Environmental Impact Research Program: Environmental Effects of Navigation Traffic: Studies on Fish Eggs and Larvae
Environmental Impact Research Program: Environmental Effects of Navigation Traffic: Studies on Fish Eggs and Larvae

Author: William D. Pearson

Publisher:

Published: 1989

Total Pages: 42

ISBN-13:

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Adult and juvenile fishes are usually capable of detecting and avoiding or withstanding most of the environmental effects of navigation traffic. However, since larval fishes are less capable of avoidance movements and more susceptible to environmental disturbances, they can be negatively affected by navigation traffic. Reported direct effects of traffic on larval fishes include turbulence, shear forces, currents, hull and propeller impacts, abrasion, wave and drawdown effects, and resuspension of sediments. Indirect effects of navigation traffic include releases of fuel, oils, exhaust gases, and other wastes associated with the operation of each tow; the construction and operation of more or larger lock and dam facilities needed for increased traffic; and the greater risk of catastrophic spills of toxic materials. Laboratory experiments were designed to investigate the effects of selected disturbances (turbulence, resuspension of sediment, and atmospheric exposure) on four species of larval fishes: paddlefish, channel catfish, grass carp, and common carp. Keywords: Commercial navigation traffic; Environmental impact; Laboratory simulation; Shipping; Physical effects studies. (kt).

TRAFFIC: An Information Retrieval System to Evaluate the Environmental Impacts of Commercial Navigation Traffic
TRAFFIC: An Information Retrieval System to Evaluate the Environmental Impacts of Commercial Navigation Traffic

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 1990

Total Pages: 52

ISBN-13:

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The software system, TRAFFIC, was developed to provide technical information and literature on the physical effects of navigation traffic, particularly on selected riverine organisms. The TRAFFIC software program has been designed to run on an IBM-PR or compatible microcomputer with a minimum of 256 K of computer memory and type of video card and monitor. TRAFFIC is easy to use and requires no knowledge of computers. Depending upon the program selections made by the user, either a bibliographic listing or a technical discussion of the effects of a physical navigation system on a selected riverine organism can be obtained. The results can be read directly from the computer monitor or output to an IBM or Epson compatible printer. This programs considers the environmental impact of water waves, suspended sediments, turbulent flow and erosion of banks caused by the traffic.

Environmental Effects of Navigation Traffic
Environmental Effects of Navigation Traffic

Author: Barry S. Payne

Publisher:

Published: 1987

Total Pages: 27

ISBN-13:

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Navigation traffic can intermittently increase turbulence and suspended solids in rivers. Freshwater mussels are essentially sessile filter-feeders and could be susceptible to physiological disruption as a result of exposure to these potential effects of navigation traffic. In laboratory studies, cyclic increases in water velocity and turbulence at a level and frequency that can be caused by routine navigation traffic led to reduced feeding rates and slightly increased reliance on endogenous and nonproteinaceous energy reserves. However, continuous or near-continuous disruption, such as might be associated with barge fleeting activities, led to virtually complete reliance on endogenous energy reserves. These results suggest that proposed areas of barge fleeting be evaluated on a site-specific basic to ensure that important mussel populations are not situated in nearby habitats that will be exposed to sustained periods of turbulence and suspended solids above ambient conditions. In addition, these laboratory studies confirm the utility of sublethal physiological indices of stress, such as oxygen: nitrogen and flesh: shell mass ratios, in field studies aimed at monitoring environmental impacts on natural mussel populations. Keywords: Environmental impact; Aquatic biology.

Environmental Impact Research Program. Physical Effects of Commercial Navigation Traffic in Large Waterways, Summary of a Workshop Held in Louisville, Kentucky, 4 March 1986
Environmental Impact Research Program. Physical Effects of Commercial Navigation Traffic in Large Waterways, Summary of a Workshop Held in Louisville, Kentucky, 4 March 1986

Author: Andrew C. Miller

Publisher:

Published: 1987

Total Pages: 27

ISBN-13:

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A meeting was held on 4 March 1986 in Louisville, Ky., to discuss the results of recent studies and new research on the physical effects of navigation traffic in large waterways. The meeting was attended by representatives from the Illinois State Water Survey; the University of Maryland; the US Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station (WES); the Navigation Planning Support Center of the US Army Engineer District, Louisville; the Office of the Chief of Engineers; and the following US Army Engineer Districts; Huntington, St. Paul, Detroit, of Engineers; and Mobile. Participants summarized the results of the following studies on navigation traffic: environmental effects of the Chesapeake and Delaware Ship Canal, field experiments on the physical effects of traffic, examination of the problems of ice in navigable waterways, navigation effects in the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, habitat creation projects, and navigation effects on freshwater mussels.

Environmental Impact Research Program. A Workshop to Investigate Techniques to Analyze Physical and Biological Effects of Commercial Navigation Traffic
Environmental Impact Research Program. A Workshop to Investigate Techniques to Analyze Physical and Biological Effects of Commercial Navigation Traffic

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 1989

Total Pages: 70

ISBN-13:

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A workshop on commercial navigation traffic was held to review and discuss procedures for measuring physical and biological effects of commercial traffic in navigable waterways. Passage of commercial vessels through a waterway can cause water drawdown, waves, and brief periods of turbulence and elevated suspended solids. At the workshop it was determined that there is no evidence that commercial traffic negatively affects biota throughout navigable waterways. However, there is evidence that traffic can impact significant resources at specific sites. In addition, aquatic resources were altered by first-time dredging, channel realignment, and lock and dam construction. Preliminary physical effects studies (changes in water velocity and direction) should be conducted to identify experimental and references sites. A study should be designed to collect data on one or more of the following parameters: characteristics of individual species (physical condition indices), characteristics of dominant populations (evidence of recent recruitment and density), or community characteristics (species richness and diversity). Data from well-replicated studies can be used to evaluate existing conditions and to predict the environmental effects of incremental increases in traffic. Keywords: Shipping; Environmental impact.