# Dissolved Oxygen Below LL Dam



## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

If I understand correctly, the generating plant at the LL dam will use water from higher in the water column than currently flows under the dam gates. I think this is to use the head pressure of the water to help generate the electricity. It occurred to me that the dissolved oxygen differs as depth changes, so surely dissolved oxygen in the tailrace will change. Any thoughts as to how this may affect the fish in the river?


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## cva34 (Dec 22, 2008)

But DO should rise during turbulence and Falling over dam..just my best guess


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## GBird (Jun 12, 2010)

In late summer we are often faced with a thermocline, often around 15 or so feet. When there is no oxygen in deeper water during these times and you start taking water from shallower spots, seems it would add oxygen to the tail race. No matter where they get the water from, if it continues flowing across those big rocks it will get areated either way.


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

I brought this up because I recently read that oxygen-venting turbines are made that significantly increase oxygen levels in river water downstream; but I don't know the cost difference for those turbines. The TP&WD probably would have liked it, but that doesn't mean the power producers did it.


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## saved (Feb 1, 2014)

From my understanding the hydro side will not even be able to run most of the time because of water levels on the lake.

If the normal gate discharge is too low the hydro will not work and if it is too high it has to be kept off line. I was told what those numbers are but I have forgotten them. I want to say the low is someplace in the 4000 cfs range and the high is around 15000cfs. As I said I have forgotten the actual numbers but I was surprised at how tight the low and high was to run the hydro. 

Another issue is temperature. If the water coming from the hydro vent is too warm it effects the downstream fish and that can shut the system down from what I understand.

From what I am hearing the hydo system is not being installed with the main purpose of generating electric but to get in on dollars from the feds.


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

All of the flow will go through the plant up to 15,000 cfs. above that flow rate will diverted through the gates. At at the lowest flow (1200 cfs), which is the contracted amount of water sent down stream to the Houston system, one turbine will be online at low output. It will be supplying power to the plant infrastructure.
I spoke to an engineer on the project about two years ago. He was interested in leasing a house from me. I ask a lot of question which he answered best he could but to be fair he was involved in the construction of the pen stock tubes and may not have been up to speed on the plant operation.


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

There wasn't much interest in this thread, but I am still curious. The reason I started this thread was finding this:

http://chronicle.augusta.com/sports...scatorial-hole-one-vaughn-taylor?v=1336871658

and seeing the picture I attached below. Basically the story credits this huge fish with oxygenating turbines.

Just now I was researching more about the power plant due to Bruce's thread about access after the power plant. I found an article about the power plant that says: _The plant is designed to oxygenate the water as it moves through the turbines - a process that cuts into the amount of energy generated slightly but makes a big difference to the fish downstream.
_
Although the strain of stripers that the TP&WD uses in their program is inbred supposedly, they also have not obtained great age. It looks possible that stripers _may_ have better conditions (higher dissolved oxygen) to live longer after the power plant, but will fishermen have access to try for them?


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

The fish will love the new discharge. To me it looks to be one Big giant aerator. Add more heat to the waters during the winter months too. Fish is gonna thrive for sure. Just not us fisherman's. Need to make our voice heard before the Big changes. Yeah but who's gonna do it ???


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## Gofish2day (May 9, 2006)

I think the low river in the summer has an effect which reduces the large stripers. If the river were more stable with more water, then oxygenate the water. Now were talking big fish. Those days when you can walk across at the cable have a great affect on the big fish.


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