Yes, they will impact fish. Infrasound, or low frequency noise. These turbines are infrasound generators. Based on studies done in the North Atlantic, on turbines that are 1.5 MW in capacity (not the 4 MW units proposed for Lake Erie), scientists discovered that the operational noise of the turbines created a noise area that impacted the ability of a fish to hear and identify its surroundings. This is called masking. Sound interference. It starts to get into the weeds a little when you start examining impacts on each species, as the impacts will be severe or not so much, depending on anatomy as it relates to swim bladder. Fish with 100% gas-filled or air filled swim bladders are most impacted by the noise. Fish without swim bladders are least impacted. Those with partially gas-filled swim bladders that they can somewhat control, impacts are in between the two I described previously.


Based on 1.5 MW models, displacement zones due to masking can begin as far away as 3 miles from each turbine for gas-filled swim bladder fish. However, the study also acknowledged the larger the turbines, the more LFN is produced at a higher amplitude. Do not know if this increase is linear or exponential, but if linear, displacement distance could be as far as 7 miles (radial) from each operational turbine. Based on other studies with sound and spatial escape, impacts on fish could linger as long as 2 weeks post stimuli removal. In other words, fish are still screwed up if exposure was heavy, with behavior not returning to normal until 2 weeks after the noise is turned off.