HomeMy WebLinkAboutYukon River Inter Tribal Watershed Council Ruby AK Fish RunTurbine Site Report DavidMessier 2009
815 Second Avenue, Suite 201 Fairbanks, Alaska 99701 P: (907) 451-2530 F: (907) 451-2534 fax
Attention Robert Piorkowski Ph D. Fish Resource Permit Program Coordinator
This Report is for Permit # SF2009-160
Location: Yukon River near Ruby, AK
Species collected: Local Species
Abstract:
In late July and early August 2009, the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council’s
5kW hydrokinetic turbine was deployed on the Yukon River near the village of Ruby
Alaska. As part of this project Fish Sampling was conducted by Ed Sarten, environmental
technician from Ruby, Alaska and Robert DuBey, fish biologist from the Yukon River
Fisheries Drainage Association (YRFDA). The AK Department of Fish and Game
(ADFG) biologist for this area, was notified on July 20th, before sampling commenced.
Sampling was conducted periodically between July 25th and August 4th 2009. During
that time the turbine’s rotor was submerged in the water and the turbine was producing
power. Due to power transmission problems between the turbine and the shore-based grid
connection, the turbine rotor was pulled from the water on August 6th and fish sampling
ceased.
Background:
A hydrokinetic turbine is a method of producing power from running water without the
use of dams or water diversion systems. The study at Ruby was conducted using an en-
current turbine designed by New Energy LLC, with a generating capacity of 5kW of
electrical power. The turbine resembles an upside-down vertical-axis wind turbine
suspended below the surface of the river from a pontoon-boat-barge. The barge is
tethered to a debris diversion device on the upstream side. The debris diversion device is
then anchored to the river bottom via steel cables.
Because the power generated by this system increases exponentially with increases in the
river’s current velocity, an area of 2.5-3 m/s is ideal for the turbine location. Since the
Yukon River freezes during the winter months the turbine must be removed before
freeze-up - late September - and redeployed after spring break-up - early June. In 2009
the turbine was deployed on July 25th 2009 and the turbine rotor was pulled from the
water on Aug 6th 2009. The barge stayed in the river until September 26th 2009 with the
turbine raised.
Smolt disturbance from turbine rotation was predicted to be relatively low because of the
slow rotation speed of the rotor (30-70 rpm) and the turbine’s relatively small footprint in
relation to the width of the river at Ruby. An Acoustic Dopler Profiler (ADP), which
takes an image of current velocity across a transect of river was deployed at the Ruby site
in late June of 2009. The images from this device reveal a wide distribution of high
velocity currents across the ~900m transect.
At Ruby, adult fish common to the Yukon River , include but are not limited to Chinook,
Chum and Coho Salmon, Northern Pike, Grayling, Dolly Varden, Whitefish and
Sheefish. It is not expected that adult species will be affected by the turbine’s rotor
because of their aversion to areas of high current velocity and pressure changes such as
those caused by the turbine.
The fish study was designed by YRDFA biologist Robert Dubey to detect the presence of
both adult and juvenile fish. A multiple beam sonar unit with its transducer mounted
upstream of the turbine was used to detect the presence of adult fish around the study site.
It was believed the sonar would also have detected juvenile fish migrating in schools. A
1/2'” fyke net positioned downstream of the turbine was intended to catch any juvenile
fish that made it through the rotating blades then use these fish to help determine the
turbines effect.
Smolt moving downstream were the main targeted concern for this study.
Turbine Location:
The turbine’s location was approximately 150 meters off the south bank of the Yukon R.
~350 meters downstream from the village barge dock. The GPS location of the turbine
was 64.74109 N Latitude and 155.51156 W. Longitude, determined using the NAD 27
datum. Depth at the site of deployment was 11-13m. The two concrete blocks used as
anchors are located south of the thalwag where the riverbed begins to slope up towards
the south bank. The current velocity at the turbine site was ~1.5-1.8 m/sec. It is important
to note this was NOT the site of fastest current velocity as identified by the ADP.
Turbine Footprint:
When the turbine is in the water, its rotor extends approximately 2 meters below the river
surface into the water column. The rotor has a swept diameter of ~1m. The pontoon
barge is tethered downstream of a debris diversion device, which resembles an V with the
tip pointed upstream. This diversion device is connected to the anchoring system with
steel cable and chain. The power cord is hung from the backside of the barge, straight
down to the river bottom then along the riverbed to shore.
Sampling Procedure:
Pre-deployment:
On July 10th, 11th 2009, fish finder Sonar was used for preliminary sampling at the turbine
site. The sonar was mounted to a skiff, which motored to the turbine site as identified by
GPS coordinates and visual points on shore. Sonar was run for 5 minute intervals 2x a
day, once in the morning (between 0900-1100) and once in the evening (between 1700-
1900). These pre-deployment sonar readings were taken to get a rough estimate of fish
abundance in the area of deployment, before the turbine was deployed.
Post-Deployment:
Sampling from the turbine barge began on July 25th 2009. One “sample” consisted of
two, 5-minute sampling windows spread over the course of a ½ hr. During this window, a
½-inch mesh fyke net was deployed from the downstream side of the barge and held
approx one meter below the surface of the water. The net was periodically pulled up to
remove debris - sticks, brush etc. – so that water could move smoothly through it. During
the fyke net deployment, the second member of the sampling team monitored the fish
finder sonar - positioned at the front of the barge, upstream of the turbine. Once a 5
minute sampling window was complete the sampling team would wait for 10-20 minutes
on the barge, then repeat the sample with a different person using the fyke net and sonar.
This method was used twice a day from July 25th-July27th . Then once a day on July 29th,
July 31st and August 4th.
Results:
During the Pre-deployment Sonar sampling on July 10th and 11th, 3 fish were detected by
fish finder sonar. All were in the lower half of the water column. Approx 8-13m below
the water surface. Based on the sonar image, these were adult fish, but their species could
not be determined.
Fish sampling using the methodology discussed above was conducted between the dates
of July 25th and August 4th 2009. During this time, no fish were caught in the fyke net
and the sonar detected no fish. In total 9 full samples – consisting of 2-sampling windows
each – were taken by field technicians from the Ruby turbine barge.
Discussion:
The lack of fish detected or caught during our sampling suggests that their concentrations
in our turbine’s area of the river are relatively low. Local fishermen from Ruby AK
typically fish with fish wheels set in areas of lower current velocity near the river banks.
Francis Captain, a resident of Ruby and subsistence fisherman reported catching King
Salmon, Coho Salmon, Suckers, Whitefish and a variety of other freshwater species in his
fish wheel ~1.5 miles downstream of Ruby on the Yukon. This proves the presence of
these species in the near shore areas on this section of the Yukon.
Our ADP revealed a steady rise from the Thalwag to the south bank of the river, which
ends in steep, cliffs just downstream of Ruby village. By contrast, the riverbed to the
north of the Thalwag rises at a gradual rate. Current velocity in the north half of the river
is also shown to be weaker than in the southern half (see ADP image included at the end
of this report). This could suggest that fish species are more likely to hug the north bank
of the Yukon as they pass Ruby.
Possible Errors and Improvements:
The timing of Smolt runs can be difficult to predict but many biologists believe they
occur in the first half of the summer, June-mid July. Due to the delayed deployment of
our turbine, sampling did not begin until July 25th. At this point, the sampling may have
missed the majority of the Smolt run. The sonar used in ruby, produced images that were
possibly too blurry to detect the presence of Smolt, unless they were moving in schools.
The turbine’s location in swift current made getting on and off the barge a somewhat
hazardous task. Due to safety concerns, limitations on the reliability of field technicians
in Ruby and initial results which showed no fish, the decision was made to reduce our
initial sampling schedule and make less frequent trips to the barge.
If you have any questions in regards to the results or aspects of the fish study preformed
in Ruby, please contact me directly. It should be noted that between the time this permit
was requested and the time this report was submitted, 4 project managers have come and
gone from the project and information transfer has been difficult.
Sincerely,
David Pelunis-Messier
Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council
Energy Dept.
815 2nd Ave Suite 201
Fairbanks, AK 99701
P: 907.978.1866
F: 907.451.2534
Samples Taken at Turbine Site:
Date: Time of
sample:
# Fish caugh in
Fyke Net ~1m
below surface
# of Fish
detected in
sonar:
Technicians: GPS Pts.
July 10, 2009 0900 N/A 0 Martin Leonard
Ed Sarten
64.741 N
155.511 W
July 10, 2009 1740 N/A 1 Martin Leonard
Ed Sarten
64.741 N
155.511 W
July 11, 2009 1000 N/A 2 Ed Sarten
Emit Peters
64.741 N
155.511 W
July 11, 2009 1820 N/A 0 Martin Leonard
Emit Peters
64.741 N
155.511 W
July 25, 2009 1010-1040 0 0 Ed Sarten
Emit Peters
64.741 N
155.511 W
July 25, 2009 1730-1800 0 0 Ed Sarten
Emit Peters
64.741 N
155.511 W
July 26, 2009
0930-1010 0
0 Ed Sarten
Emit Peters
64.741 N
155.511 W
July 26, 2009
1800-1900 0 0 Ed Sarten
Emit Peters
64.741 N
155.511 W
July 27, 2009 1030-1100 0 0 Ed Sarten
Emit Peters
64.741 N
155.511 W
July 27, 2009 1700-1740
0 0 Ed Sarten
Emit Peters
64.741 N
155.511 W
July 29, 2009
1500-1540 0 0 Ed Sarten
Emit Peters
64.741 N
155.511 W
July 31 2009 1900-1920 0 0 Ed Sarten
Emit Peters
64.741 N
155.511 W
Aug 4, 2009 1100-1130 0 0 Ed Sarten
Emit Peters
64.741 N
155.511 W
Hydrokinetic Turbine in Yukon outside of Ruby, AK
Sonar Images Taken from Turbine Barge:
X
The above image represents a transect of the River where our turbine was placed. The X
above indicates the approximate position of the turbine in an area of current ranging
between 1.5-2 m/s as shown by the color coded scale at the Right side of the image. As
you can see this is not the fastest current along the transect.
Transect of Yukon River just downstream of Ruby, AK. “X” in this picture marks the
approximate location of the turbine. The image shows an outline of the River Thalwag
(the deepest points are dark blue and purple, the shallowest areas are red). The Ruby
barge dock is barely visible at the bottom R. corner of the screen.
X