ML20107C669

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Informs That Encl Rept from JW Reintjes,From Atlantic Estuarine Fisheries Center,Incorporated as Attachment to Insp Rept 50-219/74-01.Names Deleted & Typos Corrected
ML20107C669
Person / Time
Site: Oyster Creek
Issue date: 03/04/1974
From: Greeman E
NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I)
To:
NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I)
Shared Package
ML18039A986 List: ... further results
References
FOIA-95-258 NUDOCS 9604170473
Download: ML20107C669 (8)


See also: IR 05000219/1974001

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The attached report from John W. Emintjes, Fishery Biologist, was incorporated

as Atra- W 1 to inspection Bayert 50-219/74-01. samme were delsend and

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typogreyhtest errors earnested.

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E. G. Greenman

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FROM: JchnW. Rein $t, Fish 0ry Biologist

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Oyster Creek Nuclear Electric Generating Station.

Trip Report:

January 11-15, 1974.

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January 12 -

9:00 A.M. . Noticed about 10 large menhaden dead or flopping

Two

Along the south bank of Oyster Creek near Highway 9 bridge.

,

fishermen emptied a bag with 10 bluefish, 9-14 inches fork length,

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and 5 menhaden, 8-11 in. f,1.

They said the fish started to show

distress about 5 A.M.

and they had gotten all the bluefish but not

,

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all the menhaden. They estimated that there were 10 times as many

-

,

menhaden as blues.

a

Went out in boat operated by Fred May, Resource Management Inc.,

9:30 A.M.

with Stohr, Greenman and Stoudnour.

Cruised down Oyster Creek to

Saw a few menhaden along the bank and

the entrance to Barnegat Bay.

They

saw s'everal fishermen pick up a couple of fish near the entrance.

'

said they had a couple bluefish but saw mostly menhaden.

Roy Younger, RMI, was in another boat looking for fish along the

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bank. He reported the following:

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Buoy # 6 (at entrance) 43*F top and 36' bottom.

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Said he saw very few fish, all menhaden, along

the bank.

11:00 A.M. .Roy Younger reported 45' F about 1 1/2 ft. below surface

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,

.

by the. Sand Point Marina recording thermograph.

4

Most of those that met later in the conference room went

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11:30 A.M.

Several hundred large menhaden were

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to the discharge structure.

One

schooled and swimming in the dilution pump discharge bays.

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or two circulating pumps were on in the plant discharge bays with

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a noticeable flow entering the canal.

It was supposed that the

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menhaden were clumped in the dilution bays because the water was

stagnant and warmer.

Bay with menhaden 38'

Near barrier log outside bay 37'

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In flowing water from plant discharge 36'

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Some of the menhaden vera in distress and occasionally one would

,

turn on its side and settle out of sight toward the bottom.

12:00 noon Went to the power plant conference r,oom and discussed mutual

plans.

In attendance were:

,

.

E.J. Grouney

Technical Engir2er

JCP&L

Robert L. Stordnour

Staff Engineer

JCP&L

Douglas R. Weigle

Engineering Assistant

JCP&L

~

Russel J. Douglas

Life Scientist

G.P.U. Serv. Corp.

Roy R. Younger

Biologist

Res. Mgt. Inc.

'

Frederick May

Technician

RMI

J. Philip Stohr

Environmental Scientist

AEC Region 1

Edward G. Greenman

Reactor Inspector

AEC Region 1

Karl Abraham

Public Information Officer

AEC Region 1

Paul E. Hamer

. Principal Fisheries Biologist

N.J. Div. Fish, Game and She11 fisheries

John W. Reintjes

Fishery Biologist

NMFS

The principal development was that the biologists and technicians

from the N.J. Nacote Creek Station would survey the area for an

estimate of the number and kinds of fish killed on Monday.

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2:30 - 3:30 P.M.

Looked around Oyster Creek and inspected Lagoons 1-4.

No signs of dead or living fish. Gulls were relatively inactive.

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Occasionally.a small group would become active over the creek that

indicated surfacing dead or dying fish.

,

' January 13 -

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9:00 A.M.

Drive'along the south shore of.0yster Creek.

Ice formed along

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the shore and the small cove and 4 lagoons were frozen over except

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for the immediate vicinity of a freshwater drainage culvert in'the

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blind end of Lagoon 3.

The cove beach was strewn with dead fish.

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Roy Younger and I estimated several thousand. We saw 3 small blue-

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fish, the other were all menhaden ranging in size from 4 to 14 inchee,

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We measure 100 at random,. The fork length frequency distribution

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is attached. There were several dozen menhaden in the ice of the 4

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lagoons.

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11:00 A.M.

Air temperature 23' F; water 6 inches below surface in ice

free area near Sand Point Marina 34' and 39' on the bottom.

Return

to the cove and most of the menhaden had been picked up for bait.

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Several hundred of the smaller ones and some frozen in the ice

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along the east shore remained.

,

2:00 - 5:00 P.,M.

Spent much of the afternoon in the Oyster Creek area.

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.Relatively little gull activity and no additional signs of dead or

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dying fish.

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January 14 -

9:00 A.M. . Proceeded along ths south shore of Oyster Creek.

Lagoon 1

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and 2 frozen over, Lagoon 3 frozen except in blind end near culvert.

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Lagoon 4 was ice free in the blind end with dead menhaden floating

and some distressed menhaden swimming eratically in the oper water.

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9:30 A.M.

Walked along Barnegat Bay and along the south shore of the'

,

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Creek. Saw 6 or 8 dead menhaden in the shallow water along the bay-

shore, and several along the bank of the Creek near the entrance.

,

10:15 A.M.

Returned to Lagoon 4 and two men with a pickup truck were

dipping:and bagging the dead menhaden. They said they had 8 bags

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of about a bushel each and there were about 2 or 3 more in the water.

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11:25 A.M.

In boat near mouth of Oyster Creek near Buoy # 6;

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32' F. 6 inches from top and 32 1/2' on the bottom.

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11:45 A.M.

Went back to Highway 9 bridge and met N.J. biologist

5

John McLain and'two assistants.

33' top and 32 1/2' on the bottom.

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Roy Younger and I proceeded in RMI boat to Barnegat Bay. McLain

and crew launched 18-foot Boston Whaler with 20-ft. trawl

aboard

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in Barnegat Bay and proceeded into Oyster Creek. We accompanied

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them in RMI boat and observed four 5 to 10 minute trawls'in the

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vicinity of Briarwood and Sand Point Marinas.

They had quite a

bit of trouble with snags.

They caught little or nothing that we

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could see by watching them haul in the trawl.

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They trawled several more times to the east off the Lagoon entrances

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and.in Lagoon 1 and 3.

These were not observed but they reported

that'they got little'or nothing except in Lagoon 3 where they got

about a-bushel of menhaden, a couple striped bass and several spot.

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The fish were alive but sluggish. The striped bass were in poor

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condition with fin rot, opalescent eyes and abraded skin.

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They trawled the length of Lagoon 4, setting their trawl about 100

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. feet outward of the blind-end. They caught =about a bushel of menhaden

and I noticed one striped bass and several' spot. All appeared alive

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In all, approximately 10 trawling station were made.

but shggish.

Except for the catches in Lagoon 3 and 4, few or no dead fish were

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taken.

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- Two_other groups from N.J._Nacote Creek Station were collecting during

the period from noon to 5 P.M. Monday. Two biologists in a boat were

taking temperature, salinity, and water samples.

Two technicians

were walking.along the shoreline counting and identifying dead fish.

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Dave Thomas and another biologist from Ichthyological Associates,

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Absecon, N.J. arrived and did some seining in several slips along

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the Marinas.

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4:30 P.M.

N.J. biologists went up the discharge canal with boat and-

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haul net. They said it was a new device and were.trying it out.

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The net had a square fixed opening and was set in the middle of the

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canal from the boat and pulled ashore. During two tows observed,

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nothing was caught.

January 15 -

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7:30 A.M.

Checked beach cove and 4 lagoons.

Ice covered cove and Lagoon 2.

Lagoon 1 was open in the center from yesterday's trawling. Lagoon 3

,

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was open with no' dead fish, no surface signs nor any gulls.

Lagoon 4

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had about'a hundred gulls working over the surface which was occasionally

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broken by distressed menhaden. From the signs there appeared-to be at

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laast several hundred menhaden in the lagoon. A few dead menhaden were

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floating in the blind end, apparently remaining from yesterday's kill.

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Conclusions

The fish kill commenced about 7:00 A.M. on January 12 when the Highway 9

bridge temperature dropped below 40' F.

A few hundred menhaden and 25

4

to 30 bluefish were picked up or seen along the banks of the discharge

canal and Creek by 10:00 A.M.

Some distressed and dying fish were seen

.

.

during the remainder of the day.

.

At 9:00 A.M. on January 13, menhaden and occasional bluefish were dead

along the south shore of Oyster Creek. The only sizeable concentration

was in the cove just west of Lagoon 1.

An estimation of several thousand

'

dead menhaden and 3 bluefish were made. The size range and frequency dis-

tribution would suggest that the population in the area was made up of all

Because menhaden school by size, the wide range of sizes

age groups.

,

'

suggest that no large, uniform population of menhaden were overwintering

in the area'.

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On January 14, the only other concentration of dead menhaden was found in

the blind end of Lagoon 4.

Approximately 10 bushels were picked up leaving

only a few dead along the shore or visible on the bottom From these ob-

servations I would conclude that the apparent kill through Monday night

amounted to approximately 10,000 fish. Of these 99 percent were Atlantic

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menhaden.

From the thermograph records and limited temperatures made in

the area, the lethal minimum of apparently 37' F. for menhaden, bluefish

'

and spot was reached in some parts of Oyster . Creek by Saturday morning,

January 12 and continued until Tuesday morning, January 15, when I ter-

minated my observations.

FROM:

John W. Reintjes, Fishery Biologist

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Atlantic Estuarine Fisheries Center

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Beaufort; NC

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UNITED STATES

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ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION

DIRECTOHATE OF REGULATORY OPER ATIONS

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631 Park Avenue

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King of Prussia, Pennsylvania- 19406

NAR 4

1974

HEMO TO FILES (DN 50-219) OYSTER CREEK

TilRU D. L. CAPitTON, SENIOR REACTOR INSPECTOR

[f,'d

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The attached report from John W. Reintjes, Fishery Biologist, was incorporated

as Attachment' I to Inspection Report 50-219/74-01. Names were deleted and

typographical errors corrected.

.

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M

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E. G. Greenman

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Reactor Inspector

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FRD . . - John W. Reintjes, Fichsry Biologist

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Atlantic Es*

rine Fisheries. Center

Trip' Report / Oyster Creek Nuclear Electric Generating Station,

January 11-15, 1974.

January 12 -

9:00 A.M.

Noticed about 10 large menhadet. dead ' or flopping

Along the south bank of Oyster Creek near Highway 9 bridge. Two

fishermen emptied a bag with 10 bluefish, 9-14 inches fork length,

and 5 menhaden, 8-11 in, f.1.

They said the fish started to show

distress about 5 A.M.

and they had gotten all the bluefish but not

c

all the menhaden. They estimated that there were 10 times as many

menhaden as blues.

9:30 A.M.

Went out in boat operated by Fred May, Resource Managa~e-* Inc.,

with Stohr, Greenman and Stoudnour .

Cruised down Oyster Crs.. to

the entrance to Barnegat Bay. Saw a few menhaden along the bank and

NEhr

saw several fishermen pick up a couple of fish near the entrance. They

said they had a couple bluefish but saw mostly menhaden.

Roy Younger, RMI, was in another boat =looking for fish along the

bank. He reported the following:

Buoy # 6 (at entrance) 43'F top and 36' bottom.

,,._ i

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Said he saw very few fish, all menhaden, along

the bank.

11:00 A.M.

Roy Younger reported 45* F. about 1 1/2 ft. below surface

)

by the Sand Point Marina recording thermograph.

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11:30 A.M.

Most of those that met later in the conference room went

to the discharge structure. Several hundred large menhaden were

j:. ;,,

4'k '

schooled and swimming in the dilution pump discharge bays.

One

,

or two circulating pumps were on in the plant discharge bays with

j

a noticeable flow entering the canal. It was supposed that the

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' menhaden were clumped in the dilution bays because the water was

stagnant and warmer.

Bay with menhaden 38'

.

Near barrier log outside bay 37'

$

In flowing water from plant discharge 36*

Some of the menhaden were in distress and occasionally one would-

turn on its side and settic out of sight toward the bottom.

12:00 noon Went to the power plant conference room and discussed mutual

plans.

,

In attendance were:

E.J. Grouney

Technical Engineer

JCP&L

Robert L. Staudnour

Staff Engineer

JCP&L

T

Douglas R. Weigle

Engineering Assistant

JCP&L

Pffs '

Russel J. Douglas

Life Scientist

G.P.U. Serv. Corp.

l

Roy R. Younger

Biologist

Res. Hgt. Inc.

\\

Frederick May

Technician

RMI

,

J. Philip Stohr

Environmental Scientist

AEC Region 1

Edward G. Greenman

Reactor Inspector

AEC Region 1

Karl Abraham

Public Information Officer

AEC Region 1

Paul E. Hamer

Principal Fisheries Biologist

N.J. Div. Fish, Game and She11 fisheries

John W. Reintjes

Fishery Biologist

NMFS

The principal development was that the biologists and technicians

4

from the N.J. Nacote Creek Station would survey the area for an

estimate of the number and kinds of fish killed on Monday.

3

_

_

_ _ . _

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2:30 - 3:30 P.M.

Looked around Oyster Creek and inspected Lagoons 1-4.

No signs of dead or living fish. Gulls were relatively inactive.

.

Occasionally a small group would-become active over the creek that

indicated surfacing dead or dying fish.

~

January 13 -

9:00 A.M.

Drive along the south shore of Oyster Creek.

Ice formed _along

the shore and the small cove and 4 lagoons were frozen over except

.

for the immediate vicinity of a freshwater drainage culvert in the

blind end of Lagoon 3.

The cove beach was strewn with dead fish.

Roy Younger and I estimated several thousand. We saw 3 small blue-

'

fish, the other were all menhaden ranging in size from 4 to 14 inches.

??W ,

We measure 100 at random. The fork length frequency distribution

i

is attached. There were several dozen menhaden in the ice of the 4

4

lagoons.

4

!

11:00 A.M.

Air temperature 23* F; water 6 inches below surface in ice

free area near Sand Point Marina 34* and 39' on the bottom.

Return

i

to the cove and most of the menhaden had been picked up for bait.

4

'

Several hundred of the smaller ones and some frozen in the ice

along the east shore remained.

2:00 - 5:00 P.M.

Spent much of the afternoon in the Oyster Creek area.

Relatively little gull activity and no additional signs of dead or

.

-dying fish. .

h. l

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January 14 -

i

9:00 A.M.

Proceeded along ths south shore-of Oyster Creek.

Lagoon 1

and 2 frozen over, Lagoon 3 frozen except in blind end near culvert.

.

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' Lagoon 4 was ice free in the blind end with dead menhs en floating

d

and some distressed menhaden swimming eratically in the oper water.

9:30 A.M.

Walked along Barnegat Bay and along the south shore of the

Creek. Saw 6 or 8 dead menhaden in the shallow water along the bay-

,

shore, and several along the bank of the Creek near the entrance.

10:15 A.M.

Returned to Lagoon 4 and two men with a pickup truck were

dipping and bagging the dead menhaden. They said they had 8 bags

,

of about a bushel each and there were about 2 or 3 more in the water.

11:25 A.M.

In boat near mouth of Oyster Creek near Buoy # 6;

32' F. 6 inches from top and 32 1/2' on the bc tom.

11:45 A.M.

Went back to Highway 9 bridge and met N.J. biologist

John McLain and two assistants.

33' top and 32 1/2* on the bottom.

EEEE

Roy Younger and I proceeded in RMI boat to Barnegat Bay, McLain

and crew launched 18-foot Boston Whaler with 20-ft. trawl

aboard

in Barnegat Bay and proceeded into Oyster Creek.

We accompanied

them in RMI boat and observed four 5 to 10 minute trawls'in the

vicinity of Briarwood and Sand Point Marinas. They had quite a

"

bit of trouble with snags. They caught little or nothing that we

could see by watching them haul in the trawl.

They trawled several more times to the east off the Lagoon entrances

and in Lagoon 1 and 3.

These were not observed but they reported

that they got little or nothing except in Lagoon 3 where they got

> <:

about a bushel of menhaden, a couple striped bass and several spot.

f'

The fish were alive but sluggish.

The striped bass were in poor

condition with fin rot, opalescent eyes and abraded skin.

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.-.

.-.

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.

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.

5

They trawled the length of Lagoon 4, setting their trawl about 100

feet outward of'the blind end. They caught about a bushel of menhaden

~

and I noticed one striped bass and several spot. All appeared alive

but sluggish.

In all, approximately 10 trawling station were made.

3 -

Except for the catches in Lagoon 3 and 4, few or no dead fish were

taken.

.

Two other groups from N.J. Nacote Creek Station were collecting during-

the period from noon to 5 P.M. Monday. Two biologists in a boat were

3

taking temperature, salinity, and water samples. Two technicians

,

were walking along the shoreline counting and identifying dead fish.

Dave Thomas and another biologist from Ichthyological Associates,

i

Absecon, N.J. arrived and did some seining in several slips along

W

the Marinas.

4:30 P.M.

N.J. biologists went up the discharge canal with boat and

haul net.

They said it was a new device and were trying it out.

'

The net had a square fixed opening and was set in the middle of the

,

canal from the boat and pulled ashore. During two tows observed,

i

'

nothing was caught.

January 15 -

7:30 A.M.

Checked beach cove and 4 lagoons.

Ice covered cove and Lagoon 2.

Lagoon 1 was open in the center from yesterday's trawling. Lagoon 3

was open with no dead fish,'no surface signs nor any gulls. Lagoon 4

-

~

4

had about a hundred gulls working over the surface which was occasionally

{'i;

-broken by distressed menhaden. From the signs there appeared to be at

Lleast several hundred menhaden in the lagoon. A few dead menhaden were

' floating in the' blind end,-apparently remaining from yesterday's kill.

,

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. Conclusions

,

The fish kill commenced about 7:00 A.M. on January 12 when the Highway 9

bridge temperature dropped below 40* F.

'A few hundred menhaden and 25

'

to'30 bluefish were picked up or seen along the banks of the discharge

!

canal and-Creek by 10:00 A.M.

Some distressed and dying fish were seen

during the' remainder of the day.

-

At 9'00 A.M. on~ January 13, menhaden and occasional bluefish were dead

,

along'the south. shore of Oyster Creek. The only sizeable concentration

7

was in the . cove just west of Lagoon 1. - An estimation of several thousand

.

dead menhaden and 3 bluefish were made. The size range and frequency dis-

tribution would suggest that the population in the area was made up of all

'

W

'

age groups. Because menhaden school.by size, the wide range of sizes

suggest that no large, uniform population of menhaden were overwintering

in the area.

On January 14,! the only other concentration of dead menhaden was found in

the blind end of Lagoon 4.

Approximately 10 bushels were picked up leaving-

]

only a fiiw' dead aiong the shore or visible on the bottom From these ob-

servations'I would conclude that the apparent kill through Monday night

'

amounted to approximately 10,000 fish. Of these 99 percent were Atlantic

.

menhaden. From the thermograph records and limited temperatures made in

the area, the-lethal minimum of apparently 37* F. for menhaden, bluefish

i

and spot,.was reached in some' parts of Oyster Creek by Saturday morning,

3

January 12.and continued until-Tuesday morning, January 15, when I ter-

minated-my. observations.

,

,

FROM: John W. - Reintjes, Fishery Biologist

Atlantic Estuarine Fisheries Center

Beaufort, NC

28516

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