I have a question for the group sort of along these lines.
I run the freshwater fisheries resource permit program for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. With high fuel prices still vivid in the minds of many, a number of remote villages in Alaska, located on large rivers, are looking into the possibility of installing small, run of the river hydro-electric generators thereby reducing remote village fuel costs. Studies to better understand possible impacts these units might have on fisheries resources, especially salmon and whitefish, are now being developed. There is concern that these units could kill fish in their turbines and/or drive fish away from feeding areas or traditional migration routes with the vibrations.
Are there any papers out there that investigated these issues in other areas?
Thanks in advance for your help. Wishing you all the best,
Bob
Bob Piorkowski, Ph.D. Alaska Department of Fish and Game-SF Box 115526, Juneau, Alaska 99811-5526 Work (907)465-6109 Fax (907)465-2772 [log in to unmask]
-----Original Message----- From: Scientific forum on fish and fisheries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Adam Payne Sent: Wednesday, March 11, 2009 8:59 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Impacts of divers
I work on Environmental Impact Assessment, especially with regards to fish ecology. I have never come across this before.
We work a lot on the hearing capabilities of fish and impacts of noise. Generally salmonids are not as sensitive to noise as Clupeids. If they are not normally disturbed by boat noise or other noise impacts, I doubt divers will be of any concern in that regard.
As for a visual impact I think that is covered by the previous response.
It sounds like someone is taking concerns on environmental impacts a little too far...
Dr Adam Payne Consultant EPD Marine Oil & Gas
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-----Original Message----- From: Scientific forum on fish and fisheries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of [log in to unmask] Sent: 11 March 2009 16:54 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Impacts of divers
who raised the question and God bless their pointy head ------ I have drift dived many streams and small rivers and have never observed any exceptional behavior by salmonids except a careful cautionary gaze and a tendency to keep their comfort distance ---- if your divers want to chase the sockeye that would probably tire them some and waste air --- so don't do that
I am working on a project that will replace some anchor cables on the two floating bridges that cross Lake Washington in Seattle, Washington. The project will use a pair of divers to replace these cables in water from 40 to 200 feet deep. Lake Washington is the largest lake in Western Washington, and supports a number of salmonid species, including anadromous sockeye. Adult sockeye are known to find thermal refuge at 50 to 90 feet deep during the warmest part of the summer, and this season the population is expected to be 105,000.
A question has arisen on the potential impact that two divers would have on these fish, and I am at a loss to find a source of information. Does anyone know, or can anyone provide best professional judgment, on the potential impact of a pair of divers moving vertically through the thermal refuge layers where sockeye would be dispersed?
Brian Bigler NW Region Biology Program Manager Washington State Department of Transportation Seattle, WA Direct: 206-440-4519 Cell: 206-919-1610 FAX: 206-440-4805
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