NC0024406_Permit Review Letter_20111025

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North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Division of Water Quality
Beverly Eaves Perdue Coleen H. Sullins
Governor Director
October 25, 2011
Allen Stowe
Water Management, Duke Energy
EC13K
PO Box 1006
Charlotte, NC 28201-1006
Subject: Review of Duke Energy Carolinas, NPDES Permit NCO024406: "Assessment of Balanced and Indigenous
Populations in Belews Lake Near Belews Steam Station", August 29, 2011.
Dee Freeman
Secretary
Environmental Sciences Section (ESS) staff has reviewed the aforementioned document which was mistakenly delivered to the
Aquifer Protection Section on September 9, 2011. It was subsequently hand delivered to Eric Fleek on October 3, 2011. Eric
Fleek reviewed the benthic macroinvertebrate data, Debra Owen reviewed the physical/chemical data, Jeff Debearadinis the fish
tissue data and Bryn Tracy and Jeff both reviewing the fish community information. The North Carolina Division of Water Quality
would like to express our thanks on the quality of both the data and the analysis contained within this report. Based on a review
of these data there were no concerns noted for the physical/chemical or fish tissue datasets. However, there were several
issues noted with the benthic macroinvertebrate and fish community datasets. These data suggest that the thermal discharge
could be having an adverse affect on portions of these communities. These observations are as follows:
1) A review of the benthic macroinvertebrate data indicates that in 2010 at Station 410.2 (i.e., the station located closest
to the new discharge) there were no Hexagenia collected. This mayfly was collected in robust numbers at each of the
previous nine sampling events at this station (Figure 1) and was present in large numbers from both the uplake station
(405.1) and at the station near the old discharge (418.1) in 2010. Hexagenia have been reliably demonstrated to be
sensitive to low dissolved oxygen (Britt 1955, Beeton 1961, Beeton 1969, Verduin 1964, Carr and Hiltunen 1965,
Krieger et al. 1996, Edsall et al. 1999, Edsall 2001, Edsall and Phillips, 2006) as well as being sensitive to metals and
petroleum products (Edsall et al. 1991, and Schloesser et al. 1991) and have long been recognized as pollution
intolerant organisms and reliable indicators of overall healthy aquatic conditions (Bertram and Statler-Salt 1998, Edsall
2001). However, this taxon is also sensitive to substrate sizes (Schloesser and Nalepa 2002). In light of this
information, it may be advisable for Duke to conduct a more detailed substrate analysis at this location during the next
monitoring event in an effort to better discern if sediment size, or some other factor, is adversely affecting Hexagenia at
this location. Indeed, this analysis was undertaken at Lake Wylie and in that instance an absence of Hexagenia
downstream of the discharge was shown to be related to substrate sizes.
2) A review of the fish community data indicates that 67% of the total fish collected in this assessment were obtained
upstream from the discharge, while only 33% of the total fish collected in this assessment were located at or below the
discharge. The fish community data also indicate that approximately twice as many species are found up -reservoir
versus down -reservoir. For example, several taxa (e.g., Threadfin Shad, White Perch and Crappie) are found only
about the discharge. Of -all fish biomass collected for this current assessment, 85% was obtained above the discharge
while only 15% was collected at or below the discharge. In light of these data, it may be advisable for Duke to explore if .
the cause of these differences is due to trophic state, drought, the thermal discharge or some other set of factors.
In conclusion, we agree with Duke Energy's recommendation to continue monitoring of water and sediment chemistry at the
current level. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me or Eric Fleek, Bioassessment Supervisor.
Sincerely,
Jay Sauber
Chief, Environmental Sciences Section
cc: Jeff Poupart, Surface Water Protection Section
Tom Belnick, Surface Water Protection
Sergei Chernikov, Surface Water Protection Section
Corey Basinger, Winston-Salem Regional Office
1621 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1621
Location: 4401 Reedy Creek Road, Raleigh, North Carolina 27607
Phone: [phone] FAX: [phone] Customer Service: 1-877-623-6748
Internet: http://h2o.enr.state.nc.us/esb/
An Equal Opportunity 1 Affirmative Action Employer
NorthCarolina
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North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Division of Water Quality
Beverly Eaves Perdue Coleen H. Sullins Dee Freeman.
Governor Director Secretary
Figure 1: Hexagenia Density at Station 410.2 (Below New Discharge):
2001-2010.
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References Cited
Beeton, A.M. 1961. Environmental changes in Lake Erie. Trans. Am. Fish. Soc. (90.): 153-159.
Beeton, A.M. 1969. Changes in the environment and biota of the Great Lakes. In: Eutrophication: Causes, Consequences,
and Correctives. National Academy of Sciences. Washington, D.C., pp. 150-187.
Bertram, P. and N. Statler-Salt. 1998. Selection of indicators for Great Lakes basin ecosystem health. State of the Lakes
Ecosystem Conference 1998. Buffalo, New York. U.S. Environ. Protect. Agency, Chicago, III., and
Environment Canada, Burlington, Ont.
Britt, N.W. 1955. Stratification in western Lake Erie in summer 1953: effects on the Hexagenia (Ephemeroptera) population.
Ecology (36): 39-244.
Carr, J.F. and J.K. Hiltunen. 1965. Changes in the bottom fauna of western Lake Erie from 1950 to 1961. Limnol Oceanogr.
(10): 551-569.
References Cited (Continued)
1621 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1621
Location: 4401 Reedy Creek Road, Raleigh, North Carolina 27607
Phone: [phone] FAX: [phone] Customer Service: 1-877-623-6748
Internet: htto:llh2o.enr.state.nc.us1esbl
Action Employer
NorthCarolina
An Equal Opportunity 1 Affirmative

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North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Division of Water Quality
Beverly Eaves Perdue Coleen H. Sullins Dee Freeman
Governor Director Secretary
Edsall, T.A., B.A. Manny, D.W. Schloesser, S. J. Nichols, and A. M. Frank. 1991. Production of Hexagenia limbata nymphs
in contaminated sediments in the Upper Great Lakes Connecting Channels. Hydrobiologia (219): 353-361.
Edsall, T.A., C.P. Madenjian, and B.A. Manny. 1999. Burrowing mayflies in Lake Erie—a review. In, M. Munawar, T. Edsall,
I.F. Munawar, (Eds), The State of Lake Erie: Past, Present, and Future, Ecovision World Monograph Series,
Backhuys Publishers, The Netherlands, pp. 219-231.
Edsall, T.A. 2001. Burrowing mayflies (Hexagenia) as indicators of ecosystem health. Aquatic Ecosystem Health and
Management (4): 283-292.
Edsall, T.A. and W. E. Phillips. 2006. Burrowing mayflies (Hexagenia) as indicators of aquatic ecosystem health at Sleeping,
Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Michigan. Park Science Volume 23 (1).
Krieger, K.W., D.W. Schloesser, B.A. Manny, C.E. Trisler, S.E. Heady, J.H. Ciborowski, and.K.M. Muth. 1996. Recovery of
burrowing mayflies (Ephemeroptera: Ephemeridae: Hexagenia) in western Lake Erie. J. Great Lakes Res.
(22): 254-263.
Schloesser, D.W. and T. F. Nalepa. 2002. Comparison of 5 benthic samplers to collect burrowing mayfly nymphs
(Hexagenia spp.:Ephemeroptera: Ephemeridae) in sediments of the Laurentian Great Lakes. Journal of the
North American Benthological Society: September 2002, Vol. 21, No. 3,.pp. 487-501.
Schloesser, D.W., T.A. Edsall, B.A. Manny, and S.J. Nichols. 1991. Distribution of Hexagenia nymphs and visible oil in
contaminated sediments in the Upper Great Lakes Connecting Channels. Hydrobiologia (219): 345-352.
Verduin, J. 1964. Changes in western Lake Erie during the period 1948-1962. Verhandl. Intern. Ver. Limnol. (15): 639-644.
1621 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1621
Location: 4401 Reedy Creek Road, Raleigh, North Carolina 27607
Phone: [phone] FAX: [phone] Customer Service: 1-877-623-6748
Internet: http://h2o.enr.state,nc.us/esb/
An Equal Opportunity 1 Affirmative Action Employer
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