 to 1977 data were compared (see Figures 3-7, 3-8, and 3-9),

consider 1975 to 1977 data, when mean and range in diversity (d) for each station are plotted for 1975,1976, and 1977 separately (see Figure 3-10). The diversity values for each station were tested using a two-way cross classification and Tukey's multiple comparison test, and 3-34

. , l i

_ 1 T

I N

U 8

7 N

_ 9 IO 1

_ T

, A T

. T S C

_ I

_ R N

_ T S

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. D R A

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_ C I .

1 s L 3 2s i B U

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_ C L A R L T U

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, #s,.

• OS F SI

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S 5 eE r I 79 uCE 1 i gP N F S I w

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , _ . _ . . . _ _ _ _ _ - ~ _ . _ _ . _ ._ m - -. . -

b 2s 4

]

I o, s

s 4

s s s t s

3 s 1S Ih s -

m r cn 1 s

5 4 e#

0, 3 g/

W+% -

9 31 n

+ -

4 s'" g

.O 9 +

' &,el ** 4 A

,,8 SOURCE: OMAHA PUBLIC PCWER DISTRICT, 1978.

Figure 3-8 SPECIES DIVERSITY (d) FOR MACROINVERTEBR ATE SAMPLES COLLECTED

. ORT 'CALHOUN STATION UNIT 1 IN 1976 FROM THE MISSOURI RIVER NEAR FORT CALHOUN STATION _

.J

.- L -

rv ~ ' - - - - -

1 3.

3, 1,

o,

/\

lh 3 ts

.} 2, /

~

a t,

/*

p** $1

+* p ps 4 ,/

• g 4 ve:p":,, s f*

SOURCE: OMAHA PUBT.IC POWER DISTRICT, 1978.

Figure 3-9 SPECIES DIVERSITY (d ) FOR MACROINVERTEBRATE SAMPLES COLLECTED FORT CALHOUN STATION UNIT 1 IN 1977 FROM THE MISSOURI RIVER NEAR FORT CALHOUN STATION

1 4-p 1977 1976 O

g 1975 3 -

g) __ --

-~

g s if, sg; .x*s 3> .'g - .

_a' g <.y  :- ._ ,-m_

i;"

a

~~

N q)'6)

,. 7%

_ _q)

~~

t --

~~

IN 4.T N 14 SN 4N $g STATION SOURCE: MODIFIED FROM OMAllA PIIBLIC POWER DISTRICT, 1978 Figure 3 -10 95% CCNFIDENCE INTERVALS USING TUKEY'S STANDARDIZED RANGE FOR FORT CALHOUN STATION UNIT I MACROINVERTEBRATES COLLECTED NEAR FORT CALHOUN STATION, 1975,1976, AND 1977

were also plotted by year 8 (see Figure 3-10). Monthly variations were not shown in the data (lack of replicates). Data for. Figure 3-10 indicate the presence of insignificant differences among stations and between months for 1975 population. In 1976, significant dif ferences in mean dtversity existed between months but not among stations.8 It was only in 1977 that significant differences (p=0.01) in diversity existed among stations; however, no two stations differed significantly (Tukey's multiple range test) with respect to diversity value.8 3.4.1.4 Fish--Adult and juvenile fish were collected from six locations in the Missouri River 'near Fort Calhoun Station (see Figure 3-11).

Three major habitat types were sampled both upstream and downstream of the Station. The habitat type at Locations 3 and 5 on the Nebraska side of the river included continuous revetment constructed of rock rip-rap and pilings. The current was swif t and the bottom was scoured along this outside bend of the river. The area sampled at Location 5 was within the zone of thermal influence from the station.

The second habitat type included wing dikes on the Iowa side of the rtver, with shallow silt-bottomed embayments situated downstream of these structures (Locations 4 and 6). Outside the wing dikes, the current was swift, and the substrate was scoured. In caln areas behind the wing dikes, sand and silt had been deposited by eddy currents.

i The third habitat type was the mid-channel area immediately above and I

below Fort Calhoun Station (Locations 7 and 8). These locations were characterized by deep water, a swift current, and scoured bottom. They l

l were sampled only during 1974 and 1975.

i l

Electroshocking was conducted with a three-phase 230-volt AC boat-mounted boom shocker at Locations 3, 4, 5, and 6. Approximately 7

l 1,200 meters of shoreline were sampled for a period of approximately j 30 minutes at each location.

3-39

, SCALE o 6000 2000' 3500*

~ '

0 y ) , y,gg f

l} . .-

.< \ ;w LEGEND J

4 \ }# Adult fish ksf \O, F--- y l

q' .'l N _k',3., N c. sompting location N Il.., '.\. .^ N- 7/ Cb g.ss N . ,.,

1 .- .. .s sN s s .

5 ., N CONTROL -

. .%Y "..-

4 ..

_2 l

K

- Q ~ , 's

l. /, E':. R .. .

']v'gD FORT L ,

a{ lCALHOUN  : 1<

7.. .

's bs 'N 6-

~

I STATIOff / g

%:17 jw ..nw y . , _

~

• 4

%a jf , hy .

t'- J'; ;. .

• g ZONE OF '

/ ,pTHERMAL INFLUENCE ' -/'... -

J.

r -'l'"

5  %,,

/  %, -

g '-

48 a \  %

SOUflCE10MM1A PUBLIC POWER DISTRICT.1978 Figure 3 -11 FISH SAMPLING STATION, FORT CALHOUN STATION

• UNIT 1 FORT CALHOUN STATION UNIT 1

T A seine, 7.6 meters long and 1.8 meters deep, with 0.6-cm Ace mesh was used to sample shallow water areas at Locations 4 and 6. One to four seine hauls were made behind a wing dtke at each location.

The mid-channel Locations 7 and 8 were sampled by drifting a trammel net along the bottom of the channel in the mainstream. The net was 30.5 meters long and 1.8 meters deep, with 3.8-centimeter har mesh inner pannel and a 15.2-centimeter bar mesh outer panel. One net drift covering a distance of about 610 meters was made during each sampling period. This gear was employed.to collect species chat inhabit the mainstream type of habitat. However, this technique proved to be difficult to use and was unproductive; consequently, it was discontinued after 1975.

Differences in sampling techniques between preoperational and postoperational years are summarized as follows:

For preoperational,: Fish were collected from (1) along the trail dikes with electrofishing, and (2) along the downstream bars behind wing dikes with seines.

For postoperational: (1) electrofishing along Nebraska and Iowa shores, (2) seines along Nebraska shores, and (3) trammel nets--mid-channel 1973 to 1975.

Fishes of the Missouri River are attracted to Fort Calhoun Station's outfall during the fall months. Fish sampling was only conducted from May through November and, therefore, the winter fish distribution is unknown (see Figure 3-11). This was substentiated by the fact that abundance and diversity of some fish species (e.g. , gtzzard shad) collected at the discharge during periods of station operation were greater than those found at the same location during nonoperational periods, at least during the fall when the water temperature was lou (reasons other than temperature may also play a role in fish attraction to warm water, e.g., food) (see Table 3-7). Gizzard shad and carp were the most notable examples among all species investigated. These l l

findings are not unexpected and have been reported for several fish  !

3-41

Table 3-7. Average Catch Per 1 kit Effort (30 Minutes) of Fish Collected by Electro-shockiry at the Discharge

• of the Fort Calhoun Station, Utdt 1, During Periods of Non-Operation and Operation Septenber O'ctober M ~ Total Non- Non- Non- Non-Oper- Ope & Oper- Oper- Oper- Oper- Oper- Oper-Month ,_ ation ation ation ation ation ation ation ation Average Percent 0.0 77.8 0.0 71.0 0.0 79.0 0.0 75.5 of Rated Power Average AC* 0.0 7.9 0.1 8.8 0.0 7.9 0.0 8.2 Skipjack hernng 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 Gizzard Aad 0.0 10.3 0.0 19.2 1.0 2.3 0.5 11.6 Goldeye 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.3 0.6 -

Goldfish 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 Carp 0.0 13.3 2.0 12.2 1.3 0.7 1.3 9.7 Red diiner 0.0 0.3 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.1 Oui 11back 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.7 0.0 0.3 0.0 River carpsucker 0.0 1.0 0.5 1.0 2.7 1.5 1.5 1.1 Snallmouth buffalo 0.0 3.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.3 Shorthead redhorse 0.0 0.3 2.0 0.3 0.7 0.0 1.0 0.3 Oumnel catfish 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 Flathead catfish 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 m ite bass 0.0 0.7 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.4 Green sunfish 0.0 0.7 0.5 0.0 0 .3 0.0 0.3 0.3 Bluegill 0.0 0.3 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.1 Largemouth bass 0.0 0.3 2.5 0.0 0.7 0.0 1.2 0.1 W ite crappie 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.0 0.1 Black crappie 0.0 0.7 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.3 Sager 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.3 0.0 0.2 0.1 Walleye 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.0 Freshwster drun 0.0 3.3 1.5 1.7 0.3 0.7 0.7 2.1 TUTAL NNBER 0.0 35.4 11.0 36.3 8.7 6.4 8.1 28.6 IUTAL MNBER OF SPECIES 0 15 10 10 10 6 14 19 1

- - - - . . - - - . - .=

l

• Station 5, see Figure 3-6 for station location.

Source: Harrow, King, Bliss, and Kline,1977, Reference No. 5.

3-42

.aptcien st other power plants' outfalls by several investigators.15 Fishes are known to congregate in regions of a thermal plume during colder months. This has been documented for' a. variety. of species including gizzard shad 23 and adult carp.24 Fish have'also been ,

- shown to avoid heated plumes when plume temperature exceeds fish-- .

preferred temperature.24- Fish are attracted to heated effluents'of

, ' power plants in winter and fall month's. Although this could lead to cold' shock-and result.in increased metabolism (and' decreased growth),=it may be beneficial-in certain instances. Working on the Potomac Electric Power Company Station in Maryland,. Moore and Frisbie21 Leoncluded that during a 4-month survey (January to April), the heated effluent'of' the plant supported winter sport fisheries at a time when no fisheries existed on the main river channel. Elser22 reported that heated ef fluents yielded substantially more- fish per effort during all seasons except July to September,.when water temperature was relatively high.

i Fort Calhoun Station did not significantly influence the number of fish species found near the station from lo73 to 1977. Both preoperational (1971 and 1972) and operational (1973 to 1977) data indicated changes in 3

relative abundance of gizzard shad, river carpsucker, freshwater drum, 4

_. and goldeye. However, all these species were dominant in the vicinity of the station during the preoperational and operattonal period (see Table 3-8). Changes in relative abundance were most likely due to increases in carp population in the river; however, collection methodology may account for part of the difference. The number of 4

species did not remarkably differ during the same periods (4n species in l

1971 and 1972 5 ,25 and 41 species in the 1973 to 1977 period8 ).

Furthermore, the seasons of the greatest abundance for at least the top five dominant species in the area were similar for the preoperational 1

and operational periods, t

The density of major species found in the study area could not he compared between the preoperational and operational periods due to changes in fishing gear and techniques. However, considering the i

! 3-43

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^

catch per effort-(abundance) of some' species; examples are carp and-t

.golJeye (see~ Table 3-8 and Figure 3-12). Carp and goldeye catches were t-

' consistently; higher each year during spring and fall; the highest j catches for gizzard shad were in summer; most freshwater drum were caught in October and' November, whereas the quantities of river carpsucker catches were similar among all months. These data seem to.

i correlate with the fish spawning behavior and temperature preference.

For'exanple, carp initiate spawning runs when' water temperature is 17'C-or greater-(during the spring). This makes carp easily vulnerable to

[

l fishing gears (high' activity period) in the study area during the spring (and fall) perted.

l As. seen in the data when comparing catches. at heated and noaheated i stations (see Table 3-7), Fort Calhoun Station discharge may attract l fish in the September to November- period. . It may change the l 'dtstribution pattern and the absolute abundance'of.some species. The most ' notable example- is the gizzard shad. Conversely, an inspection of i data summarized in Table 3-9 (the average catch per ' effort of gizzard shad) indicates:

1. No significant changes in catch per effort _ over the years at l the upstream (control) station (Station 3),

( 2. A steady incraase in girzard shad abundance at the out fall

! station (Station 5), and l

l- 3. A steady increase in gtzzard shad at Station 6 (Nebraska shoreline).

Uhile it is true that there was an increase at the discharge, this I

increase was not at other stations (nor probably the entire river).

! Fishes are known to congregate in regions of thermal plume in cold months and this is particularly true for gtzzard shad.23 l

! Carp was the mont abundant species at all locations. Station 6 (along I the Iowa shoreline) produced the highest catch per effort for carp.

I I

i 3-45

._. , _ . . . _ __. _ _ . . . ~ . _ - _-.__. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

l l

l 3_

l

• up so

4. .aus.o 6 m um l

• • m  ;

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= m n o -

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w w i. n 7s w

w w n

E u " = = = = e m na au mou O Wg (33 ggec. 3) a y j 4o m e \

so so 2D ss W 4 73 3 75 76 77 73 g 3 g 77 WAQ ELECTROSHOCKING. SEINING.

AND TRAMMEL NETS SOIJRrP OVat-IA PI19 tic Pr%vER DJSIRlCL1978 l l

Figure 3 -12 RELATIVE ABUNDANCE OF MISSOURI FORT CALHOUN STATION UNIT 1 RIVER FISH SPECIES 3-46

Table 3-9. Catch Per Unit of Effort (30 Minutes) of the Five Most Abundant Fish Species Collected by Electroshocking at Four Locations in the Missouri River Near Fort Calhoun Station, Unit 1, 1973 Through 1977.

Year Species Location 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 Average Carp 3 0.5 9.3 2.9 13.4 25.9 10.4 4 15.0 7.1 4.7 11.7 10.7 9.7 5 13.5 16.5 2.3 11.9 14.0 11.6 6 19.2 13.3 4.2 24.4 19.3 16.1 Gizzard 3 1.0 1.2 2.4 0.5 2.0 1.4 shad 4 2.9 3.1 11.8 4.6 2.7 5.0 5 1.0 5.3 9.2 3.1 3.3 4.4 6 2.3 8.1 1.1 5.6 12.7 6.0 Goldeye 3 0.5 0.5 1.8 1.2 2.9 1.4 4 2.3 1.9 1.4 4.8 8.0 3.7 5 2.0 0.6 1.2 0.7 2.0 1.3 6 7.4 3.6 3.5 6.1 11.9 6.5 River 3 2.0 2.0 0.9 2.0 3.5 2.1 carpsucker 4 8.7 1.1 0.6 4.0 5.5 4.0 5 2.5 3.4 0.2 2.4 3.5 2.4 6 1.7 2.9 0.4 5.3 9.0 3.9 Freshwater 3 -3.5 0.3 1.1 2.0 3.0 2.0 drum 4 23.7 0.5 1.2 1.8 3.7 6.2 5 0.5 0.9 0.6 2.1 2.7 1.4 l

6 2.8 2.6 0.9 3.6 4.0 2.8 l Source: Omaha Public Power District, 1978a, Reference No. 8.

l l

f l

l i

3-47

Evidently, the river at this station was relatively quiet and warm during certain times of the year. Carp moved between eastern and western shores of the Missouri River as water temperature changes occurred in the vicinity of the ple.nt. A similar movement was reported for other species near Cooper Nuclear Station located downstream from Fort Calhoun Station on the Missouri River.25 Furthermore, within and outside of the discharge zone, movements have been reported for other fishes,27 fishes of the Missouri River,25 and carp in particular.24 Other species at the Fort Calhoun Station showed no change in abundance above and below the discharge when annual data are grouped (e.g., river carpsucker). Data from Table 3-9 are sumarized by year. Attraction-avoidance differences could not be isolated. Monthly data were not available.

Potential alteration of feeding habits as a result of the Fort Calhoun discharge were evaluated in 1973 to 1477. Data on feeding habits of sunfishes, goldeye, bacs, and other species indicated that the station had no significant impact and that feeding habits of these fishes were

,26 typical for the same species found elsewhere. ,

Coldeye in the river were feeding primarily on plants and aouatic insects. Carp ingested large amounts of vegetation, but were generally ubiquitous in their feeding habits. Bass fed mostly on other fish species. Bluegills preyed on terrestrial insects. These feeding patterns are conrton for stream and river fish communities.

Fort Calhoun Station apparently does not interrupt fish movement of the Missouri River fish. The station's outfall does not form a barrier.25 When fish movement occurred, travel distances by some species could be great. Tagging studies were conducted on nearly 40,000 fish representtng 45 species of Missouri River fish. Among the tagged fish were these dominant river species: carp, channel catfish, smallmouth buffalo, river carpsucker, and flathead cat fish. A general i

conclusion was that fish movement was random, showed no trends, and most l

3-48

[

recaptures had shown no movement. However, a few tagged specimens traveled long distances, and they were frequently reccvered in the river's tributaries.25 In temperate-regions, sudden decreases in water temperature or cold shock may be of greater importance than heated discharges, particularly.

during the cold winter months.29 A cold-shock fish kill was not reported for Fort Calhoun Station even though there was a reactor shut-down on several occasions during cold periods. Fort Calhoun Station has a AT value of 13.9 to 21.4*C (25 to 38.5*F) during the December to February period. A sudden decline in -water temperature during this period due to plant shutdown will result in fish kill. Maximum impacts are anticipated to occur soon after shutdown.

Ash, et al.29 reported an initial decline in water temperature of 16.9'C (30.4*F) during plant shutdown, and this decline occurred with in only 30 minutes. This sharp drop in water temperature caused a massive fish kill in Lake Wahamum,~ Alberta, Canada. The gizzard shad is a species that tends to concentrate in the plume during the winter time.

Individuals acclimated at 63.5'F can tolerate a drop in water tempera-ture of 17.1*F to 46.4*F. However, a fish kill was reported for gizzard shad in the winter when the water temperature dropped 29.7*F at an electrical generating station on a tributary of the Ohio River. 3 Because river fish studies were not conducted during the winter months, it is difficult to precisely assess the effect of cold shock on Missouri River fishes that could be attributed to Fort Calhoun Station's shutdown. However, a review of available literature from other plante may conclude that of the 41 fish species found in the vicinity of Fort Calhoun Station, carp, gizzard shad, and freshwater drum are three t species anticipated to be attracted to the discharge zone (probably in greater numbers than other species). Due to the small size of the l discharge zone in the winter time and the fast flowing water in the riv e r , fish subjected to potential cold shock will probably make up a small pro, ortion of the river fish populations.

L l

l 3-49 I

An investigation of the impingement patterns at Fort Calhoun Station intake screens in 1973 to 1977 revealed an abnormal impingement event during the winter of 1976. In January to April 1976, large numbers of small and large fish were impinged on the intake screens. This might suggest that these fish had been attracted to the warm water used by the station to stop icing at the' intake and consequently impinged.

(Plant operation data were not available.) Similar conclusions were reported for Point Beach Nuclear Station on Lake Michigan.28 Cold shock should, however, be considered a relatively rare event and the station's impacts in this regard are expected to be minor.

3.4.1.5. Commercial and Recreational Fisheries--An important consideration in evaluating potential impacts of the Fort Calhoun Station discharge to the Missouri River is the availability and suitability of the area to recreational and commercial fisheries.

Therefore, any impatraent to the use of available water resources by fishermen would result in recreational and economic impacts. Presently, the channelized Missouri River seems to be utilized by small numbers of fishermen. During a site visit in August 1980, the staf f of Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (Tayler and Sheets, 1980) indicated that future intensive recreational usage of the river is expected. This is beccuse:

1. More people are traveling to the eastern sector of the state where the recreational water sources are located, and

2. The existing population centers (e.g., Omaha and Lincoln) are in need of more water-based recreational activities, and the Missouri River has the largest . potentral to fulfill these needs.

Thermal discharges have recently become popular and favortte winter fishing locations at a variety of power plants located on lakes and 28,15,21 Where sports rivers in the continental United States.

t 3-50 l

fisheries exist at these discharges, they generally provide desirable species such as trouts, basses, and pikes. Merriman and Thorpel5 reported that sports fisheries have developed in the discharge of the Yankee Power Plant in the winter to spring season. These fisheries were considered to be most successful, and fishermen using the discharge during cold months caught twice as many fish per unit effort'as those who fished on the river during the April to November period. It should be noted, however, that these fisheries have the potential of being depleted or the balance of prey to predator in the' fish community could

• be altered ,

j i

There is no evidence to indicate that the Fort Calhoun Station discharge either enhanced or degraded the ftsheries of the channelized-Missouri j River. -

Similar to other stations, Fort Calhoun Station should have the potentral for providing winter sports fisheries in the outfall region.

Although game and commercial fish spectes of thts section cf the Mtssouri River are limited, this outfall har the potential for a winter catf tsh fishery, particularly channel catf tsh. This potential does not seem to materialize because the area is not accessible to anglers from the shoreline, and boating might be impractical or impossible during wintertime. Furthernore, the Missouri River is a relatively fast flowtug river; it could not be confirmed whether the current reduces the ahtlity of fish to remain in the discharge area during the winter l months.

l In 1968, the Missouri River was divided int o three separate sections.

l The unchannelized section,Section I, includes the part of the river l

between Yankton and Sioux City (see Figure 3-13).Section II is the channelized section of the river between Sioux City and the mouth of the Platte River.Section III is the channelized section of the Missouri

! River between the Platte River and Kansas City. Section II includes the

[

t Fort Calhoun Station and thus the station's impact on the river's 3-51

,+- -

g SECTION I ront ruo^u o u-- **" l* . J - -- .-- [ .----. - - - - -

);

~

cams F

eorir om aw e

% "[ f ,g

-( -

SECTION 11 ui a FDRT CALHOUN pne sunn P =

, STAT!ON NEBilASKA QiY SECTION 111 DDOWNVIL1E E NCng y,

, , _ . - - . - . . . 3

=

E SECTION I; 81 MILES g  %,

w b SECTION 11: 132 MILES k unss la SECTION III: 105 MILES o8'as a,, q

+

SOURCE' ENVIRONMENTAt SCENCF AND ENGINFFRING. INC .1980 Figure 3-13 SECTIONS OF THE CHANNELIZED AND UNCHANNELIZED FORT CALHOUN STATION UNIT 1 MISSOURI RIVER 6

- , , .-. . ~. .. . - . . _ , .

Y fishery, if any, is most likely to be reflected 'in -the fisheries of ethat section.

Statistics on commercial fishery landing from the Missouri River ' were available from Nebraska Game and Parks Commission 30 covering the years-1972 and 1974 to'1976.

The nost recent commercial data on these three sections were reported in 1976 and sunmarized in Table 3-10. A comparison of catch per unit of effort for the Missouri River in the 1972,1974,1975, and ~ 1976 period is given in Table 3-11. An investigation of datalof Table 3-10 indicates:

1. The unchannelized section of the Missouri River yields more fish per effort (in terms of numbers and ' biomass) than the channelized sections, and

2. Catch per effort from Section II is .less than both Section I

, and Section III (catch'per effort data shown in Table 3-10 were taken from a survey of .1976 commercial fisheries industry of Nebraska).

The number of permits issued annually in Section II increased from 185 in 1972 (preope-ational) to 283 in 1976 (operational), and the number of fish caught dec'ined steadily. This resulted in a decline in catch per.

l unit of effort. Since this decline was for the total river as a whole, it could be assumed that the decline in the commercial fishery catch was i representative of a decline in the ecosystem of the Missouri River.31 Consider the data for the 1974 to 1976 period on commer-cially important species and rough fish (see Table 3-11). The catch per piece of fishing gear for rough fish, carp, buf falo, and quilback, has increased numerically from 1974 to 1976. However, catch per piece of

, gear for commercially important species (e.g., channel catfish) steadily l declined in terms of numbers but increased in hionass during this same period. The catch per effort (numbers) per piece of gear for channel

catfish declined from 1.5 in 1974 to 1.0 in 1976. Conversely,

+

4 3-53

_ - _ . _ _ _ _ - - . .._. _ ___. - _ . . ._. _._.. _ ~ . _ . . - _ _ _ . _ _ . . . _ . _ . .

_ _m. . - _. . _ . _ _ . . < . _ . . . . . . _. .

e i

i i "Ihble 3-10 Ommercial Fish lanling.asi Catch R r thit of Fffort in the 'Msa>tri River &gmaits in 1976*

Flatheal Otch kr - Qtch mr Ouumel Qtfidi Orp Ocfish Riffalo ' Ghers . 'Ibtal Otch/Pffortt River Mle' .Fishenne Wight Naber Wight N aher Wight Maber Wight (suber hight Mmeer eight

&ction Mmber Wight Maber Wight Naber Wight Maher t (Ib) (Ib) (Ib) -(Ib) (Ib) (Ib) (ib) (Ib)' (Ib)

I I 597 1,467 2,661 8,118 26 %2 2,690 11, 731 581 1,110 6,555 22,668 18. 6 M.4 10.9 . 210 16 3 . 9 - 567 4,042 17,086 1, 303 - 3,0% 16,262 57,397 6.1 21.4 117.8 416 141.4 499 II 2, 81 7 6,m6 7,552 27,671 548 ' 3,52 0 III 2,381 4,996 8,153 23,463 500 2, 81 6 @8 2, 14 6 325 445 11,768 33,866 8. 4 '  %.I 112.I j322. 226. 3 651' r

! l l l l l'

\

l l l

) l l Rive Mile Sanplai Pieces of Gr that Maber of Ibunits**

- (rep >rtal catch) {

ta i 0. I 81 mile 3 52 4) s~

II . 13 8 2,670 115 III 105 1,407 52

• Otch pr effort is definal as nunber or wight per gear.

t Ehconpasses Rxt. Olhom Statim, thit 1.

• • Each pennit is asstmal to re[ resent a fishennat.

Source: Schainost, S.,1976, mference 2. 42. i n

b 4

i 4

l

Table 3-11. Commercial Fish lavlirist avi Catch Per thit of Effort, Missouri River,19721hrowdi 1976 Qualnel Catfish Carp Cat fish Nffalo Others Ibtal Catch / Effort

• River Mile Fisherum Year Esber Wei$t Ember Weight Maher Weight Maher Wei$t Maher Weight Maher Wei$t Mmber Weight Poizuls Ptxsuis (Ib) (Ib) (Ib) (Ib) (Ib) (Ib) _( Ib) (Ib) (Ib) 1972 N/A 13,009 N/A 69,339 N/A 6,56R N/A 37,833 N/A 5,399 N/A 142,148 N/A 37.6 439 fB3 1974 4,417 12,371 4,748 53,411 553 5,435 1,0R4 31,762 597 5,140 11,399 108,169 3.8 24.7 334 615 1975 3,f61 15,935 7,768 63,587 448 7,413 3,528 36,615 1,067 7,067 16,509 130,617 6.8 32.2 403 726 1976 2',817 12,519 7,552 59,252 548 6,578 4,f%2 30,963 1,303 4,619 16,262 ll3,931 6.1 25.7 352 550

• Catch per effort is defirmi as potsuis <r raabers per piece of gear.

N/A = Not Available.

Source: Schainoist, S.,1976, Refermee No. 30

\

5

i 1

hiomass increased during the same period, thus -indicating an increase in l average fish weights caught. It may also be speculated that the decrease in number was accompanied by an increase in fish condition or

" plumpness". The decline in numbers, however, could not he attributed to the station, but rather to the ecosystem of the total river which in 30 expressed turn could be influenced by the station. Schatnost concern that the decline in the general fisheries of the Missouri River could signify a decitne in the fish population of the river. However, there could he a change in the type of fisherman currently _ utilizing the 30 i.e., from commercial fishermen to hobby fishermen.

river, 3.4.1.6 Summary and

Conclusions:

Thermal Effect--No significant adverse impacts to the biota of the Missouri River from Fort Calhoun Station discharge was detected. Localized effects in the vicinity of the discharge have been observed. These effects include changes in productivity of phytoplankton and periphyton during hot summer periods.

The plant neither enhances the fisheries of the Missouri River nor does it provide good winter fisheries such as those reported elsewhere. Fort Calhoun Station does not interrupt fish movement in the river.

There has been a general decline in the Missouri River commercial fisheries; however, the heated discharges from the station could not be directly tied to this decline.8 This decline is thought to be mostly related to man's activities (e.g. , dredging), and may be partly related to the use of the Missouri River as a cooling water source for several power plants located on the river.

I Fort Calhoun Station operates at a tit that appears to be too high for j several plankton and fish species to tolerate during the hot summer months. It is anticipated that these areas (areas near the discharge) become zones of fish avoidance or exclusion by henthic invertebrates at certain times of the year; however, no effects were detected downstream from the discharge. Other passively f1'oating organisms which are passed l

3-56

- . _ - _ ~.

through the condenser become subject to instantaneous mortality and/or when trapped in the heated zones near the point of discharge.

3.4.2 Entrainment of Fish Eggs and Larvae Larval fish samples were collected with two Number 0 (571-u) mesh nitex plankton nets suspended from booms attached to each side of a boat. A flow meter (General Oceanics Model 2030) was attached in the mouth of each net to determine the collection velocity and the volume of water sampled. Samples were collected with 0.5-meter diameter nets in 1974 and 1975 at a collection duration of 3 to 7 minutes. In 1976 and 1977, 0.75-meter diameter nets were employed and collection duration was reduced to 1 to 3 minutes. The larger net and reduced collection duration were implemented in an attempt to reduce collection mortality and still maintain an adequate sample size. In addition to the larger nets in 1976, collection buckets were switched from screened to unscreened buckets in an effort to further reduce collection mortality.

All entratnment and horizontal distribution samples were collected from the upper neter of water, except at the discharge location, from mid-June 1476 through 1977. In 1976, a frame was installed at the end of the discharge tunnel to provide a means by which plankton nets could l be lowered over the discharge port. This allowed discrete samples to be collected from the discharge.

j Duplicate samples were collected at each of six locations (see Figure 3-14) for analysis of entrainment effects from mid-April through early August 1974, 1975, and 1476. Samples were taken from the river j htweekly in 1974 and weekly in 1975 to 1978.

l Duplicate samples were collected at the discharge and plume locations, whereas eight replicates were collected at the intake. The additional i intake replicates were collected in an effort to determine net-induced mortality.

l 3-57

1 3

r

,. *: e

e

o'; = = Fish larvae sampling location if l.

k'

• ?

-9 N

',  : SCALE I -

. . f -

e, t^ t ', . . o 1000* 2000' 3000' l

l L. ,_ ,* 's j.

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.. 3 *1** O Y I I l .-  ;~:.i ' ,9 l

2 *:/. p s

- .R p .-..,;:

1 3 .. :. .

l "G: n FORT .'~ .

I CALHOUN .. . . . .

m I STATION / . :)'.

T ' *- .. . ' of so o un Q gs

, ' c' ,

conce.o .

u. ., * .

g.. ..-

S . <,.

co I 7p ^ ' ' '

% // . . 'k; -

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' i' 4 0,* ,, '

/

/c g'%,%, , s .s

• e+

r3

'<g FOJRCE' OMAHA PtJBLIC POWER DISTRICT.1978 Figure 3-14 SAMPLING STATIONS OF MISSOURI RIVER FISH LARVAE, FORT CALHOUN FORT CALHOUN STATION UNIT I STATION, UNIT 1, 1974 -1977

Ichthyoplankton entrainment impacts' attributed to_ Fort Calhoun Station 4

were evaluated in the postoperational period from 1974 to 1978. Samples were taken in April to August, a period characterized by spawning

-act .vities of nearly all fish found to inhabit the Missouri River main channel. Larval collections were taken at the surface'or within one meter of-the surface waters at 6 stations from 1974 to 1977 (see Figure 3-14) and at 7 transects in 1978 (see Figure 3-15). Three of the stations sampled in 1974 to 1977 were located-along a transect just above the plant intake and were considered to represent . the 1974 to 1977 period. Transects 1 through 4 were -used to represent 1978 river data above the station.

I Sampling larvae at or near the surface when nearly.all cooling water was withdrawn from the bottom portion of the water column nay actually represent a " worst-case" impact. However, entrainment estimates provided by Omaha Public Power District (OPPD)5 were based on average larval density across the Missouri River. This underestimates the

, actual entrainment mortality, since. fish larvae in the Missourt River i

, were greater in the vicinity of the plant intake than at the other stations sampled.

[

In the analysis presented here, date. on average density across the river are discussed and' compared to estimates based on larval density in the l water segment near the station (from which 100 percent of the cooling l water is taken by the plant).

l Five years of ichthyoplankton studies in the victntty of Fort Calhoun:

Station indicated the occurrence of 14 to 21 taxa of fish larvae in the Missouri River. These larvae were generally present in the vicinity of the station from er.ly' May through July. However, larvae appeared in l

tre river (below Gavins Point Dam; see Table 3-12) above the station as early as April 8 and as late as August 18.33 Fish larvae were generally abundant in late June, ear' July, sparse in late July to early August, and absent by mid-August. This pattern is a function of several factors, the most important of which is water temperature, i

3-59

a SOUTH DAKOTA  %,

e

~

z 9 8

_,,_,roRT RANO_ML DAM _-- TRANSECT 11 l oAvns eoni =

l TRANSECT 2J / \Se7[ ! / IOWA '

NEBRASKA ITRANSECTsi M* TRANSECT 4 l pTTE RIVEa

$EE WAT q t TRANSECT S l utaAAsmA cnv N if TRANSECTS]

,,,,W M RIVER .

'e Y . . _ . . _ . . _ . . - . . _ . . _ . . $

3

$ ' = cacq 5 MANSECHl KANSAS <m_a a a 9 ao ,p "*%ns g q scAtE m aoueTERs l

{l l

j MISSOURI

_ SOURCE: OMAHA PUBLIC POWER DISTRICT 19FO Figure 3-15 MISSOURI RIVER FISH LARVAL SAMPLING STATIONS, FORT CALHOUN FORT CALHOUN STATION UNIT 1 STATION, UNIT 1,1978

_m _ _ . . - - _ . _ _ - - _ _ _ _ _ __ - - _ _ . - _ _ - - - _ _ _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ - - _ _ _ _ _ _ _______ .__

= _ .

Table 3-12. Density of Fish Larvae (Number /m3 ) Collected From Missouri River at Seven Sampling Transects in 1978 Week Sample Transect of 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 April 8-14 0 .006 0 0 0 0 0 April 15-21 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 April 22-28 0 0 0 0 0 .

0 .009 April 29-May 5 0 0 0 0 .002 .022 .008 May 6-12 0 0 .004 0 .026 .010 .014 May 13-19 0 .150 .162 .138 .368 .099 .078 May 20-26 .055 .035 .035 .057 .117 .082 .229 May 27-June 2 .019 .296 .270 .091 .257 .254 .565 June 3-9 .029 .184 .113 .153 .235 .279 .238 June 10-16 .082 .193 .092 .121 .206 .130 087 June 17-23 .385 .639 .153 .309 .326 .132 .066 June 24-30 .251 .305 .377 .364 .637 .260 .202 July 1-7 .656 3.895 3.38 2.879 2.572 1.699 3.229 July 8-14 .875 1.068 1.682 1.317 .602 463 .380 July 15-21 .104 .303 .3 06 .1A6 072 .273 .173 July 22-28 .107 .080 .118 .107 .164 .230 .059 July 29-August 4 .034 .003 039 022 .055 027 .016 August 5-11 .010 014 .016- 016 .01 .011 006 August 12-18 019 .002 004 013 .006 Source: Harrow, Cherko, and Schlesinger, 1975, Reference No. 33.

i l 3-61 l

a ' fact that is very we11' documented for :nearly all species 'co11ected.16 Peak larval density , coincided with water temperatures of 20 to 25'C. -

. Peak densities observed in 1974 through 1978 were generally associated' with the occurrence of freshwater drum larvae. Hatching of freshwater drum eggs is known to take place within 25 to 30 hours3.472222e-4 days <br />0.00833 hours <br />4.960317e-5 weeks <br />1.1415e-5 months <br /> at a water

~

temperature 'of 22*C.

Among the 14 to 21 taxa of fist. larvae collected ~ and identified, larvae of freshwater drum, suckers (Family Catostomidae), carp and species of 1

Ctiz_ostedion (saugers and walleyes, Family Percidae) were described as dominant to common in all collections.

The most abundant species th'roughout the years of study was the freshwater drum. Drum larvae made up 44- to 88 percent of larvae i collected in 1974 and 1977, respectively-(see Table 3-13). ~Furthermore, there was an upward trend in relative abundance of freshwater drum larvae from 1974 to-1977. This increase in larval relative abundance over the years did not correspond to'the relative density of adult freshwater drum collected ' in . the vicinity _ of the station- during the same period.- On.the contrary, there has been a decline in relative abundance of adult freshwater drum in 1976 - and 1977 from the previori year. This decline in relative abundance is an artifact since there has been 'an increase in the gizzard shad population in the river (see Table 3-8).

Catostomids (carpsuckers, buffalos, white suckers, and redhorses) were collectively the second most abundant group, and, together with freshwater drum, constituted approximately 90 percent or more of total fish larvae collected. It is worth noting that adult carp and goldeye were dominant in river fish collections, but eggs and larvae of these two species were insignificant fractions of the ichthyoplankton. This suggests a sampling bias, selectivity and/or differences in larval distribution due to the hydrodynamic nature of the Missouri River.

i 4

J e

3-62

- . ~_ - . .- - - - _ . - _ _ . - . - - . . -.

Table 3-13. Summary of the Relative Abundance of Adult and Larval Fishes in the Missouri 1tiver -

Near Fort Calhoun Station, 1974 through 1977

---

...... .. -.......... _ _._ . - - - - - - - - . - - - - - . . - _ . - - . . . . . . . . - - - --------- = . . . -

Relative Abundance-(Percent)'

1974 1975 1976 .

_ 1977 l Taxe Larvae _ -- Adult --Larvae _ Ad_ ult . . . Larvae

-- ---Adult Larvae Adult Scaphirhynchus sp. 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 <0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 i

Cizzard shad 2.5 7.5 1.6 19.8 2.9 10.8 3.1 4.0 '

.Goldeye 0.1 11.0 0.1 25.9 <0 .1 - 10.8 <0.1- 15.2 Carp 3.7 57.4 3.0 30.2 0.7 33.4 0.8 28.4.

4 w

Cyprinidae 1.7 ---

1.4. --

0.6 --

0.8 --

Catostomidae 38.3 17.0 15.5  :

9.5 11.7 16.4 6.3 .17.2 White bass 0.3 0.6 2.3 0.3 0.1 1.4 0.0 0.1 Lepomis sp. 0.2 0.3 0.8 ;0.0 <0.1 -2.5 <0.1, 0.3 Pomoxis sp. 0.4 0.6 0.1 0.0 <0.1 5.9 '0.0' ' 0.1 :

Percidae 0.1 -

0.0 -

<0.1 -

. <0.1 - -

Yellow perch 0.0 0.0 0.0. 0.0- <0.1 1.4 <0.1' O.0 Stizostedion sp. 5.6 0.6 1.6 0.9 0.4 0.8 0.2 0.7'

}

0.6 '6.0 3.4 88.2 3.9

~

! Freshwater drum 43.7 73.7 83.4 1.7 0.3.

Unidentified 2.3 - -

0.2- - -

I

.... ..........----- . ........-_ ------- ......--...-..........= .---------- --...--- ___. - - - -

Source:- Omaha Public Power Dtstrict, 1978a, Reference No. 8.

i

I' I l

. Hydrodynamic forces are likely to influence the larval distribution in the Missouri River. Adults and juveniles of some fish displayed a nearshore/ offshore movement while their larvae tended to cluster in inshore zones. For example, data of Table 3-14 indicated that density of gizzard shad larvae was always lower at Station 3 (mid-river) than at either Station 1 (near plant intake) or Station 4 (near Iowa Shores).

Results of larval studies from 1974 to 1977 by OPPD often indicated greater larval density at the intake. For example, in 1977 density of larvae near the intake (Station 1) was nearly four times greater than at Station 2 (mid-river) and two times greater than at Location 4 (Iowa shoreline). In July 1978, larval density at Station I was 2.4 times greater than at Location 3 and 2.9 times greater than at Station 4 In July 1979, average larval density at Location I was five times greater than at mid-river and 2.2 times greater than near Iowa shore (Station 4).

Adult carp were the most abundant fish in the vicinty of the Fort Calhoun Station throughout the study period (see subsection 3.4.1.4).

Goldeye (adults and juveniles) were the second most abundant species in 1975 and again in 1977. The relative abundances in the adult population of these species do not reflect their ratio in the ichthyoplankton.

Conversely, adult gamefish abundance seems to parallel their larval abundances in the vicinity of the station. Game fishes collected from 1974 to 1978 were either nest builders or spawners of demersal-adhesive eggs which attach to vegetation. Additionally, such species often display parental care for eggs and larvae until a later stage of develo pment . In contrast to game fishes, freshwater drum was the sixth most abundant species in the river collections. (Its larvae made up as much as 38 percent of the larvae collected in 1977.) Freshwater drum eggs and larvae are pelagic, a fact that accounts for their high abundance. Other fishes considered pelagic spawners, whose larvae were among the drift, included gizzard shad and carp.

3-64

l Table 3-14. Relative Abundance (Percent) of Fish Larvae Collected at Three Stations Across the Missouri River Just Above the Fort Calhoun Station, Unit 1, 1974 Through 1977

- _-_.._..--.. .-. ---__ .=

Relative Abundance (Percent)

..... 1974.....

- ._. 1975...__ ._ 19 7J... _

1977 .:,

Taxa 1* 3t =4** 1

-3 4 1 3 4 1 3 4 Scaphithynchus sp. 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 . 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0~ <0.1 0.0 i

C? uard shad 3.5 0.0 4.6 2.9 0.6 2.4 3.1 2.2 3.3 3.9 2.2 6.3 Coldeye 0.0 1.3 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.2 0.0 <0.1 0.0 <0.1 1.0 0.3 Carp 2.8 9.5 1.2 3.7 4.1 3.4 0.6 1.2 0.6 1.1 1.7 1.1

Y Cyprinidae 1.9 6.2 3.3 2.3 0.9 1.4 0.7 0.6 0.8 2.9 3.9 6.1 a

• 5.5 11.6 Catostomidae 47.3 40.5 39.2 14.3 13.4 15.5 8.2 19.0 14.3 9.7 l Burbot 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 <0.1 White bass 0.5 4.0 '2.5 0.4 0.8 0.5 0.1 0.1 0.1 1.3 0.2 0.2 Lepom_is sp. 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 0.2 '<0.1 0.2

. Pomoxis sp. 0.3 0.0 0.7 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 <0.1. 0.0 <0.1 0.0 Percidae 0.0 9.o 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 <0 . I <0.1 0.0 <0.1 0.0 <0.1 Yellow perch C.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 (0.1 <0.1 <0.1

• Stizostedion sp. h.4 1.7 1.4 2.5 0.1 1.4 0.5 0.1 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.4 Freshwater drum 35.8 33.4 46.5 72.1 78.0 71.7 .86.7 76.4 80.4 84.7 78.8 75.5 Unidentified 0.8 3.4 0.6 1.4 2.0 1.9 <0.1 0.3 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 4

• Intake location t Midriver loce. tion 1Buhms stpanakhipeblic Power District, 1978a, Reference No. 8.

The occurrence of larvae in the drift followed a similar pattern in the 1974 through 1978 sampling period. Sauger, walleye, and suckers (e.g.,

buffalo, Ictiobus sp.) were dominant in May and freshwater drum and suckers (Carpiodes sp.) were dominant in June and July. While commercial fish made up the bulk of the larval collections, game fishes (e.g., yellow perch; white bass, walleye) constituted less than 1 percent of all larvae collected (see Table 3-13).

It appears that the majority of the ichthyoplankton collected in the vicinity of the Fort Calhoun Station was essentially derived from Lewis and Clark Lake reservoir (at Gavins Point Dam) approximately 120 miles above the station. This larval contribution was estimated to be 10 million freshwater drum larvae, 800,000 cyprinids and 700,000 sauger and. walleye larvae during peak 24-hour periods.32 Minor contributions are also derived from backwaters, streams, sloughs along the channelized Missouri River, and the unchannelized river between Yankton and Sioux City.0 Other investigators 0reported significantly greater numbers of larvae (400 to 500 million) were discharged from Gavins Point Dam to Missouri River. These larvae pass Fort Calhoun Station at peak larval drift. It is important to note that in 1978 Harrow and Schlesinger 33 estimated input into the Missouri River fraa all tributaries between Gavins Point Dam and Iatan (see Figure 3-10) between June 17 and July 19 to be 372 million larvae. Furthermore, these investigators reported the number contributed from Gavins Point Dam to be !,670,000,000 larvae during the same period (see Reference 33 for methods used to estinate nunber of larvae for that span of time). A total of 3,387,000,000 larvae were thus helteved to pass Fort Calhoun Station during that per_iod.33 Freshwater drum accounted for nearly 75 percent of all larvae entrained in the 1974 to 1977 period. This species was reported to experience 96 percent mortality af ter passage through the plant condenser.8 Catostomid larvae seem to survive the condenser stress better, showing a 51 percent survival rate. Since no long-term viability (survivability) 3-66

studies were available, entrainment mortality estimates outlined below assume total larval mortality. This assumption is also shared by other investigators.15 OPPD provided estimates on the number of larvae entraiaed by Fort Calhoun Station from May 7, 1974 through July 25, 1977 (see Table 3-15). The station entrained 1.8 to 12.8 percent of the total larvae passing the station. Average entrainment losses were 5.3 percent of the total river larvae passing the station or 2,527,765 larvae per day. These estimates were based on:

1. 100 percent larval mortality,

2. Average number of larvae passing the station were weighted averages, and

3. All species combined (i.e., all species were treated equally even though only two species made up 90 percent of the collections).

These figures tend to underestimate plant-induced larval mortality due to reasons discussed earlier in this section, i.e., larval density near the plant intake was consistently higher than at other locations.

Peak annual density and larval abundance in the Missouri River near Fort Calhoun Station are shown in Figure 3-16. By estimating the average l

larval density over the years and total cooling water volume withdrawn during the same period, one can determine the total number of larvae entrained during one or more seasons. Data from 1974 (see Figure 3-16) i l

do not seem to be representative 34 due to the appearance of a false l

peak, and therefore they were apparently ignored. Data from May 14, I

l 1975 (assuming larvae first appeared in the collections) through July 29, 1977 were considered representative and used here to estimate the number of larvae entrained daily and annually. By integrating average daily losses over a 77-day period (assuming larvae were only lost to the plant from May 14 through July 29 every year) the resultant figure would represent the total annual larval mortality. This method underestimated the real mortality since larvae were found in the Missouri River as early as April 8 and as late as August 18.33 l

r i

3-67 t

l

Table 3-15. Nsnber of larvae Ihtrainal Daily at R>rt Onllu>m Station, thit 1,19741hrotgh 1977 River Flow Ox)lirg Eter the Ibrcent of Hisa>tri River Nadier of larvae Date (cfs) (Percent River Flow) Fish larvae Entrained Entrairmi per 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> May 07, 1974 32,000 2. 5 12.4 131,000 my 24,1974 33,000 2.4 9.8 606,000

.1sie 05,1974 33,500 2.4 5. 3 847,000 Jme 18,1974 35,000 2.3 6.1 1,265,000 11y 09,1974 34,500 2. 3 4.9 745,000 Daily Averg,e (1974) 718 )l00 May 14, 1975 38,000 2. I 2.1 78,000 my 29,1975 40,500 1.9 4.1 210,000

.1me 04, 1975 40,000 2. 0 3.0 683,000 Ase 12,1975 44,500 1.8 3.8 912,000

.1me 19,1975 52,700 1. 5 2.4 1,579,000 Jme 26,1975 48,500 1. 7 2.2 5,786,000 11y 02,1975 51,500 1. 6 2.1 8,704,000 y July 08,1975 53,000 1.5 2.7 1,528,000

$ 11y 23,1975 59,000 1.4 1. 8 279,000 Daily Average (1975) 2,195 / 44 May 20,1976 37,000 2. 2 10.0 208,000 Jme 02,1976 38,500 2.1 3.9 410,000

.1me 09,1976 40,000 2.0 3.5 3,562,000 Jme 16,1976 3 9,800 2.0 5. 7 11,097,000

.1me 21,1976 39,100 2.1 5. 2 2,826,000 Jme 30,1976 42,600 1.9 5.3 11,064,000 11y 07,1976 40,900 2. 0 6.4 4,872,000 July 14,1976 39,300 2.0 6.0 1,806,000 11y 29,1976 40,700 2. 0 3.5 502,000 Daily Average (1976) 3,638,200

1hble 3-15. Manber of larvae Strainal Diily at R>rt Oilhom Station, lhit 1,19741hrotgh 1977 (0)ntinued, Inge 2 of 2)

River Flow (bolim Water Ibc mrcont of Ptss>tri River Maber of larvae Date (cfs) _( Percent River Flow) Fish 1.arvae Entrained Entrained per 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> my 12,1977 31,600 2. 5 2.5 8l,000 my 25,1977 31,700 2.5 4.4 550,000 ine 01, 1977 31,900 2. 5 3. 8 1,377,000 Jme 06,1977 31,400 2.6 9.1 2,956,000 ane 15,1977 35,100 2. 3 9. 2 10,128,000 Jme 23,1977 33,300 2.4 6.4 3,334,000 .

ine 30,1977 33,500 2.4 4. 7 3,009,000 July 06,1977 33,100 2.4 4.5 2,687,000 11y 13,1977 34,500 2. 3 4.7 1,514,000 July 25,1977 37,700 2.1 8.3 573,000 Daily Average (1977) 2,620,900 aani kerge (M)./A) 2, 8 9,655 m (excitating 1974 data)

Seasonal Mortality Rate (77 days / season) ,

218,653 /.40 merge (inJ24 hotrs) incitdirg 1974 data. 2,527,765 8

season (1.963788 x 10 St>urce: (haha Ptblic Ibwr District,1978a, kference N). 8.

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2 An estimated total of 218,653,440 larvae were removed by the plant from the river fish larval population annually (1974 to 1977). To translate this number into adult fish population, one must take into account 'the natural mortality during different life stages, _ (i.e., from eggs to larvae to juveniles and' adults) since entrainment mortality adds to natural mortality. Survival and mortality data for different life stages of fish entrained by Fort Calhoun Station were not available.

Other studies indicated'high natural mortality for prolific species (species with high reproductive capacity) such as shads and alewives.

Leggett 35 and Kissi1 36 reported a survival rate from eggs to adults to be 0.001 percent and 0.0014 percent for American shad and alewives. Evidently, these estimates are higher for nonprolific species l6 such as those entrained most by Fort Calhoun Station.

(Fort Calhoun Station entrained a maximum of about 7 percent of larvae passing the plant.) Additionally, the probability of survival from larvae to adults is much greater than the probability'of survival from eggs to larvae. Thus, a survival rate of 0.1 percent from larvae to adult is not unreasonable. A survival rate greater than 1 percent is not uncommon and has been reported for species such as yellow perch.

Assuming a 0.1 percent survival rate from larvae to adults for species entrained (mostly freshwater drum and suckers), a total of 218,653 adult

' fish are lost to Fort Calhoun Station annually.

The following rationale applies:

1. Reference 8 assumed a survival rate of 0.1 to 1.0 percent survival rate for gizzard shad.

2. Prolific species have a survival rate of 0.001 to 0.0014 percent from eggs to adults.

3. Nonprolific species have higher survival rates than prolific species, thus more than 0.001 to 0.0014 percent from eggs to adult.

3-71

4. As .an example, yellow perch survival rate from eggs was reported to 1 percent or greater.44

5. Most mortality occurs at the, egg level, e.g., prolific species could have egg to early larval mortality of 99.9 percent. Here a'O.1 percent larval survival .s not overestimated.

6. Assuming survival of gizzard shad from egg to early larval stages is 0.01 percent and survival fran egg .to adult is O.001 percent, thus survival from early larval stage to adult is 0.1 percent. Survival rate for drum, catfishes, should in 1

fact be greater than the 0.1 percent as was assumed for larvae-adult state.

Reference 28 indicates that alewife survival rate from egg to adult is 2

0.012 percent. Also, smelt survival rate from egg to larvae is 0.03 percent. If these numbers are used, a 0.1 percent survival rate

~

for larvae will be reasonable. Reference 6 provides very high survival rates.

This high adult loss exceeds the total commercial catch reported from the three sections of the Missouri River by a large factor.30 The significance of this loss should be evaluated on a species-by-species basis. Obviously, the single species that suffers most is the freeh-water drum. Even though considered a commercially important species within its range, unis was not the case in the Missouri River.33 Conversely, this impact might be significant if other species'were considered. For example, catostomids are commercially important (as a group) to the Missouri River commercial fisheries. This group comprised 8.2 percent of the larvae found in the Missouri River near Fort Calhoun Station in Section 1 (intake location) in 1976. This means that, on the average, a total of 18,585,539 larvae of catostomids were entrained in 1976. Translating this into adult fish assuming a 0.1 percent survival from larvae to adult equivalents, 18,586 adult catostomids were killed by the station. This is far greater than the commercial catch of these 3-72

r ,

fish reported in the same year. Similar conclusions could be achieved for years other than 1976. Other valuable commercially important species such as channel catfish were practically ur. harmed by the station's entrainment mechnaism (see impingement impacts on this species in subsection 3.4.3).

In the foregoing discussion, it was assumed that'100 percent of larval mortality was due to entrainment (even though OPPD and others provided data contrary to this assumption). OPPD indicated a 14 percent survival rate for ' larvae passing the plant condenser.0 However, all these studies were of short duration, and data on long-term ef fects of entrainment on survival' and well-being of entrained larvae are not avatlable.

Freshwater drum larvae, the most abundant species in the riverine larval population (it made up 72.5 percent of s11 larvae in 1978),43 was potenttally the species most influenced by entrainment. OPPD estimated the number of freshwater drun to be 2.4 billion out of a total (all specias combined) of 3.3 billion larvae that passed the plant between May 13 and July 25, 1977. From' fecundity data, this number of larvae appeared to represent the production of 40,000 female freshwater drum. Evidently, the number of adults should be much greater sin':e these estimates were based on survival from eggs to adults (not from larvae to adul+s). Based on adult fish data and the suggestion by Bliss 8that the number of adult freshwater drum in the channelized river above Fort Calhoun Station was too small to account for this l production, freshwater drum could be derived from outside sources.

l The abundance of adult and juvenile freshwater drum collected by electrofishing, seines and trammel nets at several locations in the.

Missouri River in the vicinity of Fort Calhoun Station indicated a dramatic decline from 1973 (the station came on line at the end of 1973) to postoperational years 1974 to 1977 In 1973, the relative abundance of freshwater drum was estimated to be 18.9 percent of all fish 3-73

collected. Relative abundance of drums in the 1974 to 1977 period was 3.8, 2.7, 5.9, and 6.8 percent in 1974, 1975, 1976, and 1977, respectively.8 Absolute numbers declined from 1973 (N = 54) to 1974 (N = 29) and 1975 (N = 19), but increased to 110 fish in 1977.

Meanwhile, total number of fish collected (all species) increased from 286 fish in 1973 to 1,625 fish in 1977.

The number of larvae entrained in 1975 to 1977 dramatically exceeded those reported in 1974 (see Table 3-13). Several factors account for such an increase:

T

1. An increase in sampling efforts;

2. Improvements in sampling techniques; and

3. An increase in larval production in the river.

! Entrainment mortalities in 1975 and 1977 were similar, however, they both differed from that of 1976.

Larval density differed among stations, being more dense near the plant intake than elsewhere (see Table 3-16 and Figure 3-17).43 In order to illustrate this nonhomogenous larval distribution between locations and to verify the assumption that more larvae will be entrained than reported earlier,8 data collected between May 14, 1975, through July 25, 1977 from Station 1 near the intake were considered for analyses (see Table 3-17). Data from these three years were considered coherent and representative of Fort Calhoun Station's impact.

Entrainment daily mortality was estimated to vary from 119,100 to 12,280,000 larvae and averaged 2,960,000 larvae daily. Assuming a total of 77 days to represent seasonal (annual) entrainment, integrating the daily loss over that period indicates a larval mortality of 227,900,000 j (227,900 adult) seasonally. This figure represents an additional 9,246,560 larvae to that reported earlier (218,653,440) to have been lost to entrainment. This number is conservative since the observed spawning season probably is longer than reported here.

3-74

Table 3-16. Intake , Discharge, 'and Plimie Densities of Fish Larvae (Number of Larvae /1003m ) in the Missouri River Near .lbrt Calhoun Station, Unit 1,1975 Through '1977 ,

Date Intake Discharge Plume May 14, 1975 6.1 5. 2 5. 9 May 29 10.7 42.0 16.2 June 4 34.8 28.8 14.7 June 12 46.5 22.5 26.2 June 19 80.5 71. 8 '

73. 3 June 26 295.0 102.0 -214.7 321y.2 443.8 214.9 63.0 July 8 77.9 65.5 52.9 July 23 14.2 4.1 6. 8 May 20,1976 11.8 3. 4 _ .2.3 June 2 33.1 20.4 15.0 June 9 130.0 170.0 99.5 June 16 54 9. 0 288.6 2 64. 5

- June 23 106.8 125.1 82.0 June 30 620.0 120.5 238.5 July 7 252.7 125.8 88.7 July 14 26.9 92. 8 29.6 July 29 .30.4 51.3 7.6 May 25,1977 16.2 15.1 23.5 June 1 53.4 58.3 27.0 June 6 177.0 116.5 50.0 June 15 563.0 351.0 210.0 June 23 111.4 68.4 141.2 June 30 137.4 48.2 45.1 July 6 130.0 30.3 51. 2 July 13 72.0 52.9 14.7 July 25 10.7 3. 9 5. 2 Source: Onaha Pub l ic Powe r Di str ic t , 1978a , Re fe rence No . 8.

l 4

l 4

3-75

m E Location i G Location 3 Q Location 4

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300 . 520 ,

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, E-<7i 10 0 - 1974

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MAY JUNE JULY

_ SOURCE: OMAHA PUBLIC POWER DISIfllCL_1978.

I Figure 3-17 DENSITY OF FISH LARVAE IN MISSOURI RIVER ABOVE FORT CALHOUN STATION, UNIT 1, 1974 -1977

hble 3-17. Ritrairumt of larval Fish (bilmtal at R)rt Oillutn Ration, 1975,1976, an! 1977 ,

Flow hta Rite Nether of larva = Hit.ainal Ihily Year Date Riv{/See)

(M (m May) Mmler (100 m o{)larvan Ntsrher Vercent 1975 t y 14 1,076 1.%2 x 10b 6. I 1.191 x 1M 0.149 6

May 29 1, 14 7 1.881 x 10 10.7 2.015 x 10 5 0. 132 6

June 4 1,133 1.%8 x 10 34.8 6.814 x 105 0.852 6

June 12 1,2M 1.%0 x 10 46.5 9.114 x 1 5 1. 14 0 June 19 1,4T l.H4 x 1 80.5 1.557 x 1 1.950 June "A 1 , 3 73 2.017 x 1 2%.0 5.%0 x ! 7.440 6

July 2 1,458 2.016 x 1 443.8 8.%7 x 10 11.200 6 6 Jiity 8 1,501 1.%5 x 10 77.9 1.515 x 10 1.900 July 23 1,670 2.020 x 106 14.2 2.868 x 10k .359 5

1 976 way 20 1, M8 1.9T x 1 11.8 2.350 x 10 0. 2%

June 2 1,03) 1.978 x 1 33.1 6.%8 x 105 0. 81 9 y June 9 1,133 1.%7 x 1 130.0 2.545 x 10 7

3.180 g June 16 1, 12 7 1.%8 x 1 549.0 1.069 x 10 13.400 June Z3 1,107 2.009 x 1 106.8 2.146 x 10 2.680 7

June 30 1,206 1.9HD x 1 62 0. 0 1.228 x 10 15.400 July 7 1,158 2.002 x 1 2 52. 7 5.059 x 10 6.330 July 14 1,113 1.T3 x 1 26.9 0.647 July 29 1 ,152 1.992 x 1 30.4 5.173 6.005 x x 10 If 0.758 6

1977 m y 25 897 1.939 x 10 16.2 3.141 x 1 0. 393 June 1 903 1.%1 x 1 53.4 1.042 x 1 0.130 6

June 6 889 1.998 x 10 177.0 3.33f,x ! 4.420 6 7 June 15 9% 1.975 x 1 563.0 1.112 x 1 13.900 June 23 %3 1.956 x 1 137.4 2.687 x 1 3.360 June 30 %9 1.%7 x 1 111.4 2. lT x 1 2.%0 i

l l

. . _ _ ~ . . _ . _ _ .

.m Tihte 3-17. Ihtralment of larval Fidt miltstal at R)rt Qltuin Station, 1975,1976, ani 1977 (Q)ntintn!,' mge 2 of 2)

Mow hte Maher,of larvae Mmber of larvae Ihtrainsi lhily Year Date Riveg/Sec)

(# heap

(# / Day) (100 #) Ntaber Percent 1977 July 6 917 : 1.9f.4 x 1 130.0 2.527 x 1 3. 16 0 July 13 977 1.9f.2 x 1 72.0 1. 398 x ' O. 1.750 July 25 1,068 1.937 x 1 - 10.7 2.073 x it. 0.259 TOTAL I 7.91B x 1 Averge kr Ihy 2.960 x 1 .

7 Avergh kr kam>n (77 days) 2.279 x 1 .

Sotree: Guha Rblic Ibser District,1978a, Fxtified 'An hference N), 8.

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Fish eggs were not evaluated as part of the entrainment program.

However in 1978, Harrow and Schlesinger 33 attempted to collect, identify, and measure the density of fish eggs in the Missouri River drift samples. Their results revealed that spawning occurs within each water body segment of the Missouri River as well as ir. the river's tributaries (see Table 3-18, Figure 3-14). As anticipated, spawning commences at different times for different segments of the Missouri River. Onset of spawning occurred first at Gavins Point Dam (see Transect 1 in Figure 3-14) and that took place on April 8 to 14, 3

however, the egg density was as low as 0.9/100m . Since spawning is anticipated to commence earlier in Lewis and Clark Reservoir than in the rest of the Missouri River (due to warmup), the prasence of eggs in this part of the river at this time suggests that the egg source is Lewis and Clark Lake. At the plant site (Transect 4), eggs appeared in the collections from May 6 to 12. Egg density at this location averaged 5.9/100m3 . This suggests spawning took place near the plant.

The highest egg density reported (62.7/100m3 ) was at Transect 7 (below the station) and was collected on May 6 to 12,1978. Evidently, spawn-ing activities peaked at different times for different transects. Eggs l

were not identified to species;33 however, one assumes that those

! eggs were buoyant / semi-huoyant and belonged to pelagic species.

l i 8

l 3.4.2.1 Summart,and Conclusion--Ichthyoplankton sampling during Fort l Calhoun Station operations indicated the presence of eggs 33 and l

larvae5 'P'34 in the vicinity of the station. A total of 14 to 21 larval species were collected. They were numerically dominated by

freshwater drum, catostomids, carp, gtzzard shad, sauger, and walleye.

Overall, freshwater drum larvae were the most abundant species entrained. In 1975 to 1978, sampling was conducted weekly. In 1974, samples were taken twice a month (hiweekly). In all years, both fresh-water drum and catostomids made up 40 percent or more of all larvae.

! Fort Calhoun Station does not significantly impact ichthyoplankton of i

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recreational species inhabiting the Missouri River. The station entrains a large number of commercial species of the family

• Catostomidae.

Larvae of freshwater drum are entrained in large numbers. When this is translated into adult equivalents, the resultant number of' adults seems to be significant when compared to commercial fisheries landings for that species. However, there has not been any significant reduction in the river population of the freshwater drum over the years; meanwhile, there is a high larval input into the river. This could be due to:

1. Number of larvae that avoid or survive entrainment could be adequate to sustain the river population;

2. Large numbers of larval freshwater drum of the Missouri River enter the Mississippi River or are entrained by other stations on the Missouri River; or

3. The natural mortality of that species is relatively high due-to lack of sufficient natural habitats in the Missouri River.

This species, although commercially valuab1'e elsewhere, is not sought in the Missouri River. Freshwater drum has pelagic eggs and these are definitely subject to entrainment. No estimates were available on egg entrainment of this species. Impacts on both larvae and eggs of freshwater drum should be based on assessments of the combined effects of all intakes located on that segment of the river, including Fort Calhoun Station.

Estimated larval entrainment losses of all species combined were 227,900,000 annually, of which 227,900 were anticipated to survive to adulthood when survival rate from larvae to adult is 0.1 percent.

These losses, although mostly attributed to the presence of freshwater drum and suckers, exceed all annual commercial catch data reported for the three sections of the Missouri River combined.

3-81

3.4.3 Impingement of _J,uvenile_ a,nd Adult Fishes Daily samples were collected at noon (+ 2 hours2.314815e-5 days <br />5.555556e-4 hours <br />3.306878e-6 weeks <br />7.61e-7 months <br />) and midnight

(+ 2 hours2.314815e-5 days <br />5.555556e-4 hours <br />3.306878e-6 weeks <br />7.61e-7 months <br />) f rom May throue,h September and at coon only from October through April. Fish were removed manually from the traveling screens for 60 minutes following cleaning of the re.reens. During each hourly sampling period, one of the six traveling screens was sampled on a rotational basis. A total of 2,345 hourly samples was collected during the 56-month study period.

In addition to the hourly samples, 24-hour impingement studies were con-ducted on 24 occasions from 1974 through 1976 to determine diel impinge-ment rates. All six screens were sampled during the 24-hour studies.

OPPD's projections on fish mortality due to impingement at Fort Calhoun Station were primarily based on knowledge gained at OPPD's Omaha Station. Omaha Station is a fossti-fueled plant utilizing the Missouri River near Omaha, Nebraska. Both Fort Calhoun and Omaha Stations were presumed to impact the Mis'souri River fisheries in a similar manner.

OPPD indicated, "Although no detailed study of the fish impingement problem has been made at Omaha Plant, observations made during normal operation have not indicated that the intake screens are an obvious source of fish mortality."4 This statement, as will be seen through-out this section, did not agree with data collected in the 1973 to 1977 operational period at Fort Calhoun Station, particularly in 1976 when an unusually large number of fish was impinged.

Data on fish impingement studies at Fort Calhoun Station were collected from May 1973 through December 1977. Daily samples were taken at noon and again at midnight for one hour from April through October and at noon only for the remainder of the year. During the study period, a total of 2,345 hourly samples were taken.8 Furthermore, a total of twenty-nine, 24-hour samples were taken in the 1974 to 1976 sampling period. Hourly samples were conducted in a manner such that one of the six traveling screens was sampled on a rotational basis (i.e., each 3-82 l

t _

screen was sampled once every six days and all six screens were sampled during the 74-hour studies).

A total of 46 species was impinged at Fort Calhoun Station in tha 1973 to 1977 period. In 1975, the greatest number of species (N = 32) was impinged. A total of 30 epecies was impinged in the first year following plant startup.

With the exception of the 1976 collection period, gizzard shad and freshwater drum comprised the hulk of the impingement collections.

In 1976, channel catfish and freshwater drim were equally important.

Additionally, comparatively large numbers of white bass (N=122), were impinged in the same period. Fish impinged in 1973 to 1977, in descending order of occurrence, were freshwater drum (29.5 percent of all fish collected), gtzr ard shad (21 percent), channel catfish (9.0 percent), black hullhead (6.5 percent), white bass (6.2 percent), white crappie (4.4 percent), and bluegill (3.6 percent). Combined, these fish constituted 80 percent of all fish sanpled in 1973 to 1977 and ranged from 74 to 88 percent of all fish impinged.

The fish impingement process at Fort Calhoun Station seems to be non-selective for certain species and selective toward others. For example, there was a correlation between species itopinged and their abundances in the Missouri River, part!.cularly for gizzard shad. Gizzard shad were relatively abundant in both the river and impingement collections, accounting for 13.9 percent and 21.0 percent of the river and impingerant collections, respectively.

Freshwater drum and channel catfish made up 24.5 and 4 percent of all fish tmpinged (1973 to 1977), respectively. These two species constituted only 6.2 and 0.8 percent, respectively, o'f all river fish collected by electroshocking, seining and tramel netting during the study period. Carp was the most abundant species in the river, as it 3-83

made up 32.1 percent of all river fish, and only constituted 2.0 percent of all fish impinged.

In addition to specias selectivity, the impingement mechanism at the Fort Calhoun Station is also size-selective, being hissed toward smaller-fish. Fish impinged in 1973 to 1977 were generally less than 100 pun in length. However, differences among species and between years were evident (see Figures 3-18 through 3-25). During the 1973 to 1977 period, nearly 70 percent of the fish sampled were 100asa or less in length. Fish greater than 100 nun in length were primarily impinged in the January to June period. Generally, few adult fish were caught on the traveling screens. Adult fish tmpinged '(150 to 200 nun) were mostly freshwater drum (see Figure 3-19) and gizzard shad (see Figure 3-21).

Data for Figures 3-20 and 3-24 indicated that large gizzard shads and freshwater drums (greater than 100 nun in. length) were caught in both 1976 and 1977. Unlike other species, the channel cat fish impinged were mostly young-of-the year and did not exhibit wide variability between months or among years (see Figures 3-22 and 3-23). Generally, smaller fish (young-of-the-year) were impinged in large numbers in July to December, a period that coincides with their presence in the vicinity of the station.

Size and/or species selectivity of impinged fish is obviously related to cooling water intake velocity, fish swiruning speed, water temperature, fish avoidance (day versus night) and the presence or absence of fish in the vicinity of the station. Fort Calhoun Station operates at 0.7 'to 1.1 fps or greater intake velocity. The lower the river flow, the treater the intake velocity. Approach velocity of 1.0 fps or less reduces the probability of impingement. However, most fish species are unable to maintain a continuous momentum aginst a current velocity greater than 1.0 fps. Periods of low flow (1.1 fps or greater approach velocity) for Fort Calhoun Station are generally between November and March, a period that also coincides with the presence of smaller fish in the vicinity of the station. This can be substantiated by the fact that 3-84

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Figure 3 -18 AVERAGE LENGTH (mm) OF FISH IMPINGED AT FORT CALHOUN STATION,1973-1977 FORT CALHOUN STATION UNIT 1 3-85

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Figure 3-19 LENGTH FREQUENCY HISTOGRAMS, SPECIES: APLODINOTUS, FORT CALHOUN STATION UNIT 1 GRUNNIENS, ALL SAMPLES (1973-1977)

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Figure 3-20 LENGTH FREQUENCY HISTOGRAMS, SPECIES: APLODINOTUS GRUNNIENS, FORT CALHOUN STATION UNIT 1 GROUPED BY YEAR (1973-1977)

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Figure 3 - 21 LENGTH FREQUENCY HISTOGRAMS, SPECIES: DOROSOMA CEPEDIANUM, FORT CALHOUN STATION UNIT 1 Ali SAMPLES (1973-1977)

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Figure 3-22 LENGTH FREQUENCY HISTOGRAMS, SPEClES:ICTALURUS PUNCTATUS, FORT CALHOUN STATION UNIT 1 GROUPED BY YEAR (1973-1977)

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Figure 3-23 LENGTH FREQUENCY HISTOGRAMS, SPECIES: ICTALURUS FUNCTATUS, FORT CALHOUN STATION UNIT 1 ALL SAMPLES (1973-1977)

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30 percent of all fish impinged in 1973 to 1977 were caught over a period'of six months (December 1975 to May 1976), which is also 0

characterizett by a sudden drop in river flow and , thus , a general increase in ir.take velocity.

Several interrelated factors directly influence impingement rates at power stations. These include river flow and temperature, intake volume and fish size in addition to parameters described above. The highest impingement rate reported for Fort Calhoun Station occurred on July 13, 1975, when fish impinged average 60mm in length.0 Impingement rates decreased when the size of fish impinged increased. Furthermore, swimming speeds of fish are directly reinted to water temperature.

Based on the station's history, and station temperature regime, OP.PD believed that the sustained swinaning speed of smaller fish collected at Fort Calhoun Station is less than the station's intake velocity.

Consequently, impingement rate of smaller fish is anticipated to be relatively higher. In an attempt to relate impingement rate to several variables (e.g., number of circulating pumps, water temperature, intake velocity, etc.) using a stepwise regression analjsis, among seven vari-ables tested 37 the cotal flow of water through the plant appeared to be the most significant factor governing fish impingement rate. How-ever, both time of sampling (seasonality), water temperature, and dissolved oxygen combined were just as important as factors defining p'.c.nt operation (number of pumps, intake velocity and stack destp,na-tion).37 These results do not explain cause/effect relationship but

, are indictive of interactions taking place.

Diel differences in impingement rates have been observed on a variety of power plants and were attributed to screen avoidance during the day-light hours. Fort Calhoun Station data seemed to follow a similar pattern with one exception. Day and cight differences were not evident when diurnal (1200 hours0.0139 days <br />0.333 hours <br />0.00198 weeks <br />4.566e-4 months <br />) and nocturnal (2400 hours0.0278 days <br />0.667 hours <br />0.00397 weeks <br />9.132e-4 months <br />) deta points were plotted conthly throughout the sampling period (see Figure 3-26).

Conversely, impingement rates exhibited significant diel differences 3-93

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0.05) different from those estimated from 24-hour data.8 Furthermore, no significant statistical differences extated among impingement rates of the six screens. OPPD concluded that the daily samples (noon and midnight) provide an accurate estimate of monthly (annual) impingement rate at Fort Calhoun Station. These estimates are shown in Table 3-14 Data for Table 3-19 indicated an average of 98,408 fish were impinged annually at Fort Calhoun Station, and the impingement rate varied from 288 fish per month in February 1975 to 42,768 fish durtng March 1976. The total number of fish impinged in 1973 to 1977 '(postoperational period) totaled 442,040 fish.

1 In estimating the number of fish impinged at Fort Calhoun Station, one 1 must account for day / night differences in fish impingement rates as well I as differences between the two sampling schemes, i.e., hourly sampling l and daily (24 hour2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br />) sampling episodes. Each of the six screens at Fort Calhoun intake was sampled once every six days, thus leading to extreme differences among screens impingement rates. Hourly samples at midday and midnight tend to mask day / night differences in impingement rates.

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l Figure 3-27 j DIEL PATTERN OF FISH IMPINGEMENT AT FORT cal.HOUN STATION UNIT 1 FORT CALHOUN STATION, UNIT 1,1974-1975 3-96

d Table _3-19. Estimated Monthly Impingement Rate of' Fish at Fort Calhoun Station, Unit 1, 1973 Through 1977*

i Year Month '1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 January- --

5,904 1,152 27,936 1,872 February- --

5,328 288 24,336 4,896 March --

2,304 2,3 04 42,768 1,872 April --

720 4,176 19,584 4,176 May 7,056 6,696 2,016, 21,600 2,736 June 9,792 4,248 2,736 7,200 2,304 July 11,375 5,314 19,296 1,440 6,912 August 11,520 8,280 1,584 1,008 7,200 September 3,024 9,006 1,152 432 4,752 October 7,632 24,912 1,008 --

5,184 November 15,840 33,264 10,656 3,888 20,736 December 7,344 5,472 39,168 5,184 3,456-TOTAL ** 73,584 111,448 85,536 155,376 66,096

• Estimates are based on hourly impingement rates (number fish / hour per screen) from daily samples.

• • Annual Average: 98,408. Fish f.

Total Number of the Five Years Period: 492,040

)

I Source: Omaha Public Power District, 1978a, Reference No. 8.

i 1

• 3-97

For example, in 1978, NRC estimated the impingement rate at night to be three times that during the day at Fort Calhoun Station.6 Additionally, high impingement rates were frequently missed by the 24-hour sampling episodes because:

1. These samples were taken monthly or biweekly, and

2. High impingement rates could have occurred over a few days period.

A month is generally 6oo 14 .g a period to be represented by a 24-hour collection, particularly at times when fish activity is high. A similar conclusion can be drawn regarding biweekly sampling of screens in spring and summer periods when fish are abundant in the vicinity of the station.38 In order to estimate the annual impingement rate at Fort Calhoun Station, taking into consideration the difficiencies indicated above, simple parametric statistical technioues were applied to the hourly data collected in the 1973 to 1977 operational period (see Figure 3-28).

Data collected for 24-hour monthly or biweekly were not considered here (widely-spaced sampling episodes), however, they were used for estimating day / night differences. The following step-by-step approach describes the methods of calculation:

1. Impingement data collected at each of the six screens were pooled for the same month of all years (i.e., data from May 1973, May 1974, May 1975, etc.) were considered as independent observations;

2. Average number of fish imoinged per screen per hour was then estimated (see Table 3-20);

3. A 95 percent confidence interval (d =0.05) around the means was determined separately for each month f rom January through December; 4 The upper limits (x + 25) were estimated for each month and were considered to represent a worst-case situation; 3-98

, l 1

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- R T

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- +

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- _ A T

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- S M

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- D O U R O F

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5. Each of the means (number of fish impinged per' hour) and the upper range was multiplied by 24~ to yield average' and maximum -

number of fish impinged daily per screen; and

6. Average and maximum number imo#nged daily within a month were multiplied by number of days in their respective month. The product was multiplied by a factor of six and summed over a 12-month period.

By summing up the average number of fish impinged monthly, a total of 139,925 fish were calculated to be lost annually to the Missouri River fish community. Furthermore, a maximum of 525,614 fish were lost annually due to impingement; 'this could represent a warse case condition (see Table 3-20). The maximum number of fish impinged (525,614 fish) is-a conservative estimate but accounts for the vast variability observed in the data due to the sampling scheme (i.e., one screen at a time).

The average number of fish removed from the Missouri River fish population annually (139,925 fish) exceeds the estimates provided by OPPD by 41,517 fish, or 42.2 percent.

The average number of fish impinged annually at Fort Calhoun Station is provided above, and although it accounts for between-screens discrepancies, it underestimates the real impingement mortality because it does not consider diel differences. The sampling program described indicated that durir g the study period, two 1-hour samples per-day (noon and midnight) were taken for six nonths and 1-hour sample per-day (noon) was taken for the remainder of the year. Since monthly (or btweekly) 24-hour impingement data .idicated that night impingement rates are three times as high as daylight-hours impingement rates,6 the true estimate of impingement per-screen-per-hour must be corrected by using a correction factor of 1.2.6 It thus follows that the average number of fish impinged annually is 170,882 fish (see Table 3-21).

Gizzard shad and freshwater drum made up 29.5 percent (50,410 fish) and 21 percent (35,885 fish) of the 170,882 fish impinged at Fort Calhoun 3-100

.-. - - _ ~. .

Table 3-20 Sumnary or Fish Impingement Rates at Fort Calhoun Station, Unit'1, 1973 Through 1977*

~

Total Numbe [

Month Number / Hour / Screen Number /D,g/ Screen Number / Month / Screen,, _ Month /Six Screens January Maximum 7.3 175.2 5,431.2 32,587.2 Mean 1.9 45.6 1,413.6 8,481.6 February Maximum 7.h 182.4' 5,107.2 30,643.2 Mean 2.4 57.6 1,612.8 9.676.8 March Maximum 11.1 266.4 8,258.4 49,550.4 Mean 2.7 64.8 2,008.8 12,052.8 April Maximum 7.1 170.4 5,112.0 30,672.0 Mean 1.7 40.8 1,224.0 7,344.0 May Maximum 5.0 120.0 3,720.0 22,320.0 Mean 1.6 38.4 1,190.4 7,142.4 June Maximum 2.7 64.8 1,944.0 11,664.0 Mean 0.9 21.6 648.0 3,888.0 July Maximum 7.2 172.8 5,356.8 32,140.8 4 Mean 2.0 48.0 1,488.0 8,928.0 3 August Maximum 8.7 208.8 6,472.8 38,836.8 Mean 2.1 50.4 1,562.4 9,374.4 September Maximum 11.7 280.8 8,424.0 50,544.0 Mean 2.9 69.6 2,088.0 12,528.0 October Maximum 19.4 465.6 14,433.6 86,601.6 Mean 5.6 134.4 4,166.4 24,998.4 November Maximum 16.3 391.2 11,736.0 70,416.0 Mean 4.5 108.0 3,240.0 19,440.0 December Maximum 15.6 374.4 11,606.4 69,638.4 Mean 3.6 86.4- 2,678.4 16,070.4 Maximum Numh?r of Fish Impinged Per Year, All Six Screens: 525,614.4 Mean Number of Fish Impinged Per Year, All Six Screens: 139,924.8

• Assuming lack of day / night differences.

Sources: Omaha Public Power District, 1978, Reference No. 8.

Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., 1980

Table 3-21. Summary of Fish Impingement Rates at Fort Calhoun Station, Unit 1,1973 Throusth 1977

_ Based ' on Day and Night Dif ferences*

j Month Number / Hour / Screen - Number / Day /_ Screen Number / Month / Screen Month /Six Screens January Maximum 7.3 210.2 6,517.4- 39,104.6 Mean 1.9 54.7- 1,696.3 '10,177.9 February Maximum 7.6 218.9 6,785.3 40,711.7 Mean 2.4 69.1. 2,142.7 12,856.3 March Maximum 11.1 319.7 4,910.1 59,460.5 Mean 2.7 77.R 2,410.6 14,463.4 April Maximum 7.I 204.5 -6,318.9 38,033.3

,- Mean 1.7 44.0 1,517.8 9,106.6 May Maximum 5.0- 144.0 -4,444.0. 26,784.0 Mean 1.6 46,1 1,428.5 '8,570.9-1 June . Maximum .. 2.7 77.8 2,410.6. 14,463.4 i Mean. 0.9 25.9 803.5 4,821.1 "

[ July Maximum 7.2 207.4 6,428.2 38,564.0

o Mean 2.0 57.6 _1,785.6 .10,713.6 August Maximum R.7 250.6 7,767.4' 46,604.2 l .Mean 2.1 60.5 1,874.0 -11,249.3 '

]

September Maximum 11.7 '337.0 10,445.8 62,674.6 i .Mean 2.9 83.5 2,584.1 15,534.7 October 14.4 558.7 103,921.9

Maximum 17,320.3

! Mean 5.6. -161.3 4,999.7 '29,998.1 i November Maximum 16.3 469.4- 14,552.6 87,315.8 ,

l Mean 4.5 129.6 4,017.6 24,105.6

necember Maximum 15.6 449.3 13,927.7 83,566.1

i. .Mean 3.6 -103.7 3,214.1 19,284.5-

= ._....--......................... . ,. _......... .....,............... .....,....-...- -..... . _ .....

Maximum Ember of Fish Impinged Per Year, All Six Screens: 641,204.1 l Mean Number of Fish Impinged Per Year, All Six Screens: 170,882.0

• A factor of 1.2 was used as a multiplier.

! Sources: Omaha Public Power District, 1978',. Reference'No.'8.

Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc.,'1980 4

"L

--g - - m 4 ,e .-,s- g w *r

Statio7, respectively. Neither species is commercially valuable in the Missouri River, even though they may be valuable elsewhere. The.

majority of the fish impinged at Fort Calhoun Station were small in size, dominated by young-of-the-year, and the impacts of their renoval on the Missouri River fisheries may be of asser significance than if these fish were adults. However, removal of such small fish cci; d destabilize the food chain of some piscivorous species. For exam >1e, the gtzzard shad, until reaching a length of about 130 mm, is a valuable forage species, comprising an important link in the food chain of piscivorous fish.39 However, removal does not render these small fish completely lost to the food chain because they are returned to the river. Some of these fish could be preyed upon by other fish at the point of their return to the river.

The loss to impingement of gizzard shad may not be severe because:

1. Gizzard shad has a high reproductive capacity.

2. This species has a fast growth rate, and once it becomes 130 mm or longer in length, it is not sought by predatory fi sh .

3. Gizzard shad tend to overpopulate some water to the detriment of other populations.

4 Gizzard shad are considered a nuisance species in waters to which that species is nonnative.

i Freshwater drum is fished commercicily throughout its range. However, there are no fisheries statistics on that species in the Missouri River.

I In the long run, the removal of 35,885 freshwater drum from the Missouri River probably would be adverse to the drum population at least l

downstream of Fort Calhoun Station. This becomes severe when impingement and entrainment losses are conhined.

l To fully understand the quantitative impact of removing gizzard shad and freshwater drum from the Misrouri River, it would be necessary to obtain valid estimates of the fish populations of these two species in the 3-103

Missouri River (at the very least 'in the vicinity. of the station).

Unfortunately, such population estimates are not currently available.

Fisheries statistics on commercial catch for channel catfish, flathead catfish, carp, and buffalo from the Missouri River were available for-the years 1974, 1975, and 1976. These statistics were. summarized, tabulated, and compared to.the number of fish impinged at Fort Calhoun Station for the preceding four species, assuming that these species

.become harvestable when they are 3 to 4 years old.2 .Furthermore, annua 1' mortality rates for the above fish were also available.3 'These rates were used to determine the number of fish that could have survived had they avoided the intake screen and survived to. a harvestable size.

Estimatet are based on the fallowing assumptions:

1. On the average, a total of 170,882 fish were impinged annually at Fort Calhoun Station.

2. The 1973 to 1977 impingement data are representative of the operational impacts of the station.

3. The percentage of fish impinged, i.e., channel catfish, flathead catfish, carp, and buf falo made up 9 -percent, 1.9 percent, 2 percent and 1.7 percent of all fish impinged, respectively (see Reference No. 8).

4. Commercial catch data from 1974,1975, and 1976 represent averages.

5. Fish are recruited to commercial fisheries at age four (a non-conservative assumption used here for the sake of consistency).

Data of Table 3-72 indicate that the current impingement rate varted from negligible to large (depending on species) when compared to commerical landing. For example, channel catfish and flathead catfish impinged by Fort Calhoun Station seem large when compared to commercial landing. The removal of what is equivalent to 32.9 to 36.7 percent of the commercial landing between Sioux City and the Platt River of these t.shes could be conridered severe, particularly over the long term if this were reflected in the landing. Conversely, impacts on carp 3-104

Table 3-22. A Comparison of Number of Fish Impinged At Fort Calhoun Station to Connercial Catch

• Statistics of Connercially Important Species Number Impinged Number Recrut"ted to Average Annual Comon _Name _,,,,,,_ ,,,A,nnuallyt ,_ _ Commercial Fisheries ** __ Comerc_ial Catchti Pe_rcent Loss ***

Channel catftsh 15,379 1,115 3,632 .36.70 Flathead catfish 3,2/47 175 530 32.93 Carp 3,418 57 6,689 .0.85 Buffalottt 2,905 310 2,885 11.06 TOTAL 24,949 1,666 13,736

• See Tables 3-6 and 3-9. '

Y t Based on impingement rate of 170,882 ' fish annually.

o ** Survival data represent 1974 and 1975 collections (Reference 3).

tt Data were taken fron References 8 and 30.

• • • This represents percent of fish lost, had they avoided the intake screens, tti This includes smallmouth, bigmouth, and black buf falo.

Source: ESE, 1981.

4 i

fith rics cro negligiblo (coo Tcblo 3-22). Buffalo fish:riss may suffsr moderate (acceptable) impacts.

The large loss of channel catfish is essentially due to an unusually high rate of impingement of this species in 1976. This impact, primarily due to the presence of young-of-the year in the vicinity of the station, was not carried over to 1977. While 1976 could be considered as an unusual year regarding impingement of channel catfish, there is no mechanism to prevent it from occurring in future years.

However, this happened only once between 1973 and 1980 and therefore, the possibility of recurrence is considered slight.

3.4.3.1 Fish Impingement: 9 2mmary and Conclusions--The number of fish impinged at Fort Calhoun Station is relatively high when compared to commercial landings. A reduction of the young-of-the year and small fish by impingement could result in reductions of the adult fish populations, given that appropriate habitats are available in the river and that survival of young-of-the year to adulthood is appreciable.

4 However, no corresponding reductions in commercial landings has occurred.

Some species are impinged in larger numbers than others. The two most abundant species in the imptngement collections, gizzard shad and freshwater drum, are impinged in large numbers (though the former species could become a nuisance in future years). Since the majority of the gizzard shad impinged were young-of-the-year and juveniles, these fish were partially eliminated from the food chain of piscivorous species. Impinged fish were returned to the river and probably entered the nutrient cycle (some are preyed upon at point of return). There have been losses of channel catfish and flathead catfish, both of which are commercially valuable.

It has been previously indicated that the Missouri River has been adversely impacted due to channelization, loss of breeding grounds, reductions in the river's surface area, reductions in the rivers carry-i 3-106

ing capacity and a general decline in the river's fisheries. It - ha s also been . ind icated earlier that a decline in catch per unit of effort for commercial fi sher ie s wa s ev id en t ov er the ye ar s . All the se elements might necessitate the protection of the river's fi sher ies .

Rec ent st ud ies have raised the possibility that natural ' ecosystems have the ability to compensate for fish losses at power generating stations

- ( density dependency, i .e . , an increase Li fish mortality rate at earlier ages may enhance the growth and survival rates of the survivors at'later stages) . However, a recent development in growth st ud ie s wa s cond uc ted on the Hud son River estuaries (Sc ien'ce No . 40, Vol .14,1980,40 and published test imony by U. S. Federal Energy Regulatory - Cannission on .

Se ptember 10, 1980).41 _ Although the results are not conclusive, they may cast doubts on the usefulness of the density dependence approach, not on its validity but rather on other counterforces that could cancel it s ef fects .

i l

I e

3-107

F 4.0

SUMMARY

AND CONCLUSION

4.0

SUMMARY

AND CONCLUSION Fort Calhoun Station, Unit 1, does not significantly impact phytoplank-ton, zooplankton,- and benthic macroinvertebrate communities of the Missouri River. Localized effects on these biota were, however, detected and were attributed:to thermal and/or mechanical effects of the plant. These localized effects were seasonal and of. short duration.

The station removes, through entrainment and/or impingement, large numbers of both freshwater drum and channel catfish. Freshwater drum is a commercially valuable species throughout its range of distribution but not in Missouri. Channel catfish'is a commercially valuable species in Missouri. The removal of large numbers of these species does not seem to be influencing commercial fisheries landings of river fish population.

The following are highlights of the station's effects on each of the trophic levels evaluated in this document.

PHYTOPLANKTON AND PERIPHYTON

1. By passing through Fort Calhoun Station cooling system, phytoplank-ton of the Missouri River were reduced in abundance and changed in diversity and species composition in July and August when AT was highest. Phytoplankton'and periphyton in the mixing zone experi-enced a moderate change of short duration in respiration, density, l- and chlorophyll a production. Phytoplankton and periphyton production is stimulated during the remainder of the year.

2. Carbon fixation rate, chlorophyll a, and total density were gener-ally lower at the Fort Calhoun point of discharge than at intake locations. Immediate effects of the discharge result in phytoplankton stress during the summer. A decline in phytoplankton carbon fixation rate occurred when water temperature exceeded 22*C (71.6*F); however, these parameters increased during the remainder of 4-1

the year. In general, carbon fixation rate was inhibited during the summer, stimulated during the fall, and not affected for the remainder of the year.

3. Phytoplankton. productivity index (carbon fixation per unit of chlorophyll a) indicated stimulation in winter, spring, and during station shutdown, minor inhibition in summer soon after entrainment, and no change in the fall.

4 Diatoms that naturally exist upstream from the plant displayed little or no change at a distance of 2,000 feet or more below the plant outfall, while diatoms at the outfall region were replaced by the more temperature tolerant hiue-green algae during hot periods.

5. In general, no significant impacts were detected on phytoplankton.

On the contrary, a net increase in phytoplankton abundance was deemed to exist on an annual average.

ZOOPLANKTON

1. Fort Calhoun Station entrainec 1.2 to 4.9 percent of the daily total Missouri River zooplankton population passing the station.

2. Impacts on zooplankton were judged to be minor and localized.

BENTHIC MACR 0 INVERTEBRATES

1. There was a general decline in the number of taxa during the study period, from 53 to 70 in the preoperational period from 1971 to 1972 to 40 to 47 species in the 1976 to 1977 operational period. There was an increase in species number from 61 to 77 in the 1974 to 1975 period.

2. Benthic macroinvertebrates were nearly excluded from Fort Calhoun Station point of discharge in the hot summer months; however, l benthic macroinvertebrate community was judged to be healthy below the discharge. This was induced by elevated water temperature, since 4-2

1 4

major taxa found in this region are-generally temperature sensitive.

'No significant impacts could be attributed to the station during the remainder of the year.-

MISSOURI RIVER FISHES

1. Fishes of the Missouri River are attracted to the Fort Calhoun Sta-tion's outfall during cold months. This was substantiated by the fact that abundance and diversity of fish collected at the' discharge during periods of station operation were greater than those- found at the same. location during station shutdown periods.

- 2. Fort Calhoun Station's operation does not influence fish feeding.

behavior of species such as goldeye and bass.

3. Discharges from the station do not form a blockade across the river and, thus, do'not interrupt fish movements in the vicinity of the station.

1

4. There is no evidence that Fort Calhoun Station discharge either enhanced or was detrimental to fisheries of the Missouri River.

ENTRAINMENT

1. A total of.14 to 21 species of larval fishes are subjected to entrainment at Fort Calhoun Station. Larvae entrained were dominated by freshwater drum, catostomids, carp, gizzard shad, sauger, and walleyes.

2. Entrainment mortality was estimated to vary from 119,000 to

{ 12,280,000 larvae and averaged 2,960,000 larvae daily. Assuming a

! total of 77 days to represent seasonal (annual) entrainment, a

[ larval mortality of 227,900,000 larvae is attributed to the station annually.

s J

J d

4-3,

3. Assuming a C.1 percent survival rate from larvae to adult, a total of 227,900 fish are lost to Fort Calhoun Station. This high adult loss exceeds total commercial catch from the channelized Missouri River; however, this is not reflected in the commercial fisheries landing. There has been no appreciable change in commercial fisheries. It seems likely that these larvae either do not survive to adulthood or find their way to the Mississippi River. Lack of-natural habitats plays a major role in larval mortality. Most of these adult fish are freshwater drum, catostomids, carp, and gizzard shad.

4 Fort Calhoun Station does not significantly impact ichthyoplankton of game fishes. ,

i IMPINGEMENT

1. A total of 46 fish species was impinged at Fort Calhoun Station in 1973 to 1977 period. Freshwater drum, gizzard shad, and channel catfish were among the species most impinged during that period.

2. The station impingement mechanism was selective toward smaller fish.

Fish impinged were generally less than 100 mm in length. Adult fish were occasionally impinged. These were mostly freshwater drum and gizzard shad.

3. The station displayed species selectivity toward freshwater drtzm; however, it was nonselective toward gizzard shad.

4 The impingement rate was higher at night than during the daylight hours. This is not uncommon and has been reported for power stations elsewhere. Impingement at night was estimated to be three times as high as it was during daytime hours.

4-4

4

5. Fort Calhoun Station impinged an average of 139,925, fish annually

, and a maximum of $25,614 fish annually. This maximum ~ represents a worst-case situation.

4

6. When day / night differences in impingement rate are. considered, the station removes 1m ' average of 170,882 - fish J annually: l3V,885

.are freshwater drum; 15,379 are channel catfish;.and 3,247 are

~

, flatheadtcatfish. The latter two species are commercially valuable in'the region.' ,

7. The number of fish impinged annually is'very significant'when compared to 1974, 1975, and 1976 commercial catch data.

-It is apparent that the station's operation' results in- the . impingement -

of high numbers of certain species of fishes,- namely freshwater drum, gizzard shad, and-channel catfish. However, this impingement does not seem' to influence the commercial fisheries landing or the river fish population as evidenced in the available data.

The Missouri River has already been adversely impacted by dredging and channelization and the commercial fisheries on the river are small and seem'to be supported by current river population despite the presence of several' intakes on the. river, i.

Based on data evaluation, three major aspects of the intake and discharge are responsible for the localized effects as well as the high.

entrainment/ impingement rates. These are:

l

1. The plant at times operates at a AT that appears to be too high for biota to tolerate in July and August. This is a i

localized effect.

2. .The plant operates at an intake ve16 city (0.7 to 1.1 fps, or i greater) that is relatively high for small fish, particularly 4

during low flow periods.

x.

9 4-5 i .- - . . _ _ __ _ . . . . . _ _ . . _ _

3. The plant has a shoreline intake. Shoreline intakes generally exert greater impacts on biota than offshore or open-water ,

intakes.. Furthermore, the water body segment from which 100 percent of cooling water is withdrawn is characterized as having the highest density of organisms among all stations.

This is particularly true for ichthyoplankton.- However, the river apparently receives a large amount of larval input in proportion to the small river fish population or the commercial fisheries on the river.

4. Bottom intakes exert greater influence on demersal spectes than pelagic species. Species such as channel catfish can easily he impinged at bottom intake screens, particularly the small specimens.

4 i

1 e

4-6

e REFERENCES I

l t

REFERENCES

1. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 1976. Guidance for Determining Best Technology Available for the Location, Design, Construction, and Capacity of Cooling Water Intake Structures for '

Minimizing Adverse Environmental Impact. 1Section-316-b, P.L.92-500,

2. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 1974. 316-a Technical Guidance--Thermal Discharges. Water Planning Division, Of fice of Water and Hazardous Materials.

3. Hesse, L.W., Wallace, C.R., and Lehman,'L. nd. Fishes of the Channelized Missouri, Age-Growth, Length Frequency, Length-Weight, Coefficient Condition, Catch Curves and Mortality. of 25 Species of

' Channelized Missouri River Fishes. Nebraska Game and Fish Commission, Nebraska Technical Series No. 4, Lincoln, Nebraska; 61 pages.

4. U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. 1972. Final Environmental Statement Related to Operation of Fort Calhoun Station, Unit 1,_

Omaha Public Power District, Docket No. 50-2SS.

5. Harrow, L., King, R., Bliss, G., and Kline, P. 1977. The Effects of Entrainment and Impingement at the Fort Calhoun Station on the 1 Fisheries of the Channelized Missouri River. Environmental Series ,

Bulletin No. 3, Omaha Public Power District, Omaha, Nebraska.

114 pages.

6. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 1978. Final Environmental Statement Related to the Determination of the Suitability of the Site for Eventual Construction of the Fort Calhoun Station, Unit No. 2. Omaha Public Power District.

7. Harrell, L., Van Eppsand, T., and Fatcher, R. 1975. Progress-Report for a 316-h Study on the Robert A. Callagher Power Plant.

l Dames'and Moore, Cincinnati, Ohio. 43 pages.

8. Omaha Public Power District. 1978a. Fort Calhoun Station, Unit 1, Five Year Report. A Summary of Environmental Study Papers Conducted in Compliance with Appendix B to Operating License DPR-40, t

9. Omaha Public Power District. 1978b. Fort Calhoun Station Unit No . 1. Thermal Impact Study Final Summary Report, 1972 through 1977. 46 pages. ,

10. NALCO Environmental Sciences. 1977. Operational Environmental Monitoring in the Missouri River Near Fort Calhoun Station, October 1973 through June 1977. A Survey Report to OPPD. 85 pages.

I

REFERENCES (Continued, Page 2 of 4)

11. U.S. Environmentc1 Protection Agency. 1974 Ohio River Cooling Water Study No. PB235-227. National Technical Information Service, Springfield, Virginia.

12. Patrick, R. 1969. Some Effects of Temperature on Freshwater Algae In: P.A. Krenkel and F.L. Parker. Biological Aspects of Thermal Pollution. Vanderbilt University Press. Nashville, Tennessee.

13. Briand, F.J. 1975. Ef fects of Power Plant Cooling Systems on Marine Phytoplankton. Marine Biology, 33:135-146.

14. Brock, T.D. , and Hof fman, J. 1974. Temperature Optima of Algae Living in the Outfall of a Power Plant on Lake Monona. Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters, Vol. 62, pages 195-203.

15. Merriman, D., and Thorpe, L. 1976. The Connecticut Rive-Ecological Study. The Impact of a Nuclear Power Plant. Monograph No. 1, American Fisheries Society, Washington, D.C. 252 pages.

16. Scott, W.B., and Crossman, E.J. 1973. Freshwater Fishes of Canada. Bulletin 1S4, Fisheries Research Board of Canada. Ottawa, 1973. 966 pages.

17. Crossman, J.S. , and Cairns, J. Jr. 1974. A Comparative Study Between Two Different Artificial Substrate Samplers and Regular Sampling Techniques. Hydrobiologia, vol. 44,4 Pages 517-522.

18 Weber, C.I. 1973. Biological Field and Laboratory Methods for Measuring the Ouality of Surface Waters and Effluents.

EPA-67014-73-001. Of fice of Research and Development, U.S. EPA, Cincinnati, Ohio.

19 El-Sh any, F.M. 1977. Environmental Impacts of Hydroelectric Power Plants. Journal of the Hydraulic Division, ASCE, Vol. 103, No. HY4, pages 1,007-1,020, 20 Hynes, H. 1972. The Ecology of Running Waters. University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Canada. 555 pages.

21. Moore, C.T., and Frisbie, C.M. 1972. A Winter Sport Fishery Survey in a Warm Water Discharge of a Steam Electric Station on the Patuxent River, Maryland. Chesapeake Science, Vol. 13, No. 2, Pages 110-115.

22. Elser, H.J. 1965. Effect of a Warmed Water Discharge on Angling in the Potomac River, Maryland, 1961-1962. Progress. Fish. Cult.

27(2):74-86.

2

REFERENCES (Continued, Page 3 of 4)

23. Norri s , R . S . , and G ammon , J . R. 1972. The Effects of Feated Water Effluent on the Aquatic Biota of Little Three-Mile Creek. Depart-ment of Zoology, DePauw University, Greencastle, Indiana.

24 Magnuson, T.J., and Neill, W.H. 1472. Distributional Ecology and Behavorial Thermaregulation of Fishes in Relation to Heated Efflu-ent from a Steam-Electric Power Plant (Lake Monona, Wisconsin),

University of Wisconsin Water Resources Center, Madison, Wisconsin.

25. Hesse, L.W.,'and Wallace, C.R. 1976 The Effects of Cooling Water Discharges from Fort Calhoun and Cooper Nuclear Stations on the Fishes of the Missouri River. Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Lincoln, Nebraska. 377 pages.

26. Carlander, K.O. 1977. Handbook of Freshwater Fishery Biology.

Vol. 2. Iowa State University Press, Ames, Iowa, 431 pages.

27. Keslo, J.R.M. 1974 Influence of a Thermal Effluent on Movement of Brown Bullhead (Ictalurus nebulosus) as Determined by Ultrasonic Tracking. J. of Fish. Res. Board of Canada, Vol. 31(9):

1,507-1,513.

28 Hickey, C.R. nd. Assessment of the Effects of Thermal Discharges, Entrainment, and Impingement At Point Beach Nuclear Plant to Aquatic Piota and Fisheries of Lake Michigan. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C. 91 pages.

29 Ash, G.R. , Galleys, D.N. , and Chymko, N.R. 1974. Fish Kill Due to

" Cold Shock" in Lake Wabamun, Alberta. J. Fish. Res. Board Can.,

Vol. 31(11):1,822-1,824.

30 Schainost, S. 1976. Survey of 1976 Commercial Fisheries Industry of Nebraska. Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Fisheries Divi-sion, Lincoln, Nebraska. 32 pages.

31. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 1978. Final Environmental Statement Related to the Determination of the Fort Calhoun Station Unit Number 2, Omaha Public Power District, NUREG-0434.

32. Walburg, C.H. 1971. Loss of Young Fish in Reservoir Discharge and Year-Class Survival, Lewis and Clark Lake, Missouri River. Pages 441-448. In: G.E. Hall, ed. Reservoir Fisheries and Limnology.

Amer. FishT~ Soc. Special Publication No. 8.

33. Harrow, L.G., and Schlesinger, A.B. 1980. The Larval Fish

' Recruitment Study. Omaha Public Power District, Omaha, Nebraska.

92 pages.

3

l l

l I

I l

REF ERENCES

( Con tinued , Pag e 4 o f '4 )

34. Harrow, L. , . Cherko , I, and Sc hlesinger , A. 1975. Seasonal-Abundance and Distributional Patterns of Ichthyoplankton in the Missouri River. Environmental . Series Niletin No . 1, OPPD. Onaha, Nebraska, 19 pages .

35. taggett, W.c. 1969. St ud ie s on the ' Re productive Biology o f the American Shad ( Alosa sapidissima,' Wilson) . A Canparison of Po pul at ion s fr om Fo ur Riv er s o f the At l antic Se ab oard . Ph .D.

Thesis. Mc Gill University. 125 pages.

36. Kissil , G.W. 1974. Spawning of the Anadromous Alewife , Alosa pseudoharengus in Br ide Lake , Connec t ic ut . Trans. Aner. Fish.

So c . , 103(2):312-317,

37. Dames and 1 bore. 1975. Progress He port for a 316-b St udy on the Robert A. Gallagher Power Plant. Danes and Moore, Cincinnati, Oh io .

38. El-Sh amy , F.M. 1979. Imping ement Sampling Frequency. A Multiple Population Approach. Environnental Science and Technology.

Vol . 13, R) . 3, Pages 315-320.

39. Miller, R. R. 1960. Systematics and Biology of Gizzard Shad (Dorosoma cepidianum) and Related Fish. U. S. Fish and Wildlife Fishery Bulletin, 60(173):371-392.

40. Sc ienc e . 1980. Sc ien tist with Ri po pul ar Da ta Lo sse s Job .

Vol . 14, Pages 749-750.

41. U. S. Federal Energy Hegulatory Q)nsnission. 1980. Order 03mpelling Re s pon se to Int erroga tor ies . Proj ect No. 2338. ( Cbrn wall Proj ec t) .

42. Speakman , J. N. , and Kr enkel , P. A. 1972. Quantification of the Effects of Rate of Temperature Change on Aquatic Life. a W'ter Re s . 6(11 ): 1283-12 90.

43. Cad a , G. F. 1977. The Entrainment of larval Fishes at TVo Nuclear Power Plants on the Missouri Riv er in Nebraska. Doctoral Dissertation. University o f Nebraska , Lincoln, bhb ras ka .

. 44. St an ford , R.M. 1980. The Ef fec t s o f Laping ement and Entrainment by the J. R. Whiting Plant on Yellow Perch Perca flavescens; Commercial and Sport Fisher ie s in Lake Er ie . A Ri D. Di s ser tat ion ,

Michigan St ate University De par tment of Fisheries and Wildlife .

110 Pages .

4

MPENDIX A--ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS (1973) i

APPENDIX A ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS (NONRADIOLOGICAL)*

1. Operatirg Limits.

1.1 Condenser Cooling Water Temperature Limit:

1. The maximum discharge temperature was 84*F.

2. As a result of recirculation which occurred on November 20, 1973, tne maximum 4LT was 23*F between 7:00 and 9:00 p.m.

and at midnight. All other ZLTs were equal to or less than 22*F.

The incidents were reported to Region IV, Directorate of Regulatory Operations in accordance with Section 1.l(4) of Appendix B to Operating License No. DPR-40,

3. During normal plant operations, changes in the river temperature did not exceed 2*F per hour 2,000 feet downstream.

1.2 Chemical Di tcharge 1imits:

1

1. The maximum limit of 0.1 mg/l of chlorine at the cooling water discharge was not exceeded at any time.

2. On December 10, 1973, and necember 17, 1973, the total dissolved solids limit of 600 parts per minute (ppm) was exceeded at 75 feet downstream of the lagoon and sanitary waste discharges by 30 ppm. Operations Incident No. 7363 was reported for 5-day BOD analyses as required by Section 2.1(5) of Appendix B to Operating License No. DPR-40. All other chenical discharge data indicate compliance with the Nebraska Water Ouality Criteria for Clasa A waters.

3. During August, 1973, solid chemicals were removed fror the west (one of two) chemical equaltzation and decantation holding basin (lagoon). Approximately 60 cubic yards of solids were removed and placed in landfill at the northwest corner of the Fort Calhoun plant si te.

4. See Section 2.1.3.

~~~ ~~~~ ~~~ ~ ~ ~

• Eich piiig~ iip"h"n'umbei~in th'iss'e~c~iion ~c~o~ife' spin ~di~e~Eic~t1y"ti~th'e'~ ~ ~" ~

number of that requirement in Appendix B, Operating License No. DPR-40, Environmental Technical Specifications.

A-1

2. Monitoring and Surveillance Program 2.1 Monitoring of Thermal and Chemical Discharge.

1. Temperature Monitoring:

Upstream river ambient and cooling water intake and dis-charge temperatures were continuously monitored and recorded, and dates and time intervals of recirculating discharge water for ice'coctrol at the intake were also recorded. All continuously recorded information has been analyzed and reduced to hourly data and is seen to corre-late with station operating levels. Compliance with speci-fied limits has been summarized in Section 1.1.

2. Thermal _ Plume Measurements:

Surf ace thermal plume measurements were made during Septem-her, October, and November,1973, to produce isotherm plots of tl.e ' downstream thermal plune, Figures I, II, and Ill. ,

The magnitude of the thermal plume correlates with station operating levels, circulating water discharge flow and Mtssouri River flow. The thermal plume measurements, sta-tion operating conditions, and river flow conditions indi-cate that the Fort Calhoun 5*F isotherm did not at any time violate the Nebraska mixing zone requirements.

Triple depth thermal plume measurements were made during September,1973, and indicate that only very small tempera-ture variations exist vertically (<0.4*F at 200 or greater feet downstream from discharge) within the thermal mixing zone.

J

3. Radioac,t_ive i Was,t_e_ Disposal System and Steam Generator Blow-down Chemical Discharges:

l All of the batch discharges from the radioactive waste dis-posal system were chemically analyzed and the steam gener-ator (A and B) blowdown was analyzed three times per week <

These ant,1yses were used in conjunction with steam gener-ator blawdown rates, monitor tank release rates, and circulating water flows to calculate concentrations of chemical constituents in the circulating water discharge.

Results of these calculations indicate compliance with all Nebraska Water Quality Criteria for Class A waters.

Analysis for iron, copper, nic pl, and chromium were per-formed, indicating that calculated concentrations of these metals in the circulating water discharge were not in chemically measurable levels as expected.

Concentratiar.s of chemicals in the circulating water dis-charge do not correlate with station operating levels, but are functions of circulating water discharge flows, steam j generator blowdown rates and monitor tank release rates.

A-2 1

4. River Water D_issolved oxygen Analyses:

Dissolved oxygen analyses were made once a week upstream and immediately downstream from the station.

An analysis of the data indicates that no statistical dif-ference in dissolved oxygen concentration exists upstream versus downstream. Hence, river water dissolved oxygen concentrations upstream and downstream of the station do not correlate with station operating levels, but are depen-dent upon seasonal fluctuations.

5. River _ Water Chemical Analyses Upstream and Downstream of Lagoon and Sanitary Waste Discharges:

River water samples were collected once per week, upstream of the cooling water intake and 75 feet downstream of the lagoon and sanitary waste discharge, and were chemically analyzed (see Section 1.2.2).

River water chemical concentrations upstream and downstream of the lagoon and sanitary waste discharges do not corre-late with station operating levels (due to minor nature of discharge in contrast to the flow of the river), but are dependent primarily on Missouri River seasonal fluctuations and runoff conditiors upstream.

2.2 Monitoring and Reporting on Loss of Biota b,y, Impingement.

1. Traveling Screen Imp,ingement Stud,y,1 An accumlative data computer analysis summarizes impinge-ment of fish and other aquatic fauna for the period May 14, 1973, through December 31, 1973, in accordance with the Technical Specifications, Table I.

No larval fish were found ir the Missouri River af ter mtd August, 1973.

( During the cold weather months, there were episodes of plant shutdown for varying periods. These periods are summarized in Section IV, Shutdowns. No detected mortality was associated with these events.

l 2. Sampling Freguency in Second Year of Operation:

One addttional year of monttoring will be completed and the data analyzed prior to an evaluation of the method.

A-3

2.3 Monitoring of Pas _ sage Effects on__P,lanktonic and Larval Organisms.

1. Condenser P,assage Effects ,S,tudy:

Phytoplankton Entrainment The effects of entrainment on phytoplankton viability were studied at Fort Calhoun Station during the period October through December, 1973. Carbon fixation rates, Chlorophyll A concentrations, ATP concentrationtJ, and species composi-tion were determined from samples from the plant intake and discharge locations over a three-day period on five separate occasions.

Phytoplankton subjected to condenser passage exhibited a mean stimulation ef fect in productivity (measured by carbon fixation) of 11 percent during the period October through December. Differences in Chlorophyll A concentration, ATP concentration, and phytoplankton abundance between the intake and discharge were generally not significant.

Assuming even distribution of the phytoplankton population in the Mitsouri River, the total stimulation effect from Fort Calhoun Station was 0.3 percent.

Zoop1ankt_on Entrainment The effects of condenser passage on zooplankton at Fort Calhoun Station were studied form October through December of 1973. Samples were collected with a filter pump system at the intake and discharge once in October and twice in the months of November and December. Live-dead separations of zooplankton were made at 0, 4, and 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> after col-1ection and zooplankton were later identified to species.

3 Thezooplanktondensitywas68g/m in October and increased gradually to 3,396/m on December 18 Bv December 17, abundance had dropped to 866/m3 Imoti li-ties resulting from condenser passage ranged from 3.0 per-cent to 15.0 percent. Mortalities af ter 4 and 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> averaged from 2.8 percent to 9.9 percent. The most abun-dant zooplankton was Diaptomus siciloides, which averaged 77.0 percent of the community over the testing period.

Assuming even distribution of zooplankton in the Missouri River, the total effect of Fort Calhoun Station on these organisms resulted in 0.17 percent mortality for the total zooplankton population.

Drifting M_acroinvertebrates Entrainment The ef fects of condenser passage on drift macroinverte-brates at Fort Calhoun Station were studied from October through December, 1973. Samples were collected with a cone-shaped plankton net equipped with a flowmeter at the A-4

intake and discharge. Live-dead separations of macroin-vertebrates were made inmediately after collection and organisms were later identified to the lowest positive taxa.

The caddisfly, Hydropsych,e orris, was the most abundant organism, comprising 32.2 percent of the macroinvertebrate population. Other less abundant species included the may-fly, Stenonema, and the caddisfly, Potamjgi,a f, lava, which comprised 18.6 percent and 16.9 percent of the population, respectively. There was no major shift in species composi-tion from October to December.

The effects of condenser passage on drifting macroinverte~

brates resulted in nortalities ranging from 3.2 percent to 15.5 percent. Condenser mortality was influenced more by

/1 T than by absolute discharge temperatures, because absolute temperatures were well below the upper lethal limit for the drifting macroinvertebrate population.

Assuming even distribution of drifting macroinvertebrates in the Missouri River, the total effect of Fort Calhoun Station was a 0.3 percent mortality of the total drifting macrotnvertebrate population.

3. Study and Evaluation Programs 3.1 Plankton.

1. Thermal Imgact Studv:

The data obtained were subjected to analysis and from those variables with the highest degrees of correlation with water temperature, the biologically most significant were selected for graphic display. An examination of these permits the following series of summary statements:

. 1. All measures of productivity are correlated with seasonal temperature cycles.

2. Near plant sampling stations are most similar in both habitat characteristics and biological activity.

3. Attentuation of temperature cycles by plant operation is confined to local sites.

4. Increase in water temperature is related to increase in biological activity on a population basis.

5. All biological activity is a function of season and of numbers of organisms (biomass).

A-5

6. A variety of biotic indicators is assessed by the Thernal Impact Study. These were used to evaluate the overall plant effects on the drift population. There is in no instance a significant depression in values obtained at transects below the plant as compared with the control transect above the plant. This is interpreted to mean that drift population has undergone no depletion measurable with our techniques.

3.2 Fish Populat_i,on

1. Fish Collections were made during October and November, 1973, upstream of Locations 3 and 4 and downstream of Loca-tions 5 and 6. Locations 3 and 5 are located on the same side of the river as the Fort Calhoun Station (Nebraska shore), and Locations 5 and 6 are near the opposite shore.

Fish were collected by electroshocking at all locations and also by seining at Locations 4 and 6 Water temperatures recorded in the area of the dissharge were 5.2 to 4.9'C higher than at all other locations. The nost abundant species collected were carp and drum. The catch per unit effort (CPE) by electroshocking was similar at all locations in October, but was variable in November.

CPEs were highest at Locations 4 and 6 and lowest at Location 3. It was also noted that habitat diversity is higher at Locations 4 and 6 The CPEs were higher at Location 5 than at Location 3 during both periods. Seine haul catches were low during both periods at all locations.

Aquatic invertebrates, prinartly water boatman and mayflies, were identified in the stomachs of goldeye, white crappie, white bass, drun, and green sunfish; fish were the only food items found in walleye and sauger stomachs.

Terrestrial insects were also common in the stomachs of goldeye.

Because of the limited data thus far collected, conclusions as to the fish community near Fort Calhoun Station are not warranted at this time.

2. Eleven-Agency Stud _y Programs:

All preoperational work has been completed and presented.

Titles of these reports are " Selected Environmental Effects of Two Nuclear Power Plants on the Missouri River" progress report for the period, July 1, 1970, to January 11, 1971, and " Selected Environmental Ef fects of Two Nuclear Power Plants on the Missouri River" preoperational progress report--March, 1972.

A-6

Macroinvertebrate and periphyton studies covering the May to November,1972, preoperational period will be ready for submittal by about June 1, 1974. No preoperational 1973 data was collected in view of the extension of the projected July, 1973, startup date. Postoperational studies will commence in 1974.

3.3 Entr_ainment Effects Larval fish are present in the Missouri River for only a relatively brief spring to summer period. The first study of this component of the entrainment biota will be performed starting in April,1974.

i A-7 l

OM AllA l'pls Lit ruvv a.n uno isuu c FORT CALilOUN STATION UNIT NO. 1 TRAVEL.ING SCREEN IMPINGEMENT STUDY ACCUMULATIVE DATA TOTA 1. NUMBER OF SAMPLE PERIODS 365 TOTAL NUMBER OF SAMPLE PERIODS BY DAY WHERE NO ORGANISMS WERE IMPINGED 119 TOTAL NUMBER OF SAMPLE PERIODS BY NIGIIT WIIERE NO ORGANISMS WERE IMPINGED 79 TOTAL NUMBER OF FISH IMPINGED 865 TOTAL NUMBER OF FISH IMPINGED BY DAY 513 TOTAL NUMBER OF FISH IMPINGED BY NIGHT 352 AVERAGE SI:~.E FISH IMPINGED (CM) 7. 5 k AVERAGE SIZE FISH IMPINGED BY DAY (CM) 8. 6 AVERAGE SIZE FISII IMPINGED BY NIGHT (CM) 5. 9 MOST COMMON SPECIES IMPINGED APLODINOTUS GRUNNIENS (RAFINESQUE) FRESHWATER DR' MOST COMMON SPECIES IMPINGED BY DAY APLODINOTUS GRUNNIENS (RAFINESQUE) FRESHWATER DR' MOST COMMON SPECIES IMPINGED BY NIGHT APLODINOTUS GRUNNIENS (RAFINESQUE) FRESHWATER DR' TOTAL NUMBER OF NON-FISII AQUATIC FAUNA IMPINGED 14 TOTAL NUMBER OF NON-FISH AQUATIC FAUNA IMPINGED BY DAY 12 i OTAL NUMBER OF NON-FISII AQUATIC FAUNA IMPINGED BY NIGIIT 2

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APPENDIX B-ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS (1980)

APPENDIX B

1. OPERATI,NG L'.MIT_S Condenser Cooling Water Temperature Limit Applicability, These limitations apply to the condenser cooling weter dischargs temper-ature and temperature changes.

Objective To avoid subjecting the local aquatic ecosystem to excessively high temperature or sudden changes in water temperature.

Sp,ecifications

1. The condenser cooling water discharge temperature shall not exceed 105*F.

2. The dif ference (4LT) between the ambient temperature of the Missouri River as measured just upstream from the cooling water intake struc-ture, and the temperature of the cooling water at the discharge shall not exceed:

a. 20*F when the river temperature is 55'F. .

b. 30*F when the river temperature is <55'F and it is determined that the river flow will not be less than 7,000 cfa as measured by the United States Geological Survey with the exceptions as provided by Part 3 of this Technical Specification.

3. Tne limits of Parts 1 and 2 may be exceeded for brief periods during changes in power levels and as necessary to maintain facility opera-tion during a grid emerg,ency, to maintain protection of critical plant equipment and systems, and for certain safeguard operations which cannot be limited or negated by condenser cooling water requirements. These safeguard operations include automatic plant

r. rips and manual plant trips initiated by licensed personnel in emergencies or other situations requiring such actions. Such inci-dents shall be reported within 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> by telegraph or telephone to Region IV, Of fice of Inspection and Enforcement, stating the reasons for such operation, when it began and its completion or expected completion.

B-1

Basis The once-through concenser cooling system is designed to increase the temperraure of the river water pumped through the system during the full-lead operation by 20*F. Thearea within the 5*F isotherm is predicted for both the 32,000 cfs average stream inflow and the planned 11,000 cfs minimum flow in Section v.B of the AEC's Final Environmental Statement issued in August 1972. On the average, the area of the river heated 5*F or more above ambient will be 2,000 feet long by 250 feet wide. I Limiting the temperature of the discharge to 105'F should assure that the temperature of the river at the averaae 5'F isotherm does not exceed.

90*F, since the highest ambient river temperature of recen* record at this tacation is 84.7*F.

During the winter months when the river tempe. ..ture is 55'F or lens, it {

may be planned to overhaul the circulators one at a time or perform other maintenance that may require reduced circulating water flow. Normally one to two weeks will be required to overhaut each circulator. It is expected that during this period of time the number of circulators will be cut from three to two and that the rise across the condenser will increase to 30*F at the full-load operation. During. these periods when a circulator is out of operation, recirculation flow for ice control and/or load will be limited ruch that the total rise will not exceed 30*F. The i downstream extent of this zone would cange from 400 f t, at 32,000 cfs

flow to 600 ft. at 11,000cfs flow. The position of the 5*F isotherm would also move downstream to about 5,000 to 6,000 ft. for these flow l ranges. The limit of 7,000 cfs river flow, under which such operation could result in undesirable temperatures across the river, is the low l flow expected for a seven-day period once in 10 years under 1970 l I

development conditions.

1.2 Chemical _ Discharge Limits Agg({cability These limitations apply to liauid discharge from the Fort Calhoun Stetton Unit No. I etreulating wate. system and chemical equaliza-tion and decantation holding basins (lagoons).

Obj ec t_i;ve To maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the receiving waters.

B-2

Specification

1. During periods of chlorination of the condenser cooling water system, the concentration of total residual chlorine at the cooling water discharge shall not he greater than 0.1 mg/ liter.

2. Liquid chemical releases shall he in accordance with the following limits:

a. Cooling Water Discharge pH,--The pH shall not be less than 6.0 standard units nor greater than 9.0 standard units,

b. Chemical Equalization and Decantation Holding Basin (Lagoon)

Discharge pH--The pH shall not be less Lian 6.0 standard units nor greater than 9.0 standard units.

Total Sus ended Solids--Tae total suspended solids TTTS. D 'p'h'a11 he limitad to a daily maximum concentration

~

s of 100 mg/1.

3. Annually the maximum, minimum, and average pH, for each discharge specified in Section 1.2.2 of Appendix B, will be reported.

t Total suspended concentration, flow rate, and quantity released i from the chemical equalization and decantation holding basin will also be reported annually.

f BJi81.s l

The monitoring and surveillance program described in Section 2.1.3, in to verify that the liquid chemical disch.trges are within the Itmits l

described above. The previous specifications on chemical discharge linics have been modified. Limiting the chemical discharges to those given above will assure that the plant is being operated in a manner evaluated in the Fort Calhoun Station Unit No. 1 Final Environmental Statement and subsequent environmental impact appraisals and that no significant adverse impact is predicted at these discharge levels. The Itnits are also consistent with those contained in National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit No. NE 0000418 dated August 23, 1976 l

B-3

2.

MONITORING PROGRAM 2.1 Monitoring'of Thermal Di,sch,ar,ges A_pp1

, ., 3 ,cability m This section applies to monit'oring and recording temperatures. 0.2

~

. mtles upstream from the Fort Calhoun Station to 5.6 mties downstream from the condenser cooling water 'dtscharge.

phiective To determine the ef fects of operating the station on the temperature characteristics of the Missouri R,ver.

Specification

1. Upstream river ambient and cooling water intake and discharge temperatures shall be continuously monitored and. recorded,' and dates and. time intervals of rectreulating discharge water for ice control at the intake shall also be recorded.

Operating Mo' d e Required for Testing: 1, 2, or 3.

In the event the temperature nonitoring' system becomes inoper-able for more than four -(4) hours, alternate equipment shall be used to measure river ambient temperature evers two hours until the normal monitoring 'and recording equipment is returned to service. When river tctng conditions ' are present and icing con-ditions on the river bank preclude a . safe means of obtaintng upstream river temperature, 32*F wt11 he assumed to be the upstream river temperature.

2. Once a month for at least the first two years of operation, except during cold shutdown conditions, thermal measurements shall be made during tee-free condit' tons to produce isotherm plots of the downstream thermal plume to the nearest l'F. These measurements shall be r.ake at river bottom, one-half depth , and near the surface at the locations shown in Figure 1 of the Fort Calhoun Station Unit No. 1 Thermal Impact Study. The measure-ments shall be related to a mathematical model now under develo pment . The underwater thermometer shall have an absolute temperature accuracy of +0.2*F or better. During hazardous ice conditions on the river,~ infra-red scanning will be utilized to deterntne the thermal plume patterns for representative winter B-4

flow conditions. An hourly record of inlet-outlet and circulating water flows shall be maintained and correlated to the thermal measurements.

Operating Mode Required For Testing: 1, 2, or 3.

3. Discharge from the chemical equalization and decantation holding basis (lagoon) shall be sampled weekly and discharges from the circulating water discharge sampled monthly.

When chlorination of the circulating water system is being conducted:

(a) the discharge shall be grah sampled at a time during the chlorination period when the maximum residual chlorine concentration is expected to be present, and (b) chlorine shall be sampled weekly and analyzed with the amperometric filtration technique.

The data collected pursuant to Sections 2.1.1 and 2.1.2 of the Technical Specifications shall be correlated to station operating levels and results shall be supusarized in the annual report.

2.2 Monitoring and Regor,t, inion Loss of Biota by Impingement gplicability_

This applies to fish and other fauna impinged on the cooling water intake screens.

Objective To evaluate the loss of aquatic life due to operation of the station i

so as to take corrective action if needed.

Specifications i

( 1. Fish and other aquatic fauna impinged on the traveling screenn

shall be identified by species, size and quantity, and the data-recorded in tabular form. One of the six traveling screens will be sampled daily for one hour. During the sununer (May-September)of the first year of operation, an additional 1-hour l sample shall be taken each night. These data shall be

( summarized and reported to the directorate of Licensing semi-annually, as discussed in Section 5. Incidents of large numbers killed due to operation of the station shall be reported to l Region IV, Directorate of Regulatory Operations, within 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> l by telephone or telegraph; and data concerning any such incident

and its probable cause shall be included in a detailed report to l DL within 10 days.

l B-5

o

2. The method described in 1. may be used on a routine basis once it is statistically shown that the one hour per day sample of

. screens is an adequate representation of the daily imptngement.

s B a s,i_s, The preoperational and operational monitoring programs should be used to determine specific numerical limits for this parameter. However, sufficient baseline information is not available to determine this limit.

This special study is designed to determine that no long-term adverse changes are occurring in the ecosystem from plant operation. It should also provide the type of information needed to determine' an operating limit or establish that the impingement study is no longer needed due to an insignificant impact.

2.3 Monitoring of Passage _Ef f ects o,n JP_lanktonic and LarvaljDrganisms -

App,licability This applies to larval and planktonic organisms passed through the condenser cooling water system.

Objectiv,e To provide information on the survival of larvae and plankton passed through the condenser cooling system.

i Specifications

1. Samples of Missouri River water shall be taken at least hi-weekly near the condenser cooling system intake and f rom the discharge and analyzed both for relative quanttties and condi-tion of the various planktonte and larval organisms. These data and an assessment of the effects of passage shall be included in the semi-annual reports to DL.

Basis The analysis of samples taken at the intake and discharge may not indicate the loss of organisms passing through the condenser if dead "

vs. live organisms are used as the measure of effect. Total injury may not be immedtately reflected in death. This study will evaluate the residual or delayed mortality that may occur in the biota passing through the cooling system. (Ef fects on organisms which are entrained as they drift into the thermal plume are covered in section 3.3).

i B-6

3. STUDY AN_D EVAL,UATIO,N_P,R,0 GRAMS Applicability These programs apply to the segment of the Missouri River in the vicinity of.the Fort Calhoun Station.

Obje,c,t_i,v,e s, To determine: (1)-the' planktonic, nektonic, and benthic character-istics of this segment of the river; and (2) the effects of oper-ating the station on the aquatic ecosystems.

Monitoring of the aquatic ecosystem and the effects of the Fort Calhoun Station .is accomplished in the following complementary programs being conducted by the Licensee end various state and federal agencies:

3.1 Per,i,ph,y, ton, Macroinvertebrates and Fish Studies of these primary, secondary and tertiary consumer popula-tions in the river are being monitored in a joint study by 11 agencies which began in 1970, as discussed in Attachment 1 (Selected Environmental Effects of Two Nuclear Power Plants on the Missouri River). These studies are authorized for at least two additional years beyond 1971 and should be continued through at least five

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years of station operation until data obtained indicates no further need to continue. In addition to the data being accumulated thus far, stomach analyses should be made on fish collected during the preoperational phase for comparison with similar postoperational analyses. Operating mode required for testing: 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5.

3.2 I ch thyop1_ank,t on _E n t,r a inne,n t, ,E,f,f,e_c,t,s, This program is designed to assess the nature of the larval fish contribution to the Missouri River's drift population. The criteria for this program are as follows:

1. To determine sampling sites, procedures, and the time needed to study the 1erval fish populations that are subjected to the non-

, radiological activities of the plant;

2. To determine the survival of larval fish passed through the cen-densers and collected irunediately upon exit. Thermal and mechanical stresses will be evaluated; B-7

3. To determine the overall survival of larval fish entrained in the condenser pathway and following additional exposure to the heated water of the thermal plume;

4. To determine the survival of larval fish which are entrained in the thermal plume without prior passage through the condenser pathway; and

5. To determine, through cross-channel distribution sampling, the fraction of the total larval fish popuistion drifting paat the station which is subjected to either passage through the condenser or the thermal plume or both.

The cross-channel distribution sampling will begin in late April and continue as long as fish larvae are present in the drift (usually until late July or early August). Entrainment sampling te assess the ef fects

' of condenser passage will only be conducted when fish larvae are present in the drift in sufficient numbers to permit statistical analysis (usually early June through midJuly). Operating node required for testing: 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5.

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4 DURATION OF OPERATING LIMITS AND MONITORING AND STUDY PROGRAKS The operating limits and associated monitoring programs set forth in Sec-t ions 1 and 2 of this Appendix B to th. 9perating license shall conuence on the day Ibit No.1 is licensed to operate. The st udy and eval uation programs described in Section 3 have either begun during the pr eo pe r a-tional period or should be initis od at the earliest practicable t ime, 1he operating limit s in Sec tion I ai.s the monitoring programs in Section 2 shall continue in effect t hro ugho ut the operating life of the Station.

All of the programs in Section 3 shall be conducted for a minimum of five years unless resulting data justifies and earlier or longer duration.

5. RFPORTING REQUIREMENTS Data gathered in the various monitoring and stuly prograns shall be analyzed as they are collec ted and compared with preoperational data as necessary to determine or predict t he env ironmen t al e f fec t s o f t he Station operation. Re sults of the analyses and sumnaries of significant data shall be submitted to the Directorate of Licensing within 60 days after each six-month period , or frac tion thereof, terminating on June 30 and Dec ember 31. Suc h re por t s are d ue wi t hi n 60 d a ys a f t er t he end o f each reporting per iod and shall be submitted with the Routine Operating Report des;ribed in Technical Specification 6.6. A final report s umn a r-izing the resul ts of the programs should be submitted sixty (60) days following the fi f th anniversay of the date Ibit No. 1 is licensed to o pe r a te . If , on the basis on such semiannual and final reports it is established that no major adverse environmental impac t has resulted or is likely to resul t from continued operation of Unit No . 1, then the pr o-grams shall be terminated. If, on the basis on any saniannual report or the final report , it is established that the results of the monitoring programs are inconclusive , either whole or in part , the licensec shall propose chsnges designed to yield conclusive results and bn pl emen t such changes when they are approved by DL. If harm ful e f fec t s or evid ence o f irreversible danage are detec ted by the monitorir.x programs, the licensee shall provide the analysis of the problem and a proposed course of action to alleviate the prob l em .

Add itional reporting requirements related to thermal limits and fi sh kills are stated in Sec t ions 1.1.4 and 2. 2.1 o f this Append ix B.

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t APPENDIX C--FORT CAUiUUN STATION NDDES i

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DH ARLE,5 TH2NE 6AN'T. DR AIN GOVfRNOR ..f*ECf0" L STATE of NEBRASKA CCCT

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DEPARTM ENT OF ENVIRONMENT AL CONTROL es=*,* EtJe b #nD January 22, 1931 WPC-Perm /Enfc RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED NPDES No. NE 0000!.18 Mr. Frank Thurtell Location: 0:ahc, NE Omaha Public Power District Recalving waters: Missouri River 1623 Harney Omaha, NE 68102

Dear Frank:

Pursuant to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended (33 U.S.C. 466 et. seq.), the Nebraska Environmental Protection Act (Secs. 81-1504 (11) , R. R. S . , 1943), and the Stata of Nebraska Depart ent of Fnvironmental Control, Rules and Reculatiens Pertainine to the Issuance of Permits Under the National _ Pollutant Dischar:a Elimination System, se have reissued and are enclosing your National Pollutant Disenarge Elimina-tion System (NPDES) Authorisation to Discharge fr m your above-referenced facility.

Your NPDES Authorization to Discharge includes general and special conditions which must be followed to remain in co:pliance with the requirements of the above-centioned statutes and Rules and Regulatiens.

Ponitoring reports prescribed in the special conditions are required on a periodic basis. Questions and request for additional n.,nitoring reports should be directed to Department of Environmental Control, L Permits and Enforcement Section (402) 471-21SG.

Issuance of an NPDES Authorization to Discharge by DEC does not relieve you of other duties and responsibilities under the Nebraska l Environmental Protection Act or as amended, or any Rules and Regulations promulgated pursuant thereto.

Your continued cooperation in helping to i: prove and maintain the

! quality of Nebraska's waters is much appreciated.

i Very truly yours,

,- Dan T. Drain j Director JDR/dr Enclosure C-1

Permit No. NE'0000418 s

! DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL '

AUTHORIZATION TO DISCHARGE UNDER THE STATE OF. NEBRASKA NATIONAL POLLUTANT. DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM In compliance w3th the provisions of the Federal . water Pollution Control Act ,

as amended'(33 U.S.C. 466 et, seq), the Nebraska Environmental Protection'Act (Sees. 81-1505 (3) (4) (5) (6) s (7) , 81-1504 (15) (25) , 81-1510 (2) , R.R.S. 1943) ,

and the Rules and Regulations promulgated pursuant thereto, Omaha Public Power. District, Fort Calhoun Station 1

is authorized to discharge from a facility located at NW Quarter, NW Quarter, Section 21. Township 18N, Range 12E, Washington County i I 1

to receiving waters named Missouri River in accordance with effluent limitations, monitoring requirements and other t . 7ditions set forth in Parts I, II, and III hereof.

This permit shall become effective on January 22, 1981 '

, This permit and the authorization to discharge shall expire at midnight, June 30, 1981.

Signed this 22nd day of January, 1981.

Director C-2 -

t A. . EFFLUENT. LIMITATIONS AND MONITORING REQUIREMENTS During the period beginning January 22, 1981 and lasting through June 30, 1981.

the permitee is authorized to discharge from outfall(s) serial number (s) Pipe 001 - Cooling Water-1 Such discharges shall be limited and monitored by the permitee as specified below:

EFFLUENT CHARACTERISTIC DISCHARGE LIMITATIONS MONI1DRING REQUIREMENTS 3 kg/ day (lbs/ day) Other Units (Specify) Measuresent sample i Daily Avg. Daily Max. Daily Avg. Daily Max. Frequency l Type i

j Flow-m / Day (MGD) - -- - -

Continuous Recorder or Pump records Temperature - -- --

110 F Continuous Recorder o

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i N'S The pH shall not be less than 60 standard units nor greater than 9.0 standard units and shall be monitored monthly, grab sample.

5 There shall be no discharge of floating solids or visible foam in other than trace amounts. f.

Ew. ,

Sanple taken in compliance with the monitoring requirements specified above shall be taken .

at the following location (s): Point of discharge to Missouri River.

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A. EFFLUENT LIMITATIONS AND MONITORING REQUIREMENTS During the period beginning January 22, 1981 and lasting through June 30, 1981 the permitee is authorized to discharge from outfall(s) serial number (s) Pipe 002 - Water Treatment Plant such discharges shall be limited and monitored by the permitee as specified below:

EFFLUENT CllAPJCTERISTIC DISCIIARGE LIMITATIONS MONITORING REQUIREMENTS kg/ day (lbs/ day) Other Units (Specify) Measurement Sapple Daily Avg. Daily Max. Daily Avg. Daily Max. Frequency Type Flow-m / Day (MGD) - __ -- --

Weekly Crab Total Suspended Solids 27 kg/ day 115 kg/ day 30 mg/l 100 mg/l Weekly Crab Oil & Grease 15 kg/ day 35 kg/ day 15 mg/l 20 mg/l Weekly Grab n

b

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ne k* h The pH shall not be less than 6.0 standard units nor greater than 9.0 standard units "

and shall be monitored weekly, grab sample, w o

'Ihere shall be no discharge of floating solids or visible foam in other than trace amounts. S 5..

Sample taken in compliance with the monitoring requirerents specified above shall be taken a" at the following location (s): at point of discharge to Missouri River. o S

A. EFFLUENT LIMITATIONS AND MONITORING REQUIREMENTS During the period beginning ' January 22,-1981 and lasting through June.36, 1981 the' permitee is authorized to discharge from outfall(s) serial number (s) Pipe 003 - Traveling Screen Backwash Such discharges shall be limited and monitored by the permitee as specified below:

EFFLUENT CHARACTERISTIC DISCHARGE LIMITATIONS ^ MONITORING REQUIREMENTS kg/ day (1bs/ day) Other Units (Specify) Measurement Sample Daily Avg. Daily Max. Daily Avg. Daily Max. Frequency Type Flow-m / Day (MGD) -- __ __ __

Pump records

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55 The pH shall not be ans than 6.0 standard units nor greater than 9.0 standard units ua A* 5 and shall be monitorod monthly, grab sample. ,

o There shall be no discharge of floating solids or visible foam in other than trace amounts. S.

5 Sanple taken in coirpliance with the monitoring requirements specified above shall be taken . oO at the following location (s) : at point of discharge to Missouri River. h

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A. EFFLUENT LIMITATIONS AND MONITORING REQUIREMENTS.

During the period beginning January 22, 1981 and lasting through June 30, 1981, the permitee is authorized to discharge from outfall(s) serial number (s) . Pipe 004 - Screen house backwash Such discharges shall be limited and monitored by the permitee as specified below:

EFFLUENT CIIARACTERISTIC DISCIIARGE LIMITATIONS MONITORING REQUIREMSNTS kg/ day (lbs/ day) Other Units (Specify) Measuremer.t Sample Daily Avg. Daily Max. Daily Avg. Daily. Max. Frequency Type Flow-m / Day (MGD) -- - -- _.

Continuous Recorder or .

Pump records.

Temperature -- -- --

65 F* Continuous Recorder

• When used for intake screen deicing.

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55 g g "o The pII s' .11 act be less than 6.0 standard units nor greater than 9.0 standard units F-and shall be monitored weekly, grab sample. ,

There shall be no discharge of floating solids or visible foam'in other than trace amounts. 8.

z Sample taken in compliance with the monitoring requirements specified above shall be taken "C at the following location (s): at point of discharge to Missouri River. k' 3

A. EFFLUENT LIMITATIONS AND MONITORING REQUIREMENTS During the period beginning January 22, 1981 and lasting through June 30, 1981.

the permitee is authorized to discharge from outfall(s) serial numbar(s) - Pipe 005 - Submerged Screen House Such discharges shall be limited and monitored by the permitee as specified below:

EFFLUENT CitARACTERISTIC DISCIIARGE LIMITATIONS HONITORING REQUIREMENTS kg/ day (lbs/ day) Other Units (Specify) Heasurement Sample Daily Avg. _ Daily Max. Daily Avg. Daily Max. Frequency Type Flow-m 3/ Day (MGD) __ _ - --

Continuous Recorder or Pump records Temperature - -- --

110 F* Continuous Recorder

[ *When used for intake screen deicing.

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The p!I shall not be less than 6.0 standard units nor greater than 9.0 standard units and shall be monitored weekly, grab sample. he.

o There shall be no discharge of floating solids or visible foam in other than trace aucunts. S

. E

, Sample taken in compliance with the sonitoring requirements specified above shall be taken o0 at the following location (s): at the point where the diversion channel begins'. k-

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PART I Page 7 of 13 Permit No. NE 0000418 C. MONITORING AND REPORTING

1. REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLING Samples and measurements taken as required herein shall be representative of the volume and nature of the monitored discharge.

2. REPORTikG Monitoring results obtained during the previous 3 months shall be summarired for each month and reported on a Discharge Monitoring Report Form (WPC-60), postmarked no later than the 23th day of the scnth following the completed reporting period.

The first report will be submitted for the peried ending March 31, 1981 Sabsequent reports will be for the periods ending June 30, 1981 Properly filled in and signed Monitoring Reports will be mailed to the following address:

Nebraska Department of Environmental Cont ~ 1 WPC - Peraits and Enforcement Section P.O. Box 94877, State House Station Lincoln, Nebraska 68509

3. TEST PROCEDURES Test procedures for the analysis of pollutants shall confrrm to Nebraska Department of Environmental Control Rules and Regulations for Test Procedures for the Analysis of Pollutants Under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System. If those Rules and Regulations do not specify Test Procedures for,any pollutant required to be monitored by this permit and until such R31es and Regulations are promulgated, sampling and analytical methods us-to meet the monitoring requirements specified in this permit shall, unless ,

otherwise specified by the Director conform to the latest edition of the following references:

Standard Methods for rhe Examination of Water and Wastewaters, 14th Edition, 1975, American Public Health Association, New York, New York 10019.

A.S.T.M. Standards, Part 31, Water,1975, Ameri can Society for, Testing and Materials, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103.

Methods for Chemical Analysis of Water and Wastes, March 1979, Environmental Protection Agency Water i Quality Office, Analytical Quality Cantrol Laboratory, NERC, Cincinnati, Ohio 45268.

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/ARP I Page 8 of 13 Permit No. NE 0000418

4. RECOR0 LNG OF RESULTS For each measurement or sample taken pursuant to the requirements of this permit, the permitee shall racord the following informations

a. The exact place, date, and time of sampling;

b. The dates the analyses were performed;

c. The person (s) who performed the analyses;

d. The analytical techniques or methods used; and

e. The results of all required analyses.

5 A90TTIONAL MCMITORING BY PERMITEE If the permitee monitors any pollutant at the location (s) designated herein more frequently than required by this permit, using approved analytical methods as specified above, ese results of such monitoring shall be included in the Discharge Monitoring Peport Form (EPA No. 3320-1) .

Such increased frequency shall also be indicated.

6. RECORDS RETENTION All records and information resulting from the monitoring activities required by this permit including all records of analyses performed and calibration and maintenance of instrumentation and recordings from continuous monitnring instrumentation shall be retained for a minimum of three (3) y' ears, with such period of retention being extended during the course of any unresolved litigation regarding the discharge of pollutants by the permitee or when requested by the Director.

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PART II Page 9- of 13 Permit No. NE 0000418 .

A. MANAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS f

1. CHANGE IN DISCHARGE All discharges authorized herein shall be consistent with the terms and conditions of this permit. The discharge of any pollutant identified in this permit more frequently than or at a level in excess of that autho-rized shall constitute a violation of the permit. Any anticipated facility expansions, productien increases, or process modifications which will result in new, different, or increased discharges of pollutants must be . reported by the permitee 60 days prior to the expansion, increases, or modifications, by.

. submission of a new NPDES application or, if such changes will not violate the affluent limitations specified in this permit, by notice to- the permit issuing authority of such changes. Following such notice, the permit may be modified to specify and limit any pollutants not previously limited.

2. NONCOMPLIANCE NOTIFICATION If, for any reason, the permitee does not comply with or will be unable to comply with any daily maximum or weekly average ~ effluent limitation specified in this permit, the permitee shall provide the Department of Environmental control with the following information, in writing, within five(5) days of becoming aware of such conditions:

a. A description of the discharge and cause of noncompliance; and

b. The period of noncompliance, including exact dates and times; or, if not corrected, the anticipated time the noncompliance is expected to continue, and steps being taken to reduce, eliminate and prevent recurrence,of the noncomplying discharge.

3. FACILITY OPERATION AND QUALITY CONTROL All waste collection, control, treatment and disposal facilities shall be operated in a manner consistent with the following

a. At all times, all facilities shall be operated as efficiently as possible and in a manner which will minimize upsets and discharges of excessive pollutants.  ;

1 b. The permitee shall provide an adequate operating staff which

! is duly qualified to carry out the operation, maintenance and testing functions required to insure compliance with the conditions of this pemit.

c. Maintence of treatrent facilities that results in degradation of effluent quality shall be scheduled during non-critical water quality periods and shall be carried out in a manner approved by the permitting authority.

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f PART II Page 10 Of 13 Permit No. NE 0000418 4 ADVERSE IMPACT l The permitee shall take all reasonable steps to minimize any adverse impact to waters of the State resulting from noncompliance with any effluent limitations specified in this permit, including such accelerated or addi-tional nonitoring as necessary to determine the nature and inpact of the i noncomplying discharge.

5. 8YPASSING Any diversion from or bypans of facilities necessary to maintain compliance with the terms and conditions of this permit is prohibited, except (i) where unavoidable to prevent loss of life or severe property damage, or (ii) where excessive storm drainage or runoff would damage any facilities necessary for compliance with the effluent limitations and prohibitions of l this permit. The permitee shall promptly notify the Department of Invironmental Control in writing of each such diversion or bypass.

6. REMOVED SUBSTANCES Solids, sludges, filter backwash, or other pollutants removed in the course of treatment or control of wastewaters .shall be disposed of in a manner such as to prevent any pollutant from such materials from entering any waters of the State.

7. POWER FAILURES I

In order to maintain compliance with the effluent limitations and prohi-bitions of this permit, the permitee shall either:

a. In accordance with the Schedule of Compliance contained in Part I, l provide an alternative power source sufficient to operate the waste-l water control facilities; l or, if such alternative power source is not in existence, and no date for its implementation appears in Part I,

b. Halt, reduce or otherwise control production and/or all discharges j upon the reduction, loss, or failure of the primary source of power to the wastewater control facilities.

l i B. RESPONSIBILITIES

1. RIGHT OF ENTRY The permitee shall allow the Director of the Department of Environmental Control or his authorized representatives, upon the presentation of credencials:

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PART II-Page 11 of 13 Permit No. NE 0000418

a. To enter upon the permitee's premises where an effluent source is located or in which any records are required to be kept under the terms and conditions of this permit; and

b. At reasonable times to have access to and copy any records required to be kept under the terms and conditions of this permit; to inspect

, any monitoring equipment or monitoring method required in this permits and *.o sample any discharge of pollutants.

2 .' TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP OR CCHTROL In the event of any change in control or ownership of facilities from which the authorized discharges emanate, the permitee shall notify the succeeding owner or controller of the existence of this permit by letter, a copy of which shall be forwarded to the Department of Environmental Control no later than 30 days after transfer of control or ownership.

3.' AVAtLMILITY QF.REPCRES All NPDES forms and any public comment upon those forms shall be available to the public for inspection and copying, except any NPDES form informa-tion (except effluent data) or comment which is classified as confidential pursuant with the Nebraska Rules and Regulations Pertaining to the Issuance of Permits under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System.

4. SIGMATURES All NPDES Forms, applications or correspondence submitted to the Department i

as well as each submitted Discharge Monitoring Paport shall be signed as follows

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a. If submitted by a corporation, by a principal executive officer of 1

at least the level of vice president, or his duly authorized repre- i sentative, if such representative is responsible for the overall  !

operation of the facility from which the discharge described in the Discharge Monitoring Report originates; i

b. If submitted by a partnership, by a general partners l c. If submitted by a sole proprietor, by the proprietor;

d. If submitted by a municipality, State agency, or other public entity, 1 by a principal executive officer, ranking elected official, commanding officer, or other duly authorized employee.

Any change in signatories after submission of any NPDES form, application, 1 correspondence or discharge monitoring report and any transfer of a pemit after issuance, shall be brought to the attention of the Department in writing I within 30 days after the change of transfer.  !

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l PART II Page 12 of 13 Permit No. liE 0000418

5. PERMIT MODIFICAT10N After notice and opportunity for a hearing, this permit may be modified, suspended, or revoked in whole or in part during its term for cause including, but not limited to, the following:

a. Violation of any terms or conditions of this permits

b. Obtaining this permit by misrepresentation or failure to disclose fully all relevant facts or

c. A change in any condition that requires either a temporary or perma-

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nent reduction or elimination of the authorized discharge.

d. Upon request by the permitee, provided such request does not create

< a violation of any existing applicable require:nents, standards, laws, or rules and regulations.

6. TOXIC POLLL7AMTS Notwithstanding Part II, B-5 above, if a toxic effluent standard or prohibition (including any schedule of compliance specified in such effluent standard or prohibition) is established and adopted by the Council under Section 81-1505(6) R.R.S., 1943, for a toxic pollutant which is present in the discharge and such standard or prohibition is more stringent than any limitation for such pollutant in this permit, this permit shall be revised or modified in accordance with the toxic effluent standard or prohibition and the permitee so notified.

7. CIVIL AND CRIMINAL LIABILITV Except as provided in permit conditions on " Bypassing" (Part II, A-5) and " Power Failures" (Part II, A-7), nothing in this permit shall be

construed to relieve the permitee from civil or criminal penalties for noncompliance. Whether or not such noncompliance is due to factors beyond his control, such as equipment breakdown, electric power failure, accident, or natural disaster.

8. OIL AND HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE LIABILITY Nothing in this permit shall be construed to preclude the institution of any legal action or relieve the permitee from any responsibilities, liabilities, or penalties to which the permitee is or may be subject under Section 311 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972 (33 U.S.C. 466 et. seq.).

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PART II Page 13 of 13 Pe rmit No. NE 0000418

9. PRCPERTY RIGHTS The issuance of this permit does not convey any property rights in either real or personal property, or any exclusive privileges, nor does it authorize any injury to private property or any invasion of personal rights, nor any infringement of Federal, State, or local laws or regulations.

10. OTHER RULES AND REGULATIONS LIABILITV The issuance of this permit in no way relieves the obligation of the permittee to comply with any and all other Departmental Rules and Regulations.

11. ONSKCRE - 0FFSHORE CONSTRUCTION This permit does not authorize or approve the construction of any onshore or offshore physical structures or facilities or the undertaking of any work in any navigable waters.

12. PRIORITY POLLUTANTS - PRIMARV INDUSTRIES This permit may be modified, or, alternatively, revoked and reissued, to comply with any applicable effluent limitations issued pursuant to the order the United States District Court for the District of Columbia issued on June 8,1976, in Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. ,

et al. v. Russell E. Train , 8 ERC 2120 (D.D.C.1976) , if the effluent limitation so issued:

1. Is different in conditions or more stringent than any effluent limitation in the permits or

2. Controls any pollutant not limited in the permit.

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13. SEVERABILITV The provisions of this permit are severable, and if ar.y provision of this permit, or the application of any provision of this permit to any circumstance, is held invalid, the application of such provision to other circumstances, and the remainder of this permit, shall not be affected daereby.

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r-NRC PORM 336 U.S. NUCLEAR REOULATORY COMMISSION (7 77)

BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATA SHEET NUREG/CR-2337, Vol. 1 S. TITLE AND SUBTITLE (Add Vokme Na,if earciones) 2. (Leave 6/mk/

Aquatic Impacts from Operation of Three Midwestern Nuclear C btation,'UnitNo.1 1 RECIPIENn ACCESSION NO.

Fnvirnnmontal Annra kal Donnrt I

7. AUTHOR (S) 5. DATE REPORT COMPLETED Dr. Farouk El-Shamy Au$us"t 1981

9. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND MAILING ADORESS (inclue lia Coe) DATE REPORT ISSUED Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc. MOur~

P. O. Box ESE lveam October 1981 Gainesville, Florida 32601 e. (t,.we u,,,

8. (Leave Nmkl

12. SPONSORING ORGANIZATION NAME AND MAILING ADORESS (lactum tw Codel

10. PROJECT / TASK / WORK UNIT NO.

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Comission Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

11. CONTRACT NO.

Division of Engineering Washington, DC 20555 FIN B6854

13. TYPE OF REPORT PE RIOD COVf RED //nclusive dams)

15. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14. (Leave Wm*/

16. A85TR ACT 200 swords'or less1 Fort Calhoun Station, Unit 1, is located on the west bank of the Missouri River in Washington County, Nebraska. The station, a nuclear powered generating facility producing 475 net megawatts, utilizes a once-through cooling design. The station influences the aquatic biota of the Missouri River vicinity in several ways. The heated discharges of the station were found to have no significant impacts to fish, periphyton, and benthic macroinvertebrates.

Minor effects to phytoplankton were noted in warm sumer months at the point of discharge.

An estimated 227,900,000 fish larvae were entrained annually from the river's ichthyoplankton community, the majority identified as freshwater drum. Fort Calhoun Station impinged an estimated 170,882 fish annually, large numbers of which were freshwater drum and gizzard shad with potential losses to channel and flathead catfish. The station was shown to have little impact on .e zooplankton comunity.

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17. . Y WORDS AND DOCUMENT ANALYSIS 17s. DESCRIPTORS Nuclear Plant, Impingement, Entrainment, Thermal Effluent, Missouri River, Fish Populations.

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17b, IDENTIFIERS /OPEN. ENDED TERMS l

18. AVAILA81LITY STATEMENT 19. SE CURITY CLASS (TNs resorts 21. NO. oF P AGES Unclassified Unlimited 20.gCgigAg tms on,.i 22. PRICE NRC PORM 338 (7-7M

• UA. GOVEftseasENT PftINTass0 OFFICE: 1991 361-742/1417 1-3

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UNITED STATES NUCLE AR REGULATORY COMMIS510N F ]

W ASHINGTON. O. C. 205S5 Posvaos ano pass paso u.s. MucLE AR REGULATORY OFFICI AL SUSINESS COMMession  ;

PEN ALTY FOR PRIVATE USE, $300 L J l

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