A Comparison of Four GearTypes to Measure Entrainment of Larval Fish

A condenser cooling water (CCW) tap valve, a pump-net system, a fine mesh screen and a stationary net were used to measure larval fish entrainment at a power plant and were compared on the basis of relative efficiency, reliability, and cost. Mean densities of shad (Dorosoma sp.) collected were highest when using the CCW tap valve. Concurrent trawl samples indicated that mean densities in the pump-net and tap samples responded to changes in larval fish mean densities in the reservoir proximal to the plant intake. Overall, the CCW tap was determined to be the most efficient, reliable and cost effective method.