School Street Baseline Fisheries Study
Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation
Syracuse, NY
Kleinschmidt conducted intensive baseline fisheries surveys
in the impoundment, bypass, and tailwater at the School Street Hydroelectric
Project on New York's Mohawk River to address a request from the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
The FERC required a detailed assessment of fish resources in the Mohawk River in the project area as necessary prior to reviewing the School Street Project license application. This study entailed documenting seasonal changes in the fish community and size distribution of key species. Fish populations were sampled by means of backpack electrofishing, boat electrofishing, trapnetting, seining, and gill netting in diverse habitats during six sampling events over the course of one year.
Kleinschmidt documented the seasonal use and abundance of fish species and length-frequency distributions of fishes in project waters. Water quality, temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and conductivity were also collected during fish sampling events. Over the course of this year long study, 35 species were represented in the total collection of over 4,500 fish. The analysis included generation of catch/effort and length-frequency distributions of gamefish and panfish species and examination of seasonal uses of the bypass and tailwater areas by resident and migratory species.
For more information contact Brandon Kulik.