Download Transportation Pile Driving Effects on Fish, Birds and Marine

Transportation Pile Driving Effects on Fish, Birds and Marine
Mammals in Washington State
Mark E. Bakeman, Marion Carey, Rick Huey, and Jim Laughlin
Washington State Department of Transportation
Chinook Salmon
Problem Statement
Pile driving is a common
construction method in freshwater
Pile driving Rig
and marine environments in
Washington. Driving steel piles
Disturbance, Injury
produces underwater sound waves
Steller sea lion
Marbled murrelet
that can disturb or injure protected
fish, birds (marbled murrelet), or
marine mammals. The first fish
Underwater
killed by pile driving were
sound waves
Credit: WSDOT file
documented in 2002.
Noise Assessment for Pile Driving
Underwater Noise Disturbance and Injury Thresholds
Is a major component of determining effects to species in Endangered Species
Peak Sound (dB) “Average Sound” level Cumulative Sound Value, sound
Act (ESA) and Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) consultations.
root mean square,
exposure level, dB
dB
Large Fish (impact driving)
206
187
Underwater noise thresholds associated with disturbance and injury have been
Small Fish (impact driving)
206
183
established (at right), and multiple ESA and MMPA species may occur in the same
Marbled Murrelet Injury (impact driving)
202
project area. If thresholds are exceeded and listed species are in the noise zone,
Marbled Murrelet Barotrauma (impact driving)
208
take occurs. Take permits may be needed under the ESA and the MMPA.
Cetacean Disturbance (vibratory driving)
120
Credit: Washington Dept of Fish and Wildlife
Credit: Kelly McAllister
Credit: National Marine Fisheries Service file
SEL
rms
Steps to Avoid and Minimize Impacts
• Conduct project when affected species are not present (seasonal distributions)
• Use an attenuation device (bubble curtain) when impact pile driving to reduce peak
underwater noise
• Use vibratory pile driving versus impact pile driving (to reduce impacts to fish)
• Monitor project during pile driving and stop work when animal enters zone of
disturbance/injury (only possible for marine mammals and marbled murrelet)
Cetacean Disturbance (impact driving)
160
Cetacean Injury (impact driving)
180
Pinniped Disturbance (impact driving)
160
Pinniped Injury (impact driving)
190
Monitoring
Project Biologist will determine the distance from the sound source
(the pile) to the farthest extent of the area associated with a
threshold level. These zones are defined using the Practical Spreading
Loss Model. If there are multiple taxa/multiple pile sizes, multiple
zones are defined. Monitoring zones can be extensive and may
require observers on-land and in boats, which adds to project
expense.
Injury and disturbance zones for fish, marbled murrelet, and marine mammals for
impact and vibratory pile driving, 30 inch steel piles, at the Seattle Ferry Terminal