Hydroelectric Operation Research Articles

Using an integrated hydro-economic model to determine the drought and energy relationship in the Upper Euphrates Basin

ABSTRACT Decreasing precipitation in the Upper Euphrates Basin and the negative impact of climate change directly affect water resources and hydroelectricity generation in the basin. This basin, which contains the largest dams in terms of hydroelectricity generation potential, requires research studies to assess and characterize drought for risk prevention and mitigation applicable to water resources management. To better assess drought in the upper Euphrates Basin due to recent warming, FEHEM is developed, a hydro-economic optimization model of the integrated reservoir system of the Upper Euphrates Basin. Using a historical hydrological dataset, water management and hydroelectric operations are evaluated with a linear programming model at monthly time steps. This paper uses two different drought indices: (1) the standardized precipitation index, which is based on precipitation alone; and (2) the reconnaissance drought index, which takes into account both evaporation and precipitation. These indices were used to evaluate the impact of temporal drought characteristics in the Upper Euphrates Basin on the hydropower generation of 10 dams with a total installed capacity of over 3255 MW in the basin, based on 45 years of precipitation data from more than a hundred measuring stations in the basin.

Study on the tidal variability related to flooding and hydroelectric operations in the Qiantang river estuary

The Qiantang River estuary, located in southeastern China, displays abnormally large tidal ranges due to its funnel shape. Although numerous studies have discussed river-tide interplay in the Qiantang River estuary, these studies usually treat tidal waves with dramatically different periods as a whole and use ZhaKou as the upstream boundary. To date, the area upstream from ZhaKou to the Fuchun River Power Station (FRPS) remains unexplored, which motives the current study. This research systematically explores the spatiotemporal variations of major tidal constituents in the Qiantang River estuary using classical harmonic analysis (T_TIDE), non-stationary harmonic analysis (NS_TIDE), and variational mode decomposition (VMD). The hindcast of NS_TIDE explains 72.9%–93.9% of original signal variances, better than the T_TIDE. However, the improvement is less from ZhaKou to CangQian, with the hindcast explaining less than 80% of the original signal variance, possibly due to the assumption of a static riverbed topography in NS_TIDE misaligned with the Qiantang River's conditions. Long-period constituents such as MSf, Mf, and Mm have large amplitudes near FRPS. Furthermore, diurnal S1 and P1 tides show notable amplitude increases at TongLu due to hydroelectric operations. The VMD method successfully captured the seasonal changes of tidal parameters caused by nonlinear tide-river-morphology interplay. The amplitudes of semi-diurnal and quarter-diurnal tides increase significantly between July and September due to decreased bottom friction caused by runoff erosion; thereafter, they gradually decrease due to increased bottom friction induced by sediment accumulation. This study has implications for similar fluvial estuaries worldwide with significant variations in water depth.

Hydroelectric operation for hybridization with a floating photovoltaic plant: A case of study

Hybrid renewable systems increase electricity production by reducing the randomness of sources without greenhouse gas emissions. Literature indicates that further research is still required for large systems connected to the grid. The energy storage capability of hydroelectric plants provides an opportunity to develop new renewable energy generation.This work presents the results of a hybrid preliminary design between an existing hydropower plant (HPP) in Brazil, Santa Branca, and a simulated floating photovoltaic plant (FPV), occupying only 2.8% of reservoir's surface. The study analyzed 20 years of HPP historical data, the methodology proposed the injection of the FPV full power into the system during daytime and the HPP adjusting the production. As this process changed the HPP generation profile, operational limits such as reservoir level needed to be verified.In the period, while HPP generated about 4 TWh, the FPV could add 2 TWh without significantly changing the daily generation of HPP. This increase of 50% in production was possible since there was space available in the reservoir to store water during the day and use it during the night, working as a free virtual battery for the FPV. A 50% increase of the grid connection capacity factor was also observed.

Coulomb stress analysis for several filling and operational scenarios at the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam impoundment

Increased demand for power generation coupled with changing seasonal water uncertainty has caused a worldwide increase in the construction of large hydrologic engineering structures. That said, the soon-to-be-completed Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) will impound the Blue Nile River in Western Ethiopia and its reservoir will encompass ~ 1763 km2 and store ~ 67 Gt (km3) of surface water. The impoundment will undergo maximum seasonal load changes of ~ 28 to ~ 36 Gt during projected seasonal hydroelectric operations. The GERD impoundment will cause significant subsurficial stresses, and could possibly trigger seismicity in the region. This study examines Coulomb stress and hydrologic load centroid movements for several GERD impoundment and operational scenarios. The maximum subsurficial Coulomb stress applied on optimally oriented fault planes from the full impoundment is ~ 186 kPa and over 30% of our model domain incurs Coulomb stresses ≥ 10 kPa, regardless of the impoundment period length. The main driver behind Coulomb stress and load centroid motion during impoundment is the annual, accumulated daily reservoir storage change. The maximum Coulomb stresses from the highest amplitude season of five long-term operational scenarios are around 36, 33, 29, 41, and 24% of the total maximum stresses from the entire GERD impoundment. Variations in annual Coulomb stresses during modeled GERD operations are attributed to the seasonal load per unit area, and partially to the initial seasonal water level. The spatial patterns and amplitudes of these stress tensors are closely linked to both the size and timing of GERD inflow/outflow rates, and an improved understanding of the magnitude and extent of these stresses provides useful information to water managers to better understand potential reservoir triggered seismic events from several different operational and impoundment strategies.

Semi-Rigid Erosion Control Techniques with Geotextiles Applied to Reservoir Margins in Hydroelectric Power Plants, Brazil

In Brazil, hydroelectricity represents close to 70% of the energy consumed in the country. However, hydroelectric plant operations may be affected by the deposit of sediments for erosive processes on reservoir margins. This study presents the results of implementing two semi-rigid erosion control techniques installed on reservoir margins of two Brazilian Hydroelectric Power Plants (HPPs). These techniques were the gabion and gabion mattress used as a mixed technique and geogrid mattress technique. This paper highlights the importance of implementing geotextiles in the construction process of these erosion control techniques, taking advantage of their separation properties. The performance of the techniques was evaluated using qualitative performance variables and by differential bathymetry studies performed in 2016 and 2020 in the experimental units installed in each HPP. Moreover, the degradation of the geotextiles in each installation was evaluated through thermal analysis. The erosion control techniques that showed the best results were gabion and gabion mattress. Regarding the exhumed geotextiles, thermal analyses have shown that the commercial geotextiles that were used can withstand temperatures of up to 200 °C leading to no changes to their structure.

Evaluation of Hydrological Alterations at the Sub-Daily Scale Caused by a Small Hydroelectric Facility

This work aims to evaluate the hydrologic changes caused by a small hydropower plant on the watercourse in which it is installed. Since hydrologic research with data of temporal frequencies less than a day is less common than daily measurements, there are few indicators and methodologies capable of treating such records. For this reason, 17 indicators are proposed which describe the magnitude, duration, frequency and rate of changes in hydrologic conditions occurring in a watercourse at a sub-daily frequency. These 17 indicators were used to assess changes in the flow regimes at sub-daily scales across the Itiquira hydroelectric facility in Mato Grosso, Brazil. During the dry season the river was more susceptible to hydroelectric operations than during the wet season. Eighty-eight percent of the proposed indicators were significantly altered during the dry season compared to 71% during the rainy season. In addition to the number of indicators that changed between the seasons, the magnitude of the change was different. During the dry season, 53% of the magnitudes of the proposed indicators were classified as having a high magnitude of change, while in the rainy season only 6% of the indicators were characterized as having a high magnitude of change.

Hydroelectric Operation Optimization and Unexpected Spillage Indications

It is widely known that hydroelectric power plants benefit from optimized operation schedules, since the latter prevent water and, therefore, monetary wastes, contributing to significant environmental and economic gains. The level of detail on the representation of such systems is related to how far ahead the planning horizon is extended. Aiming at the very short-term optimization of hydroelectric power plants, which usually requires the most detailed models, this paper addresses an undesired effect that, despite being already mentioned in the literature, has not been properly explored and explained yet. This effect is given by the indication of spillage by the optimizer, even when the reservoir does not reach its maximum capacity. Simulations implemented in Julia language using real power plant data expose this phenomenon. Possible ways to circumvent it are presented. Results showed that, in specific cases, spillage allows the achieving of more efficient operating points by reducing the gross head and increasing the amount of water that flows through turbines. Furthermore, it was verified that applying water outflow-based objective functions prevents undesired spillage indications, despite causing machines to operate at lower efficiency levels, compared with the utilization of power losses-based objective functions.

Macroinvertebrate drift response to hydropeaking: An experimental approach to assess the effect of varying ramping velocities

AbstractIntermittent storage hydropower production is the only renewable source offering both a sufficient storage potential and a high temporal flexibility in production to ensure grid stability. However, hydropeaking (generation of peak discharges by hydroelectric operation) causes fluctuations in the wetted width, water depth, flow velocity, and bottom shear stress downstream of a hydroelectric facility. River biota are known to be affected by these changes, which leads for example to increased drift. Correspondingly, abundance and biomass of macroinvertebrates are frequently found to be reduced in impacted river stretches. Although there is sufficient evidence for increasing drift proportions due to hydropeaking, only few studies have highlighted the role of the rapidity of flow increase before and flow decrease after a peak event (ramping velocity). Here, we present the outcome of experimental hydropeaking in artificial flumes, mimicking two ramping velocity treatments (T1: 0.5 cm/min, T2: 1 cm/min water table change) in early and late spring (June '14, March '15). Macroinvertebrate drift was significantly higher in treatments as compared with control flumes. Drift proportions peaked during the up‐ramping phase and were slightly lower during the peak discharge phase. Drift proportions of T2 treatments were significantly higher than those of T1 in June but not in March. Our findings suggest that hydropeaking requires thoughtful ramping management, to allow macroinvertebrates to seek for refugia on the stream bottom during the peak event. However, the evidence of daytime‐dependent and seasonal drift patterns also plea for adaptive management, to account for the temporal variability of macroinvertebrate drift.

Effects of natal water dilution on the migration of Pacific salmon in a regulated river

AbstractAdult salmon are guided by chemical cues from their natal water during the spawning migration. Consequently, hydroelectric activities can have negative effects on adult salmon navigation if they alter the chemical properties of the homing environment. We conducted riverside experiments to examine the effects of natal water dilution resulting from hydroelectric operations on upstream navigation in a British Columbia river and the efficacy of current dilution management in providing clear migratory cues for two local populations of sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) and a population of pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha). We found that both sockeye populations exhibited behavioural preferences for pure natal water when compared with various levels of diluted natal water, whereas pink salmon, which spawn throughout the system and exhibit lower levels of natal site fidelity, appeared unaffected by natal water dilution. Our findings confirmed that current management operations were appropriate for ensuring timely migration to spawning grounds and highlight the potential effects of alterations to water odour properties on salmon migrations.

Long-Term Trends in Abundance and Size of Sport Fishes in the Flathead River, Montana, Following Changes in Hydroelectric Dam Operations

We studied long-term trends in catches per unit effort (CPUE; fish h-1) of four sport fish taxa in the Flathead River, Montana, following changes in hydroelectric operations at the Slis Ksanka Qisp Project (SKQP; formerly Kerr Dam). Prior to 1997 SKQP operations caused frequent, unnatural flow fluctuations. In 1997 the dam was changed from a power-peaking and load-following facility to a base-load facility. The new operations included seasonal minimum flows and ramping rates that greatly reduced flow fluctuations. Autumn trends in CPUEs of two size classes (substock and stock) of northern pike (Esox lucius), Oncorhynchus spp., brown trout (Salmo trutta), and smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) were monitored using nighttime electrofishing during 1984–86 before operational changes and again at the onset of operational changes in 1998 and continuing through 2008. We observed little difference in CPUEs between 1984–86 and 1998, the first year after changes, but we documented strong increasing trends in CPUEs of both sizes of all taxa, except stock northern pike, over the long term following operational changes. We also examined long-term patterns in the size structure (total length; TL mm) of fishes following operational changes. All taxa had either initial downward shifts in median TL, decreases in minimum sizes of fish captured, or both, a pattern consistent with enhanced recruitment and survival of smaller fishes. We conclude that modifications in dam operations were associated with increases of four sport fish taxa in the Flathead River and that similar normative flow applications might benefit riverine fish populations elsewhere.

A study on operation problems of hydropower plants integrated with irrigation schemes operated in Turkey

ABSTRACTIn this study, Hydroelectric Power Plants, which have been built and integrated with irrigation schemes by the State Hydraulic Works which is a government agency and private companies in Turkey, have been examined. Technical, environmental, structural and social problems encountered during their operation have been analyzed, and appropriate solution proposals have been presented in the study for a sustainable irrigation and Hydroelectric Power Plant operation. Consequently, Hydroelectric Power Plants which have been integrated with irrigation schemes should be operated efficiently and they should be operated in attenuation with the environment. However, when hydroelectric projects are developed without preparing their necessary integrated basin management plans, then this will cause environmental, operation and maintenance, administrative, monitoring and evaluation problems. In order to ensure sustainability of hydroelectricity production and also in order to use water resources more efficiently for irrigation; it is very important to find permanent solutions to these problems.

The Tasmanian Lake Shrimps, Paranaspides Smith, 1908 (Crustacea, Syncarida, Anaspidesidae)

The Tasmanian Lake Shrimps of the genus Paranaspides Smith, 1908 (Syncarida: Anaspidesidae) are endemic to lakes on the eastern Central Plateau, Tasmania, namely Great Lake, Shannon Lagoon, Penstock Lagoon, Arthurs Lake and Woods Lake. Prior to the present study, only the type species, P. lacustris Smith, 1908, was recognized. Reconsideration of Paranaspides from throughout its range, however, showed that Paranaspides from Arthurs Lake and Woods Lakes are referrable to a new species, P. williamsi sp. nov. Morphometric differences in the uropodal exopod and maxilliped, and subtle differences in the morphology of the male pleopods 1 and 2, and colour-in-life distinguish the two species. Genetic divergence (p-distance) between the two species exceeds 10% in mitochondrial COI and 3% in 16S. Both species are described and illustrated, and a lectotype fixed for P. lacustris. Although P. lacustris and P. williamsi occur in relatively close proximity, they occupy different drainages. The Great Lake-Shannon Lagoon-Penstock Lagoon system drains to the southeast, and the Arthurs Lake-Woods Lake system to the northeast. The distributions of P. lacustris and P. williamsi precisely parallel those of a cognate pair of galaxiid fishes, Paragalaxias eleotroides and Paragalaxias mesotes. Given the geological history of the Central Plateau and molecular divergence estimates for Paragalaxias, Paranaspides may also have diverged prior to the Pleistocene glaciations. Species of Paranaspides are dependent on their shallow water algal bed habitat, making them highly susceptible to sudden or significant fluctuations in lake water levels as a result of hydroelectric operations. Both species of Paranaspides have small areas of occupancy and are prone to the effects of hydroelectric activities on their lake habitats; under IUCN Red List criteria, their conservation status corresponds to Vulnerable (D2).

Optimization of decision rules for hydroelectric operation to reduce both eel mortality and unnecessary turbine shutdown: A search for a win–win solution

AbstractWorldwide populations of freshwater eels have declined with one of the contributing causes related to mortality during passage through hydropower turbines. An inherent trade‐off underlies turbine management where the competing demand for more hydropower comes at the expense of eel survival. A win–win solution exists when an option performs better on all competing demands compared to other options. A predictive model for eel migration based on a recent telemetry study was used to develop decision rules for turbine management in the Shenandoah River system. The performance of alternative decision rules was compared to the status quo policy to search for win–win solutions. Decision rules were defined by the probability of eel movement and were evaluated by the probabilities of false positive and false negative errors. The exact value of the cut‐off probability used in the decision rule will need to be determined through negotiation between stakeholders, but a range of cut‐off probabilities resulted in a win–win situation with both reduced eel mortality and increased turbine operation relative to the current shutdown strategy. Monitoring the implementation is needed to evaluate and update the predictive model and to refine the decision rule. Although the decision is framed for the Shenandoah River system, the analytical approach could be used to develop decision rules for turbine shutdown policy in other areas.

A judicial approach to accounting and accountability for sustainability: a New Zealand case study of the impacts of commercial hydroelectric operations

This paper provides an interpretation of accounting and accountability in relation to environmental court proceedings in New Zealand. The fundamentals of the interpretation are 'text' and pre-understandings. The text consists of two environment court cases about the impacts hydroelectric operations of a listed company in the Otago District. The pre-understandings consist of the theoretical framework underlying the arena approach to accounting and accountability. The interpretive analysis is a two-way process in which the theoretical framework provides insights on the text, and the text provides empirical insights on the theoretical framework. The interpretive analysis identifies several features of accounting and accountability embedded in the environmental court proceedings including: an underlying regulatory framework, participation of corporate and non-corporate stakeholders; legitimising and problematising account giving; and an interdisciplinary approach to accounting and accountability in the judicial arena. This study extends the theorisation of the arena approach to accountability to the judicial arena.

Still Crying Out for a 'Major Overhaul' after All These Years Salmon and the Fourth Failed Biological Opinion on Columbia Basin Hydroelectric Operations

For nearly four decades, national policy has been to restore Columbia Basin salmon devastated by the construction and operation of the Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS). In the 1980 Northwest Power Act, Congress declared that salmon restoration was a national priority, and that it would be funded largely through federal hydropower sales. A basinwide plan approved by the Northwest states began the restoration effort in 1982, but since that plan did not focus on wild salmon restoration, it was eclipsed by federal biological opinions (BiOps) after several salmon species were listed under the Endangered Species in the early 1990s. There followed a seemingly endless series of court challenges to the adequacy of the BiOps, most of which succeeded.Although we discuss all of the Columbia Basin ESA salmon court decisions over the last quarter-century, we focus on the 2016 decision, a remarkable 149-page opinion that is a paragon of close judicial review. Judge Michael Simon became the third consecutive federal judge to find the federal BiOp on FCRPS hydroelectric operations wanting, but he did so in much greater detail and scope than did his predecessors. The result was a judicial opinion that could produce substantial changes in the way the federal government approaches ESA compliance of the world’s largest integrated hydroelectric system. Like his predecessors, Judge Simon faulted the federal government for failing to ensure that the mitigation measures in its FCRPS BiOp were “reasonably certain to occur.” In addition, among other shortcomings, he determined that the BiOp failed to 1) employ a proper standard of species recovery in its BiOp, 2) account for the effects of climate change on the mitigation measures in its BiOp, and 3) prepare a programmatic environmental impact statement on the cumulative effects of those measures and reasonable alternatives. Implementation of the Simon opinion, if carried out faithfully, could substantially improve prospects for the recovery of the thirteen ESA-listed salmon runs. The opinion also may establish important ESA precedent concerning the species jeopardy that BiOps are to avoid, the critical habitat that BiOps are supposed to protect, and the relationship between BiOp implementation and procedures necessary to satisfy the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Concerning the latter, perhaps the most arresting aspect of the Simon opinion was the directive that NEPA required an environmental impact statement evaluating the alternative of breaching the four federal dams on the Lower Snake River. However, while a court may order the FCRPS agencies to consider dam breaching as a NEPA alternative, neither the agencies nor a court have authority to order dam breaching, a matter that in the case of federal dams lies exclusively with Congress.

Factors Influencing Movements of Two Migratory Fishes within the Tailrace of a Large Neotropical Dam and their Implications for Hydropower Impacts

AbstractFish attempting to move upstream through hydroelectric dams can be trapped and killed in turbines. Understanding fish movement patterns can provide useful insights for how to manage dam operations to minimize fish kill in turbines. We evaluated the movements of two migratory fish (Curimba—Prochilodus argenteus and Mandi—Pimelodus maculatus) using acoustic telemetry in the tailrace of Três Marias Dam (São Francisco River, Brazil) from 31 October 2011 to 16 February 2012. The majority of tagged fish left the tailrace in less than one week; however, some individuals returned, performing several visits to the tailrace. Mandi remained longer in the tailrace than Curimba. The number of visits was influenced by diel period, turbine and spillway discharge. Although the diel period was the only important contributor to the visits performed by Curimba, the movements of Mandi were significantly influenced by three factors. We found that whereas Curimba was predominantly diurnal, Mandi showed nocturnal habits. Additionally, visits of Mandi were significantly greater during higher turbine and spillway discharge. We discuss the implications of these results for understanding fish movements in the Três Marias Dam tailrace and their potential implications for adapting hydroelectric operations to minimize fish kills. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Comparison between natural and impacted Alpine lakes six years after hydropower exploitation has ceased

AbstractMany lakes in mountain regions have been used for hydropower generation since the 1950s. It has been estimated that as many as 79% of the rivers in the Alps have been affected by the presence of hydropower plants. In this context, the shutting down of hydropower plants on a group of Alpine lakes represented a good opportunity to study the ecological impact on them. We selected nine lakes that had been affected and nine that had not, and analysed the differences in environment, littoral diatoms and zoobenthos, phytoplankton, zooplankton, and fish. Results showed that benthic biota -diatoms and zoobenthos- were the most affected by water-level drawdown during winter months. Even six years after the end of hydroelectric operations, diatom species richness and diversity were lower in impacted lakes. Assemblage structure was different for both diatoms and zoobenthos. Phytoplankton and zooplankton were similar in impacted and unaffected lakes in terms of both species richness (and diversity) and assemblage structure. The degree of impact on fish was unclear because illegal stocking of lakes with allochthonous fish species had taken place. This study showed that compared to limnetic biota, littoral communities were the most affected by the decrease in water volume every winter. Six years after the end of hydroelectric operations, diatoms, and to lesser extent zoobenthos, were still different compared to those in natural (unaffected) lakes. Planktic communities seem to be either more resistant to the disturbances, or else able to recover more quickly to their former condition.

Mercury Exposure Assessment In A Traditional Riparian Community At Madeira River Before A Hydroelectric Power Plant Operation

Mercury Exposure Assessment In A Traditional Riparian Community At Madeira River Before A Hydroelectric Power Plant Operation

Meltwater run-off from Haig Glacier, Canadian Rocky Mountains, 2002–2013

Abstract. Observations of high-elevation meteorological conditions, glacier mass balance, and glacier run-off are sparse in western Canada and the Canadian Rocky Mountains, leading to uncertainty about the importance of glaciers to regional water resources. This needs to be quantified so that the impacts of ongoing glacier recession can be evaluated with respect to alpine ecology, hydroelectric operations, and water resource management. In this manuscript the seasonal evolution of glacier run-off is assessed for an alpine watershed on the continental divide in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. The study area is a headwaters catchment of the Bow River, which flows eastward to provide an important supply of water to the Canadian prairies. Meteorological, snowpack, and surface energy balance data collected at Haig Glacier from 2002 to 2013 were analysed to evaluate glacier mass balance and run-off. Annual specific discharge from snow- and ice-melt on Haig Glacier averaged 2350 mm water equivalent from 2002 to 2013, with 42% of the run-off derived from melting of glacier ice and firn, i.e. water stored in the glacier reservoir. This is an order of magnitude greater than the annual specific discharge from non-glacierized parts of the Bow River basin. From 2002 to 2013, meltwater derived from the glacier storage was equivalent to 5–6% of the flow of the Bow River in Calgary in late summer and 2–3% of annual discharge. The basin is typical of most glacier-fed mountain rivers, where the modest and declining extent of glacierized area in the catchment limits the glacier contribution to annual run-off.

Variation in plasma corticosterone in migratory songbirds: a test of the migration-modulation hypothesis.

Physiological mechanisms underlying migration remain poorly understood, but recent attention has focused on the role of the glucocorticoid hormone corticosterone (CORT) as a key endocrine regulator of migration. The migration-modulation hypothesis (MMH) proposes that baseline plasma CORT levels are elevated in migratory birds to facilitate hyperphagia and lipogenesis and that further elevation of CORT in response to acute stress is suppressed. Consequently, CORT may be a poor indicator of individual condition or environmental variation in migratory birds. We tested the MMH by measuring baseline and stress-induced CORT in common yellowthroats (Geothlypis trichas) during fall migration over 2 consecutive years in the Revelstoke Reach drawdown zone, a migratory stopover site affected by local hydroelectric operations. Birds had low baseline CORT at initial capture (<5 ng/mL) and then showed a robust stress response, with CORT increasing to ca. 50 ng/mL within 10-20 min. Our data therefore do not support the MMH. Baseline CORT did not vary with body mass, time of capture, Julian day, or year, suggesting that variable flooding regimes did not affect baseline CORT. Individual variation in the rate of increase in CORT was correlated with Julian day, being higher later in the migration period. Our data suggest that plasma CORT can be a useful metric in migration studies.