With the spring ice melt well underway, Bruce Power is aware of many deceased fish along the shoreline of Lake Huron.
The fish are Gizzard Shad, a species that live along the shores of big lakes, bays, and larger rivers. Gizzard Shad are documented to be sensitive to prolonged cold in the natural lake environment and to changes in water temperature, which can result in a physiological cold shock response that has led to large population level die-offs in cold winters.
Gizzard Shad are attracted to the warm water refuge provided by Bruce Power’s thermal discharge and as previously communicated Bruce Power proactively removed Unit 2 from service in February due to a high volume of Gizzard Shad in the Bruce A intake channel. A large number were entrapped and died as a result and have been removed from the intake channel. Bruce Power continues to investigate possible factors that could have contributed to this event, including Gizzard Shad sensitivities to cold lake temperatures.
Gizzard Shad have been reported along the shoreline as far north as the Sauble River and as far south as Goderich, indicating this could be a population level event. Large numbers of Gizzard Shad have been observed in Lake Huron including around Bruce Power; this is likely due to their high rate of reproduction and warmer lake water temperatures in the last couple of years.
Bruce Power is also aware of the presence of deceased waterfowl in Baie du Dore north of the Bruce Power site. We are working with wildlife authorities to determine the cause and ask the public to please avoid contact with any of the deceased wildlife to allow experts to investigate further. Waterfowl have been sent for lab testing to check for conditions including botulism or avian flu.
The Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) are aware of this die-off and Bruce Power continues to engage with Indigenous Nations and local municipalities as well as regulators which include Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.
About Bruce Power
Bruce Power is an electricity company based in Bruce County, Saugeen Ojibway Nation Territory, Ontario. We are powered by our people. Our 4,200 employees are the foundation of our accomplishments and are proud of the role they play in safely delivering clean, reliable nuclear power to families and businesses across the province and cancer-fighting medical isotopes around the world. Bruce Power has worked hard to build strong roots in Ontario and is committed to protecting the environment and supporting the communities in which we live. Formed in 2001, Bruce Power is a Canadian-owned partnership of TC Energy, OMERS, the Power Workers’ Union and The Society of United Professionals. Learn more at www.brucepower.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.
