A TCEQ preliminary decision on the Luminant Generating Company application for continued waste water discharges has been received. TPWD had comment on the original application last November, but TCEQ chose to ignore that comment in their preliminary decision. This preliminary decision permits LGC to continue operating the existing two units plus adding a third later. TPWD feels just operation of the current units without lake nutrient control has resulted in the past fish kills. It is my opinion TCEQ's preliminary decision needs fisherman's comments. I have done so formally, and anticipate this will result in a public hearing where we fisherman can add our input. It is clearly possible to stop these fish kills by controlling the lake nutrient levels, similar power plant lake operations at Calavaras and Braunig have not resulted in fish kills of similar magnitude. My comment has requested LGC must get control of the lake nutrient levels and replace the fish their past practiced have killed. I requested a hearing on a Saturday so we can get there without losing a work day. I can supply PDF files of my comment letter, TPWD comment letter, the TCEQ preliminary decision, and LGC application to all interested. If you want this information send me your email address by PM, please add your phone number if you are willing to be at that comment hearing. My phone number is 972-298-2202.

So long as they get control of the nutrients in the lake I am not opposed to even a third unit operation. If the current operating method is not changed and a third unit is brought on line it is my opinion there could be fish kills in the dead of the winter.

FYI: until these fish kills are prevented TPWD will not be stocking Bass or Red Fish in Lake Fairfield.

Thanks, Don for passing the word. Has a date for the hearing been established? PM sent.

It's been a long while since I've been to that lake and the state park was awesome with the wildlife. Your mail box is full at the moment and I can see why. When you get it knocked down some I would like the info.

They need to open the park up to bow hunters to take out some hogs. They are out of control.

My mail box is now cleared out. A date for a hearing will a have to be set from my and TPWD's comments.

"lake nutrient levels" - meaning oxygen right?
another plant on that lake and the tilapia/catfish & gar wouldnt survive IMO.

nutrients = nitrogen compounds (ammonia, nitrates & nitrites) plus phosphates.

ie plant food. from the wastes the cities and farms upstream of GLC's Trinity River water pump intake.

the plants overgrown by those nutrients make oxygen during the daylight hours, consume O2 after dark.

Thanks for the quick response.

As you may know, i REALLY like Fairfield Don.
Had know idea the vegetation in the water consumed O2 at night? This is new info to me.

I see where plant food in water can be an issue. However, this happens everywhere doesn't it? What is different here? Wouldn't blubbers also help as well. I mean can you stop nutrients from getting into the water systems? That seems like a long uphill loosing battle bro. Just being real not a na sayer.

What is your plan? Feel free to PM me.

Trinity river water is potent enough before the heat input to the lake evaporates and concentrates those nutrients.

can't PM you PM do not handle attachments. The TPWD letter is a PDF file 17 pages, my comment letter is 18 pages.

X2, zombie. The other thing to consider is that the lake is foremost a cooling reservoir for the power plant. They aren't in the business of fisheries creation or management. Are we not able to fish there simply by privilege? Could they not just decide to restrict public access as opposed to doing anything at all to "fix" the problems with the fishery? Tradinghouse was a great redfish lake as well, but it's no longer since the plant has basically been idled. Yet, it is still being stocked last I had checked. I sure hate that we fishermen have lost these two great redfish lakes, but like Zombie says...I'm afraid it's an uphill battle at best.

Until 10 days ago I thought LGC owned the lake, they do not it is a public water body. LGC is permit to use it as if it were a once through use, which is fiction in reality.

They reciculate the lake and with the current natural inflow LGC heat discharge from just the current two units evaporates all the natural inflow plus need more from the Trinity River.

There is TPWD scientist proof what is happening in this lake. here is part of what TPWD sent to the TCEQ:

�In response to the fish kills, TPWD staff intensified their investigations and water quality monitoring, and began coordinating with TCEQ Surface Water Quality Monitoring (SWQM) staff in Waco, who initiated quarterly monitoring at Fairfield Lake in November 2005. TPWD�s monitoring efforts included special studies on instantaneous and diel dissolved oxygen prior to and during fish kills (technical report:
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_rp_v3400_1565a.pdf). In addition to the recent special studies, TPWD Inland Fisheries routinely surveys the fish community (survey report:
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdpubs/lake_survey/pwd_rp_t3200_1290/).

Both fish kill and fishery survey data support that legal size game fish are nearly absent from the fish community and forage species such as bluegill have been impacted as well (Figure 5 - 10). The fishery survey data shows a clear decline in fish abundance and size distribution from 2000 � 2011. The impact has been so great that on September 21, 2011, TPWD suspended fish stockings until water quality improves (news release: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/releases/?req=20110921c).

Fairfield Lake and the nearby Trinity River are listed as concerns for high nutrient levels in TCEQ�s 2010 Water Quality Inventory. Both water bodies have phosphorus and chlorophyll-a means that exceed the TCEQ screening levels for nutrient concerns (Tables 2 and 3). The chlorophyll-a values at Fairfield Lake (Figure 11) suggest it is one of the most eutrophic reservoirs in Texas. TPWD and TCEQ data indicate high nutrient levels, in combination with the higher water temperatures from power plant discharges, fuel algal blooms in the reservoir. These algal blooms can produce extreme swings in daily dissolved oxygen concentrations, eventually leading to a drastic drop in dissolved oxygen. Diel dissolved oxygen data collected as part of fish kill investigations in 2009, 2010 and 2011 show extreme daily swings in dissolved oxygen and extended periods when dissolved oxygen is below concentrations supportive of aquatic life (Figure 12). Over time there also appears to be a trend of low dissolved oxygen and fish kills occurring earlier each subsequent year, and daily swings becoming more extreme.�

That seems quite significant to me Don, that it's owned by the public. I have a book put out by TPWD that says Lake Fairfield was built by the Texas Utilities Generating Company, so I had thought it was owned by them. Have you looked into whether or not one or more of the many "alphabet" government entities can compel them to implement recommendations from TPWD? Maybe TCEQ or TSSWCB?

TCEQ is reviewing a renewal of their waste water permit. That is what this is all about. The Trinity River water is 100 times more polluted with nutrients than the lake itself. Yet the pollution of the lake with river water isn't even described as a LGC waste water discharge into the lake.

If you want the whole package send me you email address in a PM, it is two modest size PDF files I cannot place in here.

Ok, I just am trying to understand what your asking of us anglers. I don't have the time or quite frankly the desire to read through a bunch of PDF files & technical papers. I also don't see how getting even a room full of us at a public hearing will have much of an impact on how the plant conducts it's business. I think it's obvious TPWD can prove what is going on & recommend ways to mitigate or eliminate the problems. There are several government and private organizations that deal with water quality issues that it would seem to me would be better suited to enlist in the cause. Can you give me the cliff notes version of what it is that you're trying to do and how we as anglers may help?

Lusca & I are both on the same page. Just want to know what & how we can help. What is the plan?