Fish Passage Facilities

The focus of this report is technologies for fish passage around hydropower generation facilities and protection against entrainment and turbine mortality. Emphasis is given to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)-licensed hydropower projects where fish protection is a subject of controversy and congressional interest due to the Federal Power Act (FPA) and the Electric Consumers Protection Act (ECPA). Thus institutional issues related to FERC-relicensing are also discussed. (Major points of controversy are high-lighted in box 1.1).

This new edition of the best-selling book describes the main types of fishways and fish facilities used around the world to assist the passage of fish over dams and other obstructions to their migration. It also focuses on the protection of fish (mainly young fish) from the hazards encountered in their downstream migrations. The book brings together the type of knowledge and research needed to decide on the facility used as well as its design and operation. It emphasizes the need for both biologists and engineers to collaborate in the design and indicates in what fields such collaboration would benefit fisheries conservation in the future. This is the Second Edition of the only book to bring together all of these topics worldwide under one cover.

This new edition of the best-selling book describes the main types of fishways and fish facilities used around the world to assist the passage of fish over dams and other obstructions to their migration. It also focuses on the protection of fish (mainly young fish) from the hazards encountered in their downstream migrations. The book brings together the type of knowledge and research needed to decide on the facility used as well as its design and operation. It emphasizes the need for both biologists and engineers to collaborate in the design and indicates in what fields such collaboration would benefit fisheries conservation in the future. This is the Second Edition of the only book to bring together all of these topics worldwide under one cover.

This report documents a model study of the St. Stephen Power Plant, located in Berkely County, South Carolina. A previous model study revealed that the fish lift at the powerhouse could be improved by providing auxiliary attraction flows to the fish entrances. An auxiliary attraction flow (AAF) system was proposed that uses a siphon to obtain the auxiliary attraction water from the reservoir. The model investigations reported herein address the flow conditions at the discharge end of the siphon; the hydraulic aspects of the siphon are not addressed. Three different models were used to evaluate flow conditions at the discharge end of the AAF system. A 1:25-scale model of the St. Stephen powerhouse was used to improve the fish entrance conditions and to evaluate the outlet conditions for the initial AAF system. As the investigations progressed, the design of the siphon discharge system was modified to include downstream fish migration and debris passage.