Enhancing Delaware Estuary Fisheries: Estuary Enhancement Program Evaluation

1. Mitigating for Cooling Water Intakes – Is the Estuary Enhancement Program of DE Bay Working? Carpenter Environmental Associates, Inc. Ralph E. Huddleston, Jr. Greg Fleischer

2. Salem Nuclear Generating Station • Delaware River Estuary (RM 50) • Two Nuclear-Powered Units • Once Through Cooling Systems

3. Once-Through Cooling System • 12 Intake Bays • Permit to Withdraw– 3.024 Billion GPD • ≈ 1,050,000 GPM or 1% of Tidal Flow • Fish & Aquatic Organisms • Entrained • Impinged • Over 3 Billion Fish Killed Per Year

4. Table 3-1 1998 PSE&G Loss Estimates *Source: Permit Renewal application NJPDES Permit No. NJ0005622, Public Service Electric & Gas Company Salem Generating Station, March 4, 1999, Appendix L, Tab 8 ** Source: Permit Renewal application NJPDES Permit No. NJ0005622, Public Service Electric & Gas Company Salem Generating Station, March 4, 1999, Appendix L, Tab 9

5. Table 3-2

6. 2001 NJPDES Permit-Special Conditions • Wetland Restoration & Enhancement Program for Delaware Estuary • Installation of Fish Ladders • Baywide Biological Monitoring Program

7. Purpose of Special Conditions • Enhance the Production of Fish in the Delaware Estuary • Offset Losses of Fish Associated with Entrainment & Impingement at Cooling Water Intake Structure • Presumptions • Marsh Restoration • Phragmites Removal • Reduce Fish Migration Impediments

8. Instituting Special Conditions • 20,500 Acres of Land Purchased • Wetlands = 12,459 Acres • Diked Salt Hay Farms = 4,398 Acres • Phragmites-dominated Wetlands • 3,723 Acres - NJ • 4,338 Acres - DE • Upland Buffer = 2,649 Acres

9. Marsh Restoration Methods • Lower Bay Salt Hay Farms • Tidal Inundation • Restore Natural Flows & Vegetative Conditions • Upper BayPhragmites-dominated Marsh • Herbicide Application • Prescribed Burning • Mowing • GOALS: • 95% Phragmites Eradication • Establishment of Mixed Desirable Vegetation

10. Wetlands & Fish Ladder Locations

11. Review & Evaluation of Restoration Project in Increasing Fish Production • Evaluations Based Upon: • PSE&G Documentation of Restoration Efforts • Scientific Literature • Salt Marsh Restoration • Fish Ladders • Visual Observation (Summer)

12. Review & Evaluation of Restoration Project in Increasing Fish Production • Effectiveness of Wetlands Restoration Methods • Success of Established Plant Community • Plant Densities • Invasion by Phragmites • Fish Utilization

13. Review & Evaluation of Restoration Project in Increasing Fish Production • Effectiveness of Fish Ladders on River Herring Population • Adult Herring Spawning • Juvenile Herring Development & Emigration

14. Marsh Restoration Goals • PSEG 12 Year Goals (2008) 76% Spartina Coverage (Desirable Vegetation) 4% Phragmites Coverage • PSEG Interim Goal (2003) 45% Spartina Coverage (Desirable Vegetation)

15. Lower Bay Marsh Restoration Sites(Salt Hay Farms) • Moores Beach - Reference Site • Commercial Township • Dennis Township • Maurice River Township

16. Lower Bay Marsh Restoration Sites(Salt Hay Farms)

21. Upper Bay Marsh Restoration Sites(Phragmites Dominated Sites) • Mad Horse Creek – Reference Site • Alloway Creek Watershed • Mill Creek • Cohansey River Watershed • Silver Run • Lang Tract • Woodland Beach • The Rocks • Cedar Swamp

22. Upper Bay Marsh Restoration Sites(Phragmites Dominated Sites)

27. Marsh Restoration Conclusions • Salt Hay Farm Sites (3 Sites) • Dennis & Maurice Townships • Achieved 12-year Goals for Desired Plant and Phragmites Coverage • Commercial Township • Did Not Reach Interim Goal (45%) for Desired Plant Coverage

28. Marsh Restoration Conclusions • Phragmites Dominated Sites (8 Sites) • All Sites Reached Interim Goals (45%) • X-Mill Creek • Cohansey, Lang & Woodland Sites • Achieved 12-year Goal for Spartina Coverage • Lang Tract • Achieved 12-year Goal for Phragmites Coverage • Phragmites Reduction – Dependent on Annual Herbicide Treatment

29. Fish Response at Upper & Lower Bay Restored Marshes • Biological Monitoring Began in 1996 • Annual Reports – Fish Assemblages • Abundance • Size • Species Richness • Study Sites • Uniform • Consistent Sampling Protocols

30. Fish Response at Lower Bay Salt Hay Farm Sites • Large Marsh Creeks – (1996-2002) • Assemblage & Species Richness • Restored Sites Similar to Reference Sites • Small Marsh Creeks – (1996-2002) • Assemblage & Species Richness • Restored Sites Similar to Reference Sites • Fish Response Has Been Positive

31. Fish Response at Treated Upper Bay Phragmites Marsh Sites • Large Marsh Creeks – (1996-2002) • Assemblage & Species Richness • Restored Sites Similar to Reference Site • Small Marsh Creeks – (1996-2002) • Assemblage • Differed at all sites • Species Richness

32. Purpose Eliminate Impediments to Fish Migration Enable Fish to Gradually Climb Dams & Barriers River Herring Alewife Blueback Fish Ladder Installation – 8 Sites Sunset Lake Cooper River Silver Lake McGinnis Pond McColley Pond Coursey’s Pond Garrisons Lake Moores Lake Evaluation of Fish Ladders

33. Fish Ladder Locations

34. Evaluation of Fish Ladders • Evidence of Spawning at all Eight Sites • X-Garrisons Lake • Sites with the Most Stocked Fish Show Limited Fish Ladder Use • Four of the Eight Fish Ladders • Large Numbers of Adult Fish with Limited Stocking • Most Likely Pioneer Fish

38. Analysis of Baywide Fish Data • Number of Studies Conducted • DNREC • PSE&G • NJDEP • CEA Analysis • DNREC –Juvenile Trawl Data (1991-2001) • Compared Data • 1991-1994 • 1998-2001

39. Analysis of Baywide Fish Data • Decreases in abundance • Weakfish • White Perch • Spot • Bay Anchovy • Atlantic Silverside • American Shad • Increases in abundance • Blueback Herring • Striped Bass

41. Report Summary • Marsh Restoration • Lower Bay • Upper bay • Fish Ladders • Stocking Efforts • Spawning Runs • Baywide Fish Data • Overall – No Significant Change in Fish Populations