Fish Protection & Downstream
Passage
Consumers Energy Company
Cadillac, MI
This project consisted of determining the feasibility of fish protection and
downstream passage facilities at eleven existing hydroelectric projects
on Michigan's AuSable, Manistee, and Muskegon River Basins. Targeted
species consisted of a variety of non-migratory resident fish including
srnallmouth bass, yellow perch, walleye, crappie, and trout. Design criteria
included protecting fish above 2 inches in length throughout the entire
year. The project owner had previously reached a settlement agreement
with the Michigan resource agencies that designated various annual financial
penalties to mitigate for losses to the fisheries resource at all eleven
projects. The purpose of the study was to determine the optimum alternatives
to mitigate the impact on the resource and corresponding annual penalty.
Phase I of the study consisted of reviewing the state of the art for fish protection, and potential use of these technologies to CPCo's specific targeted species and site conditions. This phase concentrated on the biological effectiveness of various technologies to the specific targeted species, the total cost, and practicability of the various options. Conceptual and total costs including effectiveness testing were generated for various options at all eleven projects. As a result of the Phase I study, the alternatives of barrier nets, trash rack replacement, and screens placed into the stoplogs were identified as the most promising protection technologies.
Phase II consisted of a more detailed investigation of these technologies
at selected sites. Four sites were selected for further study based on their
impact on the resource or representation as typical site conditions. This
Phase II study consisted of the preliminary design, quantification of the
estimated biological effectiveness, and detailed estimates for all the costs
for each selected option. The Study of these four sites was performed sequentially
to provide for a thorough, yet economical study. Nine variations of barrier
nets, trashrack replacement, and stoplog screens were examined.
The technical results of the Phase II study showed that stoplog screens
offered the best combination of biological effectiveness and least total
cost.
Phase III consisted of a cost benefit analysis to compare the economics and biological effectiveness of implementing the various fish protection measures compared to continued monetary compensation for lost fish resources. Results indicated that 0.75-inch horizontal stoplog screens were the most likely protection device to be both economically and biologically effective.
Biological effectiveness testing using full discharge entrainment netting was conducted in 1999. Testing demonstrated that the original study data used to assess the need for fish protection was flawed. Kleinschmidt consulted with FERC and the resource agencies to estimate entrainment based on the new and better data obtained during the biological testing study. Revised estimates of fish losses consisted of substantially fewer fish which were of a smaller size than those originally considered to be entrained. This new information resulted in eliminating the need for fish protection measures and substantially reduced the amount of monetary compensation for lost fish resources.
For more information contact Scott Ault.