A Physical and Behavioral Barrier for Enhancing Fish Downstream Migration at Hydropower Dams: The Flexible FishProtector

Fish protection at hydropower plants is important for the sustainability of hosting ecosystems and the acceptance of hydropower. On their way downstream, fish are exposed to hydropower plants and various related negative effects, ranging from a delay in downstream movement to being injured or killed...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Water (Basel) 2022-02, Vol.14 (3), p.378
Main Authors: Tutzer, Ruben, Röck, Simon, Walde, Janette, Haug, Jonas, Brinkmeier, Barbara, Aufleger, Markus, Unfer, Günther, Führer, Simon, Zeiringer, Bernhard
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Austria
Behavior
Cables
Casualties
Dams
Downstream
Downstream effects
Electric cables
Electric fields
Experiments
Fish
Fish barriers
Fishes
Flow velocity
Hydroelectric dams
Hydroelectric plants
Hydroelectric power
Hydroelectric power plants
Oncorhynchus mykiss
Power plants
Protection and preservation
Rivers
Salmon
Sustainability
Swimming
Trout
Turbines
Water-power
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Summary:Fish protection at hydropower plants is important for the sustainability of hosting ecosystems and the acceptance of hydropower. On their way downstream, fish are exposed to hydropower plants and various related negative effects, ranging from a delay in downstream movement to being injured or killed by a turbine. Understanding the behavior of fish in close proximity to protection devices is essential in order to establish efficient fish protection facilities. In this study, physical (horizontal steel cables) and behavioral barriers (electric field) for fish protection were developed (Flexible FishProtector) and their effectiveness was investigated. The behavior of brown trout (Salmo trutta fario), rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), grayling (Thymallus thymallus) and chub (Squalius cephalus) at the Flexible FishProtector was analyzed using video evaluation. The experimental setup was a non-scaled section model of a runoff river power plant. The used electric field induced a flight reaction at a corresponding distance to the Flexible FishProtector that significantly increased the protection rate. Furthermore, an increase in guiding efficiency was achieved with the use of a physical as well as a physical and behavioral barrier, supporting safe downstream migration with the narrower cable clearance (30 mm versus 60 mm).
ISSN:2073-4441
2073-4441
DOI:10.3390/w14030378