Importance of the

Lower Great Lakes for Waterfowl

and the Potential Impact of Wind
Turbine Development

Dr. Scott Petrie, Executive Director,

Long Point Waterfowl

Waterfowl and Wetlands Research, Education and Conservation in the Great Lakes Region
Primary purpose of Long Point Waterfowl:
1/ Waterfowl and wetland research in the Great Lakes region.

lower Great Lakes

Primary purpose of Long Point Waterfowl:
1/ Waterfowl and wetland research in the Great Lakes region.

lower Great Lakes

Primary purpose of Long Point Waterfowl:
2/ Mentoring our youth
Primary purpose of Long Point Waterfowl:
3/ Undergraduate education – class and field
Primary purpose of Long Point Waterfowl:
4/ Graduate education
Primary purpose of Long Point Waterfowl:
5/ Monitor trends in distribution and abundance of waterfowl
Primary purpose of Long Point Waterfowl:
6/ Make a substantial contribution to science.
Primary purpose of Long Point Waterfowl:
7/ Develop information useful for management purposes and
contribute to conservation.
Lower Great Lakes – A Flyway Crossroads
Atlantic Flyway Mississippi Flyway
Great Lakes Waterfowl

Wintering Spring
> 1million
Migration
7 million

Fall Migration Breeding

12.8 million 1.3 million pairs
Great Lakes Waterfowl

Wintering Spring
> 1million
Migration
7 million

Fall Migration Breeding

12.8 million 1.3 million pairs
Great Lakes Waterfowl

Wintering Spring
> 1million
Migration
7 million

Fall Migration Breeding

12.8 million 1.3 million pairs
Great Lakes Waterfowl

Wintering Spring
> 1million
Migration
7 million

Fall Migration Breeding

12.8 million 1.3 million pairs
Great Lakes Waterfowl

Wintering Spring
> 1million
Migration
7 million

Fall Migration Breeding

12.8 million 1.3 million pairs
 29 Waterfowl Species Use the LGL

Dabbling Ducks (9)

Geese (2)
Swans (2)
Diving Ducks (6)
Sea Ducks (9)
 29 Waterfowl Species Use the LGL

Dabbling Ducks (9)

Geese (2)
Swans (2)
Diving Ducks (6)
Sea Ducks (9)
 29 Waterfowl Species Use the LGL

Dabbling Ducks (9)

Geese (2)
Swans (2)
Diving Ducks (6)
Sea Ducks (9)
 Threats to
Great Lakes
Waterfowl?

Waterfowl and Wetlands Research, Education and Conservation in the Great Lakes Region
 Many Historic Threats

Wetland Loss Invasive Species Contaminants

 Newest Threat to
Great Lakes
Waterfowl

Waterfowl and Wetlands Research, Education and Conservation in the Great Lakes Region
 Improperly Placed
Industrial Wind Turbines (IWTs)

Onshore Offshore
 Concerns Associated with
Onshore and Offshore IWTs
 Concerns Associated with
Onshore and Offshore IWTs
1/ Economics
 Concerns Associated with
Onshore and Offshore IWTs
1/ Economics
2/ Human health
 Concerns Associated with
Onshore and Offshore IWTs
1/ Economics
2/ Human health
3/ Aesthetics
 Concerns Associated with
Onshore and Offshore IWTs
1/ Economics
2/ Human health
3/ Aesthetics
4/ Contaminant upwelling
 Concerns Associated with
Onshore and Offshore IWTs
1/ Economics
2/ Human health
3/ Aesthetics
4/ Contaminant upwelling
5/ Fisheries issues
 Concerns Associated with
Onshore and Offshore IWTs
1/ Economics
2/ Human health
3/ Aesthetics
4/ Contaminant upwelling
5/ Fisheries issues
6/ Habitat loss
 Concerns Associated with
Onshore and Offshore IWTs
1/ Economics
2/ Human health
3/ Aesthetics
4/ Contaminant upwelling
5/ Fisheries issues
6/ Habitat loss
7/ Monarch butterflies
 Concerns Associated with
Onshore and Offshore IWTs
1/ Economics
2/ Human health
3/ Aesthetics
4/ Contaminant upwelling
5/ Fisheries issues
6/ Habitat loss
7/ Monarch butterflies
8/ Sound impacts - wildlife
 Concerns Associated with
Onshore and Offshore IWTs
1/ Economics
2/ Human health
3/ Aesthetics
4/ Contaminant upwelling
5/ Fisheries issues
6/ Habitat loss
7/ Monarch butterflies
8/ Sound impacts - wildlife
9/ Bat mortality
 Concerns Associated with
Onshore and Offshore IWTs
1/ Economics
2/ Human health
3/ Aesthetics
4/ Contaminant upwelling
5/ Fisheries issues
6/ Habitat loss
7/ Monarch butterflies
8/ Sound impacts - wildlife
9/ Bat mortality
10/ Passerine mortality
 Concerns Associated with
Onshore and Offshore IWTs
1/ Economics
2/ Human health
3/ Aesthetics
4/ Contaminant upwelling
5/ Fisheries issues
6/ Habitat loss
7/ Monarch butterflies
8/ Sound impacts - wildlife
9/ Bat mortality
10/ Passerine mortality
11/ Raptor mortality
 Concerns Associated with
Onshore and Offshore IWTs
1/ Economics
2/ Human health
3/ Aesthetics
4/ Contaminant upwelling
5/ Fisheries issues
6/ Habitat loss
7/ Monarch butterflies
8/ Sound impacts - wildlife
9/ Bat mortality
10/ Passerine mortality
11/ Raptor mortality
12/ Waterfowl displacement
 Waterfowl Use on the Canadian Side

MI NY
 Waterfowl Use on the Canadian Side

Eastern
Lake
Ontario

MI NY
Long Point,
Lake St. Lake Erie
Clair
Onshore
Danish Recommendations
 Danish Recommendations
Do not place windfarms within 1000 m
of waterfowl roosting sites.
 Danish Recommendations
Do not place windfarms on flight corridors
between roosting and feeding areas
 Danish Recommendations
Do not place windfarms in agricultural
fields traditionally used by large flocks
of waterfowl
Long Point, Lake Erie
 1/ A 120m setback from significant wildlife
habitat – not biologically defensible.
No “Natural Heritage Assessments” for
proposed projects > 120m

Waterfowl and Wetlands Research, Education and Conservation in the Great Lakes Region
 2/ < 120m can conduct “Natural Heritage
Assessments”

Waterfowl and Wetlands Research, Education and Conservation in the Great Lakes Region
 2/ < 120m can conduct “Natural Heritage
Assessments”
3/ IWT companies hire their own consultants.

Waterfowl and Wetlands Research, Education and Conservation in the Great Lakes Region
4/ The "Bird Habitat Assessment Process”
requires post construction monitoring of
avian mortality but does not require an
adequate assessment of displacement?
 5/ Cumulative impacts of onshore and offshore
IWTs have not been considered

Waterfowl and Wetlands Research, Education and Conservation in the Great Lakes Region
 5/ Cumulative impacts of onshore and offshore
IWTs have not been considered

Waterfowl and Wetlands Research, Education and Conservation in the Great Lakes Region
 5/ Cumulative impacts of onshore and offshore
IWTs have not been considered

Waterfowl and Wetlands Research, Education and Conservation in the Great Lakes Region
 5/ Cumulative impacts of onshore and offshore
IWTs have not been considered

Waterfowl and Wetlands Research, Education and Conservation in the Great Lakes Region
6/ Guidelines don't consider bird mortality to
be significant until 18 birds/turbine/year
are killed = 7.2 times the NA average.
7/ Guideline don’t consider the mortality of
raptors of provincial conservation concern (Bald
Eagles) to be significant unless 0.2 raptors/
turbine/year are killed.
So, an IWT development with 100 turbines that
killed 19 Bald Eagles per year would not be
considered significant?
Significant Wildlife
Habitat/Wetland
Significant Wildlife
Habitat/Wetland
 Long Point Waterfowl
Research Pertaining to
Onshore Turbines and Waterfowl
Tundra Swans

Migration
Corridors
Tundra Swan Habitat Use – Katelyn Weaver

Habitat
Use
Sandhill Cranes – Everett Hanna
Offshore Wind Turbines
Danish radar study documented substantial
avoidance response by migrating waterbirds
(mainly ducks and geese) to a large offshore
wind farm.

Desholm and Kahlert. 2005. Avian collision risk at an offshore wind farm
 100,000+
OntarioCanvasbacks

Michigan

Lake St. Clair

Long Point Waterfowl Research Pertaining to
Offshore Wind Turbines and Waterfowl
Offshore Waterfowl Surveys
LPWWRF Seaduck Survey

Shoreline = 61,440
2km offshore = 33,526
4km offshore = 7,925
10km offshore = 1,153

Scaup
Long-tailed Ducks
White-winged Scoter
Common Goldeneye
Bufflehead
Mergansers
LPWWRF Seaduck Survey

Shoreline = 61,440
2km offshore = 33,526
4km offshore = 7,925
10km offshore = 1,153

Scaup
Long-tailed Ducks
White-winged Scoter
Common Goldeneye
Bufflehead
Mergansers
Diving Duck and Sea Duck Tracking
Satellite Telemetry Implants
Satellite Telemetry Implants
Long-tailed Duck – Lake Ontario – Phil Wilson

Lake Ontario
Habitat Use of Lesser Scaup During
Spring and Fall Migration
Greater Scaup – Lake Ontario – January – February 2007

Lake
Ontario
 Will this Research Impact
Decisions Pertaining to IWT
Development in the Lower Great
Lakes Region??
Cogitative Timeline
 Cogitative Timeline

Short Term Long Term

Politician 5pm today 4 years

Ecologist years/decades decades/

centuries
 Cogitative Timeline

Short Term Long Term

Politician 5pm today 4 years

Ecologist years/decades decades/

centuries
 Cogitative Timeline

Short Term Long Term

Politician 5pm today 6 October

Ecologist years/decades decades/

centuries
 Thank You

Waterfowl and Wetlands Research, Education and Conservation in the Great Lakes Region
 Resolution Concerns/Recommendations
1/There are inadequate government guidelines for the placement of IWTs (Green Energy Act).

2/There has been insufficient pre-construction monitoring.

3/Inadequate use of existing scientific literature – European.

4/Inadequate use of available/historic data.

5/Inadequate use of local expert knowledge during the planning process.

6/Most “studies” are based on casual observations done over an insufficient number of
days, seasons, and weather conditions.

7/Since most birds/bats migrate at night, radar studies should be utilized at all sites that
are near/on migratory corridors.

8/IWTs should not be placed within 2 km of coastal wetlands.

9/Offshore IWTs should be at least 5km from shore.

10/Cumulative effects and juxtoposition of IWTs should always be considered.