Decision Support Models for Assessing the Impact of Aquaculture on River Water Quality
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 142, Issue 10
Abstract
Managers and regulators need to determine the feasibility of expanding aquaculture in freshwater and marine systems without endangering the environment or compromising water-quality goals. Models for various aquaculture operations and receiving water responses have been developed and applied by previous researchers. However, these models should be combined into a single, unified framework prior to management applications. This paper demonstrates for the first time how various submodels can be integrated and used to calculate the impacts of aquaculture on river water quality. A fish bioenergetics submodel simulates fish growth, production, and by-product nutrient loading as a function of fish numbers, feeding rate, food composition, and temperature. A receiving water submodel simulates water-quality impacts as a function of the aquaculture by-product nutrient loading and the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of the stream or river. The utility of the approach and proof of concept is demonstrated by examining the impacts of a hypothetical aquaculture operation on one of the United States’ most renowned, high-quality recreational trout fisheries, the Au Sable River (Michigan). This framework is used to evaluate the water-quality impacts of alternative fish production levels and quantify how careful control of ration and low phosphorus-content feed can reduce by-product nutrient loads. The model can also calculate how wastewater treatment can be used to increase the probability of attaining compliance when conscientious aquaculture management practices alone are insufficient to meet water-quality goals. Issues related to model reliability and validation are discussed and recommendations for future research and development are suggested.
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Acknowledgments
The authors thank the reviewers for their careful scrutiny of the manuscript. Their efforts significantly improved the clarity of the analyses. The development and validation of bioenergetic models for fish growth and consumption have benefited from the numerous works of Karl D. Shearer from the Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. The authors also wish to acknowledge the support and contributions of Gary Whelan and Ed Eisch from the Fisheries Division, Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Rick Winfield (EPA, NY), Kyle Flynn (Montana DEQ), and Mike Pattison (Platte Lake Improvement Association, MI) reviewed the manuscript and provided several helpful suggestions. David Clough (University of Colorado) advised us on statistical aspects of the paper.
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Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 142 • Issue 10 • October 2016
Copyright
© 2016 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Aug 17, 2015
Accepted: Jan 8, 2016
Published online: Aug 16, 2016
Published in print: Oct 1, 2016
Discussion open until: Jan 16, 2017
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