After observing a number of deceased birds along the shoreline of Lake Huron over the past several days, Bruce Power has been working with wildlife authorities and University of Guelph and proactively collected samples to be sent to Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative.
The agency and labs confirmed the bird tested positive for the H5 avian influenza virus. Based on this result, it is highly likely that the bird mortality event is related to an outbreak of the H5N1 avian influenza. Bruce Power has notified the appropriate government agencies including Grey-Bruce Public Health.
If you observe sick or dead wild birds or other wildlife and suspect that avian influenza may be involved, contact your regional avian influenza hotline or the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative.
There has also been deceased Gizzard Shad, a fish 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.
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 (CNSC).
