2. CLIMBING THE LEARNING CURVE IN MINE WATER AQUACULTURE ( AN UPDATE FROM WARWICK MOUNTAIN FISHERIES) PRESENTED APRIL 22, 2004 MORGANTOWN, WV

3. THE WARWICK PROJECT Duquesne Light Company’s Warwick Mine has a perpetual water treatment obligation Warwick treats an average of 1,500 gallons of iron-laden mine water per minute Duquesne is trying to offset some portion of the $1.20 per minute spent for this treatment.

4. WATER TREATMENT Water is pumped from the old Warwick #2 Mine to keep it from reaching the Monongahela River A lime slurry raises the pH of the water prior to aeration After aeration, a flocculent promotes the settling of iron and lime precipitates Sludge is returned to the mine, and clean water is decanted to Whiteley Creek

5. TROUT, ANYONE? Warwick treated water is relatively cold, slightly alkaline and saturated with oxygen after clarification Water of this quality is suitable for rainbow trout. In October 2001, DLC put 10,000 rainbow fingerlings into a pond at the plant. They did well and were sold at a profit in 2002.

6. FINDING A MARKET NICHE Sport fishing for rainbow trout is a popular activity in Pennsylvania. The PA Fish & Boat Commission stocks streams with relatively small (8-12”) trout Large trout are not always available from hatcheries but can be raised at Warwick

7. THE DLC SYSTEM DLC uses a floating dock/net pen system designed in-house. The net pens are 10’x40’x6’ and hold about 10,000 fish There is a supplemental aeration system to add oxygen during warm weather and as the fish grow larger Demand-type feeders deliver feed to the fish 24/7.

8. FIRST YEAR Mortality of about 1.5% compared to an expectation of 5% Feed conversion of about 1.5 : 1 (after predation losses) Growth from.04 lb to 1.33 lb in 1 yr Profit of $3,000

9. SECOND YEAR Year 2 was a real “dog” A 36-hr Labor Day power outage caused the loss of 15K fish Also in the year, a snapping turtle tore open a net, which resulted in the escape of 10,000 fish into the pond We modified the water feed system to be less subject to outages. We are discouraging turtles and are catching the escaped fish for sale

10. FLOATING RACEWAYS Also in 2003, we received a grant to study the use of floating raceways for trout For various reasons, we didn’t get fish into the raceways until late December. Data collected to date show that raceways and net pens have similar applicability. This is promising in that using raceways can make more sites feasible.

11. THIRD YEAR In late 2003, we put 20,000 rainbow fingerlings into the system (13,300 in net pens and 6,600 in raceways). We also added 10,000 brown trout in one net pen We are catching large trout (barbless hooks) and putting them into an empty net pen for sale Growth, mortality and feed conversion are matching Yr 1

12. MARKETING Using a trade name, Warwick Mountain Fisheries, DLC sells to sportsmen’s clubs who are looking for trophy-sized trout (over 20 inches), as well as smaller sizes

13. CLIMBING THE CURVE Water temperature is a key consideration. When the plant is down in the summer, fish are threatened Our 2003 experience shows that the threat is very real

14. Predation is a serious challenge, from blue herons to snapping turtles, kingfishers, raccoons, bears and copperheads. CLIMBING THE CURVE

15. Water quality needs to be relatively stable. If you have wide swings in quality, aquaculture is not for you. CLIMBING THE CURVE

16. Waste control is a limiting factor that must always be on your mind. There are no shortcuts on this issue. CLIMBING THE CURVE

17. Just because rod and gun clubs say they want big fish doesn’t mean they want to pay for them. Even with a good per/lb price, getting big fish means that the club will get fewer fish overall. Marketing big fish is tough. CLIMBING THE CURVE

18. LOOKING AHEAD Raising trout in mine water is an excellent way to show the public how clean your operation is. The PR benefits make it worthwhile if you only break even. New federal regulations on power plant water intakes may hold an opportunity for these projects as you restore fish to streams.

19. CATCH OF THE DAY

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