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Turbine Passage of Juvenile and Adult Fish at a Warmwater Hydroelectric Facility in Northeastern Oklahoma: Monitoring Associated with Relicensing
Author(s) -
Sorenson Kent M.,
Fisher William L.,
Zale Alexander V.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
north american journal of fisheries management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.587
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1548-8675
pISSN - 0275-5947
DOI - 10.1577/1548-8675(1998)018<0124:tpojaa>2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - dorosoma , gizzard shad , ictalurus , fishery , electrofishing , tailwater , hydropower , environmental science , minnow , juvenile , juvenile fish , hydroelectricity , fish <actinopterygii> , hydrology (agriculture) , biology , ecology , catfish , geology , oceanography , geotechnical engineering
We estimated annual turbine passage rates and susceptibilities of juvenile and adult fish at the Pensacola Dam hydroelectric facility on Grand Lake O' the Cherokees (Grand Lake) in northeastern Oklahoma as part of the relicensing of the facility. Our study was purposefully exploratory in that its primary objective was to determine if turbine passage of valuable fishes was sufficient to warrant more rigorous and expensive studies at this facility. It is the first assessment of turbine passage at a large, high‐head, inland, warmwater hydropower facility. Passed fish were sampled monthly with turbine nets set on the downstream side of the dam at the draft tube openings, but contamination of these samples with fish originating in the tailwater complicated our sampling and analyses. The fish assemblage of Grand Lake in the vicinity of the dam was characterized by monthly sampling with gill nets, trap nets, and electrofishing. Annual estimated passage was about 14.7 million fish, of which more than 99% were small gizzard shad Dorosoma cepedianum (<130 mm long). Most of these fish were passed in winter and early spring when the reservoir was not stratified. Annual passage estimates of white crappie Pomoxis annularis and channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus were about 30,000 individuals for each species, most of which were juveniles that passed the turbines from late summer through early winter. Five other species passed in low numbers. Only gizzard shad were significantly susceptible to passage. Upon review of our findings, the relevant resource and regulatory agencies decided that no additional studies were warranted. Our “low‐tech” approach was expedient, frugal, and effective for our needs. However, we caution against extrapolating our findings to other warmwater facilities because each hydropower facility is unique.