Just over one week ago, between 350 and 400 fish were killed when water temperatures in Baldwin Lake topped 100 degrees (read news article here). This is not an uncommon experience during warm summer stretches at lakes that serve the dual purposes of cooling water from power plants and providing recreational opportunities for residents. Fish kills are not the only impact, though, that high temperature discharges can have on a lake.

Ameren Energy has petitioned the Illinois Pollution Control Board to allow increased thermal discharges from their Coffeen Power Station to Coffeen Lake, another site that serves as a recreational resource to Illinois residents. Prairie Rivers Network joins the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency in opposition to allowing hotter discharges to Coffeen Lake because of anticipated impacts to the lake’s water quality and the resident fish population. In particular, increasing the thermal limits of the power plant’s discharges could not only contribute to lower oxygen available for fish resulting in fish stress or even fish kills; increased temperatures may also lead to higher levels of nutrients and mercury in Coffeen Lake, resulting in nuisance algae and contaminated fish. These impacts threaten the valued uses of the lake including boating and fishing, both for recreation and a food supply.

Click here for PRN’s comments asking the Illinois Pollution Control Board to deny Ameren’s request for regulatory relief and instead require Ameren to implement existing technology to provide additional cooling.

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