Investigations to Determine Presence of State-Listed Species of Fish And
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INVESTIGATIONS TO DETERMINE PRESENCE OF STATE-LISTED SPECIES OF FISH AND FRESHWATER MUSSELS IN THE KANKAKEE RIVER NEAR THE BRAIDWOOD NUCLEAR STATION WARMWATER DISCHARGE CHANNEL Prepared for EXELON NUCLEAR Braidwood, IL HDR Engineering, Inc. 10207 Lucas Drive Woodstock, IL 60098 October 2008 Braidwood Nuclear Station State-listed Species Investigation Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background .......................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Objectives ............................................................................................................................. 2 2.0 M ethods ................................................................................................................................... 2 2.1 Fish Sampling ...................................................................................................................... 2 2.1.1 Electrofishing ........................................................................................................ 2 2.1.2 Seining ........................................................................................................................... 3 2.1.3 Sample Processing ..................................................................................................... 3 2.1.4 W ater Quality M easurements ................................................................................... 4 2.2 M ussel Sampling .................................................................................................................... 4 3.0 Results and Discussion ....................................................................................................... 9 3.1 Fish Survey .......................................................................................................................... 9 3. 1.1 Electrofishing ........................................................................................................ 9 3.1.2 Seining ........................................................................................................................ 10 3.1.3 Water Quality .............................................................................................................. 10 3.2 M ussel Survey .................................................................................................................... 11 4.0 Sum m ary ............................................................................................................................. 18 5.0 References ............................................................................................................................ 20 i Rrnidfwnnf AT.rionr Vtntin. 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND Exelon Generation Company is proposing to replace the existing Braidwood Nuclear Station Cooling Pond discharge (shoreline discharge channel) with a diffuser pipe placed on the bottom of the Kankakee River extending across the river near the location of the current discharge channel. The exact location will be selected following a series of engineering tests to be conducted in the river. A preliminary review of fish and freshwater mussel studies conducted in this general reach of the river indicated that fish monitoring, including the proposed area for diffuser pipe placement, has been conducted annually for the past 30 years (with the exception of 1980)(HDRILMS, 2008); but that, while several freshwater mussel surveys had been conducted in the river between Kankakee and Wilmington in the past, none had been conducted at the proposed site. The historical fisheries data indicate that pallid shiner (Notopis amnis) and river redhorse (Moxostoma carinatum), which are currently listed as endangered and threatened, respectively, by the state of Illinois, have been collected in this vicinity over the period of record. No fish species currently listed as threatened or endangered by the Federal government were collected during the past 30 years. The Kankakee River supports some of Illinois' most diverse and abundant mussel populations with 27 extant and 40 historical species (Cummings and Mayer 1997; Tiemann et al. 2007). It was surveyed several times for mussels in the 20th century including: 1909 (Wilson and Clark 1912); 1956 and 1960 (M.R. Matteson unpublished; INHS Mollusk Collection); and 1978 (Suloway 1981). Page et al. (1992) regard the mussel populations of the Kankakee River to be of national importance. Several freshwater mussel species currently listed as either endangered or threatened by the state of Illinois were collected during these earlier surveys. No freshwater mussel I Rn•,•A •nh.ln 1- nt-f; •tnfo-l;efo,• •no•.;oe lnl,•el';rrnt;nn species currently listed as threatened or endangered by the Federal government has been reported in this reach of the Kankakee River (Kramer, personal communication, 2008). 1.2 OBJECTIVES Field sampling programs were designed to collect both fish and freshwater mussels in the vicinity of the proposed diffuser site with the objectives of describing these aquatic communities and determining presence/absence of state-listed species. These data can be used to help determine whether conservation will be needed during the temporary construction disturbance and/or the permanent displacement of habitat by the diffuser pipe. 2.0 METHODS 2.1 FISH SAMPLING The fisheries component of the special studies described in this report searched for state- listed aquatic species in the vicinity of the Braidwood Nuclear Station intake and discharge using electrofishing and seining. Sampling was conducted in conjunction with the summer fish monitoring program that has been conducted annually since 1977 (excluding 1980 when sampling was not conducted). Methods were consistent with the long-term monitoring program to provide a basis for comparison to the historic data base, if necessary. 2.1.1 ELECTROFISHING Electrofishing was conducted using a boat-mounted boom-type electrofisher utilizing a 5000-watt, 230-volt-AC, 10-amp, three-phase Model GDP-5000 Multiquip generator equipped with volt/amp meters and a safety-mat cutoff switch. The electrode array consisted of three pairs of stainless steel cables (1.5-m long, 6.5 mm in diameter) arranged 1.5-m apart and suspended perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the boat 1.5-m off the bow. Each of the three electrodes was powered by one of the phases. Electrofishing samples were collected on 4 August 2008. Im 2 Rrnidwnnd Nurivar .4tntinn .qtntp.li•tpd .qnprla• Inmo•flontinn Sampling was conducted at five locations in the Kankakee River and at one site in Horse Creek (Location 2; Figure 2-1). Each sampling location (except Location 2) consisted of two stations, designated by the location number and "R" or "L", indicating the right or left side of the river as one looks upstream (Figure 2-1 & Table 2-1). Electrofishing was conducted for 30 minutes along the shoreline on each side of the river at each sampling location. Because of the close proximity of Locations 3 and 4 of the monitoring program, sampling boundaries for those locations are smaller and sampling duration is reduced accordingly to 15 minutes. In addition, Location 2 was blocked by a large tree that had fallen across the middle of the sampling area prohibiting sample collection on the upper reach. of the sampling _area. As a result, sampljng at__this. location was reduced to 15 minutes. Electrofishing was conducted such that the first "run" at each location was in a downstream direction through the middle of the shocking zone. The second "run" was conducted in an upstream direction, adjacent to the first "run" and as close to the bank as water depth allowed. The third "run", if necessary, was made in a downstream direction outside of, but adjacent to, the two previous runs (Figure 2-2). Sampling was restricted to the hours between one-half hour after sunrise to one-half hour before sunset. 2.1.2 SEINING Shoreline seining was used as a second collection method at each sampling location. Seine samples were collected on 5 August 2008. Seine dimensions were 25 ft by 4 ft of 3/16- inch ace mesh, with a 4-ft by 4-ft bag of 3/16-inch ace mesh. Two seine hauls were made at each station (Figure 2-1). Each haul was made in a upstream direction covering approximately 15 meters of shoreline, with the second haul being conducted upstream of the first. An additional seine haul was made at location 4L. Seining was restricted to the hours commencing one-half hour after sunrise to one-half hour before sunset. 2.1.3 SAMPLE PROCESSING All state-listed fish (i.e., pallid shiner and river redhorse) were identified and enumerated. River redhorse specimens were measured for total length (mm) and weighed (g) individually. Rn 3 R-;A-"J AT-1- QM14- •tnte.lleto•l •nerlee l.voeHon•.. Rrni~u~nnHan MueloarVtn tato.icto Q-ori*o Innfdfltion 2.1.4 WATER QUALITY MEASUREMENTS Three physicochemical parameters (temperature, dissolved oxygen [DO], and pH) were measured in conjunction with the sampling program. These data were collected prior to each sampling effort. Additionally, conductivity was measured prior to each electrofishing collection. All of the physicochemical measurements were taken at mid-depth in the water column. Temperature (°C), dissolved oxygen (ppm), and conductivity (gmhos) were measured using an YSI Model 85 handheld oxygen, conductivity, salinity, and temperature meter.