Impingement and Entrainment Survival Studies at Power Plants in Estuarine Systems of Florida

Impingement and entrainment survival studies were conducted at the Duke Energy (formerly Progress Energy) Anclote Energy Complex (Anclote) and another power plant in Florida to determine 24-hr survival of organisms that were impinged or entrained.  These studies were implemented as components of impingement and entrainment characterization studies.  Both of these plants are located near river-coastal interfaces, utilize once-though cooling water systems and have cooling water intake structures (CWIS) equipped with 3/8” mesh travelling screens.  One of the plant’s CWIS is equipped with a low-pressure screen wash and dedicated Fish Return System.  The entrainment survival study, conducted at Anclote, tested organisms that passed through dilution pumps, and not through the condensers.  All studies were conducted on-site at the plants in a mobile laboratory designed and built by Golder Associates which provides flow-through conditions of local source water.  Over 70 impinged taxa were assessed in total, with thirty and twelve taxa respectively at the two plants having more than ten specimens collected.  Overall 24-hr impingement survival, independent of species, was good at both plants: 88- and 90-percent respectively.  Overall 24-hr entrainment survival at Anclote was estimated to be 74-percent.