NATIONAL. MARINE FISHERY SERVICE

COASTAL AND ESTUARINE RESEARCH

OCCURRENCE OF FIS H NEAR THE PROPOSED

KALAMA NUCLEAR POWER PLANT SITE

COLUMBIA RIVER

OCTOBER 1970 TO JUNE 1971

Lower Columbia River Environmental Studies

PROGRESS REPORT I

Report to

Clark and Cowlitz Counties Public Utility Districts

OCCURRENCE OF FISH NEAR THE PROPOSED

KALAMA NUCLEAR POWER PLANT SITE -- COLUMBIA RIVER

OCTOBER 1970 to JUNE 1971

by

Ted H. Blahm

and

Robert McConnell

National Marine Fisheries Service Biological Laboratory

2725 Montlake Boulevard East Seattle, Washington

June 1971

CONTENTS

Page

Introduction • • • • . . • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • 1

Beach Seining Sites . . • . . . . . . . • • • • • • • 2

Sampling Schedule • • • . • • . • . . . . • • • • 2

Fish Occurrence . . . • • . . • . . • . • • • . • . • 3

Other Parameters Measured . . • • . . . . • • . • • 3

water temperature • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 4

N2

gas levels near Kalama • • • • • • • . • • • • 4

Appendix 1

Appendix 2

Appendix 3

INTRODUCTION

In early 1970 the National Marine Fisheries Service

submitted a research proposal to the public utility districts

of Clark and Cowlitz counties. The purpose of the proposed

study was to gather preliminary data on the occurrence of

juvenile fish, in the Columbia River, near the proposed

Kalama nuclear power plant site. The proposal was conceived

subsequent to a review of the Washington State power plant

siting requirements, which outline the general biological

parameters which would require investigation prior to plant

construction. e.g. Washington Administrative Code 463-12-035.

--Quality of the Environment--Natural Resources; (2) Fish

and Wildlife; 11 b) provide acceptable research or study plans

for determining the abundance of distribution of, and project

effects on wildlife, fish and other aquatic life, in the

proposed-project influence area." The proposal was presented

to the commissioners of the Public Utility Districts and

representatives of the Washingtori State fisheries agencies

during a meeting held at the NMFS Environmental Laboratory,

Prescott, Oregon, on September 10, 1970. At this meeting

the proposed study was accepted for the period October 1970

to June 1971. This report outlines the procedures of fish

collection and summarizes the data collected during the study

period.·

2

BEACH SEINING SITES

The fishing sites were sloping sandy beaches without

obstructions--two upstream and two downstream from the

proposed plant site (Figure 1). Sampling areas 1 and 2 were

established during the 1968-69 surveys (McConnell and Spyder,

1970, attached). The two upstream sites (3 and 4) were

established for the present study. A 500-foot beach seine

was used for all sampling collections.

SAMPLING SCHEDULE

Each beach was to be.sampled twice weekly: however,

because of adverse weather and/or river flow conditions the

schedule was altered on several occasions (Figure 2). Total

seine sets made from October 1970 through June 1971 were 2301

beaches 1 and 2 (downstream sites)--66 sets each: beaches 3 and

4 (upstream sites)--49 sets each.

- During the week of April 26, 1971, approximately

40,000,000 juvenile fall chinook were released in the lower

Columbia River area. our fishing schedule was increased during

the week of the. fish release to help estimate the timing of

the seaward movement of these fish. The date of each fishing

survey is shown on Figure 2.

0 REG ON

DEER

ISLAND

RM 77

RM 79

COLUMBIA

RIVER

Flow

WASHINGTON

3

BEACH SEINING SITES

PROPOSED NUCLEAR

POWER PLANT

Scale in miles

I I 0 1/2

Figure 1.--Location of proposed nuclear power plant and proximity

of beach .seining sites

Figure 2 .--Dates (circled) on which beach seining·surveys were conducted 197q-71

1970 1971

October January April Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat. Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 1 2 1 0

3

5 6 7 8 9 10 3 05 6 7 8 9 4

06 7 8 G) 10

11 @ 13 14 15 @ 17 10 11 12 13 14@) 16 11 @ 13 14 15 @ 17

18 @ 20 21 22 @ 24 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 18 @ 20 21@ 23 24

25 @ 27 28 29 @ 31 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 25 @@@@®

31.

0 November

5© @ February May

1 3 4 7 2 3 4 5 6 1

8 G) 10 11 @ 13 14. 7 © 9 10@ 12 13 2G)4G) 6 G) 8

15 @ 17 18 19 @ 21 14 15 @11@ 19 20 9 @ 11 12 13 @ 15

22 23 ® 25 26 ® 28 21 22 23@ 25 26 27. 16 @ 18 19 20 @ 22

29 30 28 23 24 @ 26 27@ 29

30 31

December 0

March @

June 3(0 0 2 0 4 5 2 3 4 5 6 2 5

6 G) 8 9 10 11 @ 7 @ 9 10 11 @) 13\_ 6 G) 8 9 @ 11 12

@ @16 '

@ @ @ 13 14 15 16 18 19 14 17 18 20 13 15 16 18 19

20 @22 23 24 25 26 21 @ 23 24 25 26 27 20 ® 22 23 ® 25 26

27 28@) 30 31 28 @ 30 31 27.@ 29 30

3

FISH OCCURRENCE

�enty-six species of fish were recorded during the

study period: six salmonid species and twenty non-salmonid

(Table 1). The peak salmonid catch occurred during April

and May7 the peak non-salmonid catch was in October. More

fish were captured on the Oregon shore than on the Washington

side (Table 2).

A total of 15,274 juvenile salmonids were captured7

chinook were the most frequent with coho second. Tne juvenile

chinook ranged in size fran 35 mm. to 235 mm.: 83% we�e

40 mm. to 100 mm., and 17% 100 mm. to 235 mm. The coho ranged

in size from 100 mm. to 180 mm. Salmonid capture data for

each beach site are tabulated in Tables 3 and 4.

Twenty species of non-salmonids were recorded1 total

catch was 6,474 fish. Threespine stickleback.was the dominant

species, American shad, and Columbia River chub were second ---

and third, respectively.· The non-salmonid catch is tabulated

in Tables 5 and 6.

The above observations are based on 9 months' data

and could be subject to change if a full 12-month period were

considered.

OTHER PARAMETERS MEASURED

Other physical and chemical parameters were measured

coincidental with the collection of juvenile fish at the

Kalama site. Important variables of the aquatic environment

such as temperature and nitrogen gas (N2) supersaturation

4

affect the survival of fish. Water temperature and N2

saturation are included in this report to reflect levels in

the Columbia River at Kalama and at Prescott during the study

period.

Water Temperature

Water temperature was recorded at the time of each

beach set. A comparison between the Washington and Oregon

shore temperatures shows that generally the Washington shore

water temperature was the cooler of the two (Appendix 1).

Nitrogen Gas Levels near Kalama

During the spring months, N2 gas levels in the Columbia

River generally rise due to mounting river flows and increased

spilling at dams. River discharge during the recent spring

freshet was higher than nQrmal, exceeding 500,000 cubic feet

per second during peak flows at Bonneville Dam. In view of

these flows, special effort was made in May and June to samp1e

water at the beach sites for gas level analysis. All samples

taken in this period were supersaturated with dissolved N2

(109-129='/4). Saturation levels were consistently higher on

the Washington side of the river (Appendix 2). Comparable

samples taken from two sides of the river near Prescott,

Oregon--approximately 7 miles downstream from the beach sites-­

showed a similar pattern i.e., higher gas levels on the

Washington shore (Appendix 3). Although the reason for these

shore-to-shore differences has not been determined, it is

possible that large flows from the Willamette River (presumably

5

of lower N2 levels than the Columbia River) influence saturation

in the Columbia for some miles downstream on the Oregon side •

During May as high as 34.5% of the coho and 16% of

the chinook captured showed definite symptoms of gas bubble

· disease.

Table 1.--Species composition of fish captured by beach seine sampling in the area of the proposed Kalama nuclear power plant "site"

1. .2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

r. 8.

9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17.

18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24-. 25. 26.

y

gJ

Common name

Chinook salmon Threespine stickleback Coho . salmon American shad Peamouth chub Yellow perch Steelhead trout White crappie Starry flounder 21Mountain whitefisri1 Carp Largemouth Bass Largescale sucker Brown bullhead Cutthroat trout Cottus species Sockeye salmon Northern squawfish White sturgeo!l Smallmouth bass Eulachon Bluegill Pacific lamprey Red-sided shiner Chum salmon Chiselmouth

_ ...

Species composition Scientific nameY

Oncorhynchus tshawytscha '" Gasterostus aculeatus

Oncorhynchus kisutch Alosa sapidissima Mylocheilus caurinus Perea flavescens .Salmo gairdneri Pomoxis annularis Plalichthys stellalus Prosopium. williamsoni Cyprinus carpio Micropterus salmonides Catostomus macrocheil'us Ictalurus nebulosus Salmo clarki clarki Cottidae

·oncorhynchus nerkaPtychQcheilus oregonensisAcipenser transmontanusMicropterus dolomieuiThaleichthys pacificusI.epomis macrochirusLampetra tridentataRicliardsonius balteatusOncorhynchus ketaAcrocheilus alutaceus

From American Fisherie·s Society Special Publication No. 2, 196o.

The A. F. s.; Special Pub. No. 2, lists this.species as a salmonid; it is included in non�salmonids in this report.

Table 2.--Summary of average numbers of fish caught per net set - October 1970 through June 1971

Salmon ids Non-salmonids

Month Oregon Washington Oregon Washington

October 12.0 15.7 150.6 46.1

November 9.7 9.7 70.3 51.1

December 8.2 3.7 25.1 9.5

January 16.0 2.0 11.8 1.2

February 5.4 6.6 4.8 5.5

March 10.1 3.6 19.1 4.7

April 212.5 184.8 27.1 4.0

May 183.0 165.4 23.0 6.0

JUne 98.8 17.0 13.3 2.4

Total 73.9 58.9 49.2 15.8

Table 3.--Numbers of juvenile salrnonids captured at Oregon beach seine sites 2 and 4--0ctober 1970 to June 1971

Total Chinook Chinook Juveni,le

Month 0-100 mm 101-300 mm Chinook Coho Sockeye Chum Steelhead cutthroat

oct. 110 31 141 1 2 Nov. 104 38 142 3 8 Dec. 57 53 110 1 3 1 Jan. 16 47 63 1 Feb. 27 33 60 2 2 1 March 32 102 134 3 4 April 3,653 563 4,216 847 2 1 17 18 May 1,238 120 1,358 459 8 5 June· 872 5 877 11 1

Total 6,109 992 7,101 1,321 8 1 43 28

Average catch per net set .of juvenile salmonids at Oregon beach seine sites--October 1970 to June 1971

Total No. of Chinook Chinook Juvenile

Month Sets 0-100 mm 101-300 mm Chinook coho Sockeye Chum Steelhead cutthroat

Oct. 12 9.2 2.6 11.8 X X

Nov. 16 7.1 2.4 9.5 X X

Dec. 14 4.1 3.8 7.9 X X

Jan. 4 4.0 11.8 15.8 X X

Feb. 12 2.2 2.8 ·s.o X X X

March 14 2.3 7.3 9.6 X X

April 24 152.3 23.4 175.7 31.1 X X X X

May 10 123.8 12.0 135.8 45.9 X X

June 9 96.8 X 97.4 1.2 X

Total 115 53.1 8.6 61.7 11.5 X X X X

X = Less than one per net set.

Total

144 153 115

64 65

141 5,101 1,830

889

8,502

Total

12.0 9.7 8.2

16.0 5.4

10.1 212.5 183.0

98.8

73.9

Table 4.--Numbers of juvenile salmonids captured at Washington beach seine sites 1 and 3--0ctober 1970 to June 1971

Total Chinook Chinook Juvenile

Month 0-100 mm 101-300 mm Chinook Coho Sockeye Chum Steelhead Cutthroat

Oct. 120 41 161 18. 8 1 Nov. 103 40 143 5 4 1 Dec. 17 27 44 6 1 1 Jan. 1 6 7 1 Feb. 17 62 79 March 14 36 50 1 April 3,743 433 4,176 220 17 21 May 1,248 157 1,405 242 1 3 3

June 145 2 147 4 1 1

Total 5,408 804 6,212 495 1 36 28

Total

· 188153

52 8

79 51

4,434 1,654

153

6,772

Average catch per net set of juvenile salmonids at Washington beach seine sites--October 1970 to June 1971

Total No.of Chinook Chinook Juvenile

Month Sets 0-100 mm 101-300 mm Chinook Coho Sockeye Chum Steelhead Cutthroat Total

Oct. 12 10.0 3.4 13.4 1.5 X X 15.7 Nov. 16 6.4 2·. 5 8.9 X X X 9.7 Dec. 14 1.2 lo9 3.1 X X X 3.7 Jan. 4 X 1.5 1.8 X 2.0

Feb. 12 1.4 5.2 6.6 6.6 March 14 1.0 2.6 3.6 3.6 April 24 156.0 18.0 174.0 9.2 X X 184.8 May 10 124.8 15.7 139.5 24.2 X X X 165.4 June 9 16.1 X 16.3 X X X 17.0

Total 115 47.0 7.0 54.0 4.3 X X X 58.9

X = Less than one per net set.

Tab'.le 5.--Numbers of non-salmonid fish captured at Washington . beach seine sites 1 and 3, October 1970 to June 1971

Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June

Stickleback 188 749 128 6 15 2 Shad 346 27 Pea mouth chub 2 28 1 · 11 2 22 23 16 Yellow perch 3 49 13 1

Eulachon 26 64 1 carp 1 2 2 2 10 1· Crappie 2 3 7 1

Starry flounder. 9 5 2 4 5 1 Sucker · 5 3 1 4 ·Cottus sp. 11 1 1 Squaw fish 2 1 2 White sturgeon 1 1 White fish 1 1 2 1 Largemouth bass 1

553 817 133 5 66 67 96 60 22

Average catch per net set 46.1 51.1 9.5 1.2 5.5 4.7 4.0 6.0 2.4

Total

1,088 373 105

66 91 18 13 26 13 13

5

2 5

1

1,819

15.8

Table 6.--Nurnbers of non-salmonid fish captured at Oregon beach �eine sites 2 and 4, October 1970 to June 1971

Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. ·Feb. Mar. Apr. May June Total

Stickleback 268 781 163 14 10 2 57 3 1,298 Shad . 1516 313 122 8 3 1,962 Pea mouth chub 2 4 12 1 7 177 265 97 70 635 Yellow perch 1 5 37 278 70 1 392 Eulachon 13 34 47

carp 3 2 3 4 2 23 46 7 90 crappie 3 28 12 5 6 11 4 69

Starry flounder 5 12 19 9· 4 3 1· 2 55 Sucker 2 1 1 1 4 4 .3 16 Cottus sp. 7 3 10

Squawfish 2 2 5 3 2 14 White sturgeon 9 2 11 Whitefish 3 1 30 34

Largemouth bass 2 1 ·1 1 1 6 Pacific lamprey 1 1 1 3 Bluegill 2 2 4 Brown bullhead 1 l

Smallmouth bass 1 1 Red-sided shiner 1 ·1Chiselmouth 1 4 1 6

-----

1808 1125 351 47 57 267 650 230 120 4,655

Average catch 1so .. 6/70.3 ,2·�_:-D1.a 4.8 per net set 19.1 27.1 23o0 13.3 49.2

APPENDIX l

Chronology of beach seining surveys and water temperature record at the "beach sites" and Prescott Lab0ratory

Date of Washington shore (?regon shore Laboratory at fishing survey near Kalama opposite Kalama Prescott, �:egon

oc oc oc

Oct. 12 16.0. 17.2 15·.1 16 15.0 15.7 14.6 19. 14.5 14.o 13.9 23 13.0 · 13.0 13.2 26 13.7 13.0 12.8· 30 13.0 12.0 · 11.4

Nov. 2 13.0 12.5 ll.26 12.5 12.0 ·10.69 12.7 12.7 10.8

12 12.5 11.7. 11.116 10.5 10.7 10.020 10.5 9.5 9.6 24 7.7 8.o 7.0 27 8.o 7.7 7.0

Dec. 1 7 .5 1 •. 0 6.9 3 7.7 6.7 6.5 7 7.5 8.0 6.3

12 7.2 8.o 6.7 17 6.7 7 .o 5,6 21 6.o 6.o 5.0 29 5,5 5.7 4.3

Jan. 4 4.5 5.2 3.5 15 5 ,7 4.7 5.2

Feb. 1 6.2 7.5 5.6 8 6.2 6.7 4.8

11 6.2 9.7 -5.216 6.5 8.5 5.618 5.7 7.0 5.824 6.o 7.0 5.7

March 1 4.7 6/r 4.28 5.2 7.0 4.6

12 5.0 7.0 5.115 5.0 7.0 6.119 6.5 8.5 6.222 6.2 8.5 6.129 7.0 8.7 7o'2

Apr. 2 8.2 9.7 7 .55 9°7 13.0 8.19 7.7 8.7 8.4

12 8.7 9.2 8.416 8.7 9.5 8.819 10.0 12.0 9.322 10.5 10.5 9.126 10.2 11.7 9.627 lO.O 10.7 9.9 28 10.2 11.5 10.3 29 10.7 11.5 10.3 30 10.5 11.5 10.5

APPENDIX 1 (continued)

Chronology of beach seining surveys and water_ temperature ____ _ record at the "beach sites" and Prescott Laboratory

De&t@ ot Washington shore Oregon shore Laboratory at fishing survey near Kalama opposite Kalama Prescott,oregon

OC OC OC

May 3 14.0 14.0 11.3 5 12.0 11.0 11.2 7 13.0 15.0 12.0

10 12.5 13.0 12.1 14 13.0 13.0 12.4 17 13.0 13.0 12.3 21 13.0 14.0 11.8 25 12. 7 13.4 12·.9

.28 14.5 15.0 13.5

June 1 13.5 14.0 13.2 4 14.5 16.0 13.0 7 13.5 14.0 12.9

10 13.5 14.0 13.2 14 13.6 15.0 13.9 17 14.5 15.0 14.4 21 16.0 17.0 15.1 24 15.0 16.0 15.6 28 15.5 17.0 15.4

Date

May May May May May

June June June June June June

APPENDIX 2

Percent nitrogen gas saturation and water temperature recorded at beach seining sites at Kalama, Washington-

Washington Oregon

Water % "N II

2

Water0

Temp. ( C) % "N2

II

. 0 Temp. ( C)

10 125.8 12 .5 118.7 13.0 14 125.6 13.0 115.9 13.0 17 117.0 13.0 107.7 13.0 25 126.2 12. 7 119.5 13.5 28 124.6 13.3 . 118.8 14.6

7 127.7 13.1 114.9 13.0 10 129.2 12.9 112.3 13. 714 126.4 12.0 112.9 14.317 125.5 14.2 112.3 14.921 129.3 15.1 119.4 16.628 125. 7 15.6 115.6 15.9

APPENDIX 3

percent nitrogen gas saturation and water temperature in the Washington and Oregon portions of the Columbia River at Prescott, Oregon (seven miles downstream from Kalama, Washington}, 1971.

Date

March 18 April 27 May 11 May 12 May 13 May 14 May 21 May 24 May 26 May 27 June 1 June 7 June 9 June 10 June 11 June 14 June 15 June 16 June 17 June 18 June 21 June 22 June 23 June 25 June 28 June 29

Washington

o/o IIN II

2

110.6 115.6 132.5 129.8 126.0 123.0 122.7 125.6 125.5 125.5 126.6 125.9 129.2 127.9 126.0 124. 7119.1122.0126.2129.9129.1129.2131.2124.5125.0126.3

Water Temp. ( 0c}

5.3 9.7

12.8 12.9 12.7 12.4 11.5 12.5 12 .5 12 .. 5 13.1 12.8 12.8 13.0 13.0 13.6 14 .2 14.2 14.3 14.3 14.9 13.3 15.4 15.1 15.0 14.9

o/o "N II

2

109.6 112 .o120.4

· 120.2122.0120.8121.5122.0121.2120.5119.2122.6123.2124.3120.0120.0122.9122.8120.1124.2122.8123.6123.6120.0119.5120.3

Oregon

water Temp. ( 0c}

6.1 9.9

12.7 12.9 12.9 12.4 11.8 12.8 13.0 12.8 13.2 12 .9 12.9 13.2 13.4 13.9 14 .2 14.4 14.4 14.5 15.1 15.6 15.8 15.4 15.4 15.3