Impact of a Once through Cooling System on the Yellow Perch Stock in the Western Basin of Lake Erie

摘要

Conventional stock assessment models have been applied to determine the impact of entrainment and impingement at the Monroe Power Plant on the yellow perch stock of the western basin of Lake Erie. First the surplus production model was applied. Biological parameters of the model were estimated from commercial catch and effort data, and entrainment and impingement coefficients were estimated from power plant data. The model was used to estimate stock biomass, egg production, and larvae production; the proportions entrained and impinged were then estimated. The impact of water withdrawal on the equilibrium standing stock and maximum sustainable yield from the fishery were estimated and the impacts of increased water withdrawal were simulated. An analytical model was also applied. Parameters of the analytical model were estimated using power plant data, biological data available in the literature, and commercial catch data. The model was used to estimate the age structure and biomass of the perch stock and to estimate the impact of the power plant on abundance of the impingeable stock and biomass of the exploited stock.