| Gary
Wein, Rebecca Sharitz, J
V. McArthur, Kenneth McLeod,
Eric
Nelson, and Randall Kolka
DISTURBANCE
Wetlands
of the Savannah River Site have been disturbed both by the industrial activities
of DOE’s weapons production facility over the past 50 years and by prior
agricultural activities dating back to the 1800’s. Industrial
disturbances were associated with the high volume thermal discharges to low flow
blackwater streams and swamps of the Savannah
River, construction of cooling reservoirs, and accidental releases of organics,
metals and radionuclides. Agricultural practices resulted in the ditching
of depressional wetlands and Carolina Bays, altering their hydrology.
Between 1951 and 1989, secondary effluents from production reactors on the
SRS were discharged into streams and wetlands. These discharges, in excess
of 80° C and flow rates of 11 – 22 m3/sec, severely disturbed
these streams and adjacent wetlands. Sediments
scoured from these streams were deposited up to one meter deep in bottomland hardwood
and cypress-tupelo swamps. Mortality in the stream corridor and delta was
caused by the high water temperature, greater water depth, and sedimentation.
|
Lost Lake is a ten-acre Carolina bay that received seepage basin
overflow contaminated with heavy metals and organics. Cleanup
and
restoration required removal of the
contaminated
soil, restoration of
hydrology, and vegetation establishment. |
L-Lake is a 1,000-acre once-through cooling reservoir constructed
in 1985. This large-scale project required the establishment of aquatic
habitat and wetland vegetation in order to promote a balanced biological
community as required by the NPDES Permit required for the restart
of L-Reactor. |
|
