ML19329C025

Vegetation Monitoring W/Aerial Photography & Ground Observations During 1978.

ML19329C025
Person / Time
Site:	Davis Besse
Issue date:	12/31/1978
From:	Pellek R NUS CORP.
To:
Shared Package
ML19329C021	List: ML19329C020 ML19329C025 ML19329C029
References
NUDOCS 8002120763
Download: ML19329C025 (10)

Text

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s VEGETATION .50NITORING WITH AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY AND GROUND OBSERVATIONS AT THE DAVIS-BESSE

- NUCLEAR POWER PLANT SITE DURING 1978 PREPARED FOR TOLEDO EDISON COMPANY TOLEDO, OHIO SUBMITTED BY NORTHERN ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES DIVISION NUS CORPORATION PITTSBURGH, PA

, v CLIENT NO. 2039 DECEMBER 1978 PREPARED BY R. R. PELLEK PROJECT MANAGER APPROVED BY

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B Q . JOHNSON MANAGER

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l TABLE OF CONTENTS Page I

SUMMARY

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 II INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 III METHODS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 IV RESULTS AND INTERPRETATION. . . .. . . . . . . . 5 V FIGURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 w

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SUMMARY

Aerial color infrared photography and ground reconnaissance were used to assess the distribution and condition of vegetation, and to locate and identify patterns of major vegetation stress on the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Plant site and its immediate environs. Th'ere was no in-dication that operation of the cooling tower contributed to the vegetation stress on the Davis-Besse Site.

Ground inspection revealed that within a radius of two miles from the cooling tower aquatic vegetation covers about two-thirds of the area. Past and present indications of vegetation stress are associated, i for the most part, with fluctuations of the level of surface water and/

or the ground water table. Mortality was observed for ash, swamp white oak, eastern cottonwood, black willow and honey locust. Individual trees and small stands were affected. Minor defoliation of ash leaves was due to a smut disease.

The various vegetation types and location of stressed vegetation are depicted on a map (Figure 1).

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INTRODUCTION The objectives of the vegetatidn monitoring program now being conducted by NUS Corporation at the Davis-Besse plant are to' detect and assess stresses on vegetation in the vicinity of the plant. Stresses are determined by comparing periodic photo-graphic records taken with infrared photography. These patterns, past and existing, are evaluated to determine if the operation of the plant's cooling towers is affecting the vegetation near the plant.

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1 METHODS 1

The vegetation monitoring program being conducted by NUS involves:

(1) acquisition of aerial infrared color photographs; (2) preliminary selection of areas of apparent stress; (3) ground verification and documentation of vegetative conditions and/or stress and; (4) pre-paration of interpretative maps.

Aerial Photography Aerial infrared (IR) color photography at a scale of 1:6000 was flown by Aerial Surveys, Inc., of North Canton, Ohio on August 17, 1978.

Af ter interpretation of the film began, it was discovered that 130 acres of mixed marshland, cropland and residential areas northwest of the Davis-Besse site and adjacent to Lake Erie was missing. This was

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due to photographer error as confirmed by Walter Olmstead of Aerial Surveys, Inc..

Photo Interpretation The IR contact prints were interpreted directly to identify differences in vegetation type and to determine potential stress patterns within a 2 mile radius of the cooling tower. A single mosaic of prints was constructed to facilitate accurate drawing of the radius. Color, tone and textural signatures were used to detect and identify areas of potential stress.

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Grourid Inspection and Cover Mapping

. After initial interpretation of the IR prints and selection of the areas for ground truthing, a field trip was conducted on the Davis-Besse site and environs on September 20-21, 1978. Ground observa-tions were conducted by Richard Pellek and Terry Rojahn of NUS Corporation who were accompanied on site by Mr. Ken Mauer and Mr. Matt Collins of Toledo Edison Company.

. General reconnaissance and observations of specific points were conducted by walking and driving through the study area. Eleven field inventory plots of characteristic vegetation were described for subsequent preparation of an interpretative map (Figure 1) .

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RESULTS AND INTERPRETATION Nearly one-half of the area within the two mile radius from the cooling tower is occupied by Lake Erie. Of the remainder, aquatic regimes (marsh, wetland, open water) occupy about two-thirds of the surface. Overall topography of the terrain of the area is rather flat and most of the land is devoted to agriculture (Figure 1).

Distince vegetation associations on nonfarm land is largely influenced by drainese.

Low areas, especially those close to Lake Erie, are primarily of the elm-ash-maple forest type. American elm, ash, and red and silver maple are important canopy species but eastern cottonwood and willow are also common. Viburnums, buttonbush and smartweed are common in the understory. Cattails, pickerel weed, American lotus and duck-weed are important aquatic plants which occur in impoundments and minor depressions throughout the area.

On the better drained sites, swamp white oak, red oak, honey locust and basswood are dominants in the canopy. Hawthorne, boxelder, dogwood and mulberry are well represented in the subcanopy.

On gravel fill areas black walnut, yellow poplar and hackberry are common. Virginia creeper and wild grape are conspicuous climbers which invade the area. Multiflora rose, viburnum, clearweed and other sub-canopy species are prominent.

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Dead trees are distributed sporadically but are most of ten found where there is evidence of past or current fluctuations in the level of surface or ground water. Most of the dead trees are cottonwoods. Several dead cottonwoods appear on the IR photography as white " ghosts" in or near standing water.

South of the cooling tower, several large dead and dying swamp white oak, honey locust and ash appeared to reflect changes in drainage. Extensive defoliation of ash, willow, oak and sycamore southeast of the cooling tower appears to be related to local flooding. Off-site, dead trees are restricted to small stands where active drainage problems are evident. Leaf defoliation due i to smut disease is a minor stress condition which occurs in s=all groups of ash.

There is no evidence that operation of the cooling tower has created any stresses on the vegetation of the Davis-Besse Site. All major stress symptoms appear to be related to drainage problems as shown by Figure 1. One minor stress condition is pathogenic in origin.

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