Combining Fish Passage and Sediment Bypassing: A Conceptual Solution for Increased Sustainability of Dams and Reservoirs
Sedimentation is one of the main eco-morphological and technological challenges associated with reservoirs. Sedimentation not only reduces the functional capacity of a reservoir by filling it, but also changes downstream sediment dynamics and habitat availability for the aquatic biota. Additionally,...
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| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Water |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/14/12/1977 |
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| author | Anders Foldvik Ana T. Silva Ismail Albayrak Kordula Schwarzwälder Robert M. Boes Nils Ruther |
| author_facet | Anders Foldvik Ana T. Silva Ismail Albayrak Kordula Schwarzwälder Robert M. Boes Nils Ruther |
| author_sort | Anders Foldvik |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Sedimentation is one of the main eco-morphological and technological challenges associated with reservoirs. Sedimentation not only reduces the functional capacity of a reservoir by filling it, but also changes downstream sediment dynamics and habitat availability for the aquatic biota. Additionally, dams hinder free bi-directional fish passage, emerging as a major threat to species of migratory fish. In the past decades, mitigation measures aimed at reducing such environmental and technological impacts have been developed. Sediment bypass tunnels (SBTs) have been shown to successfully help prevent reservoir sedimentation, whereas fish passages have been found to be potential solutions to facilitate bi-directional passage of fish. However, the construction of such structures, in particular of SBT, can be extremely costly. The development of design solutions that can function both for downstream sediment transport and up- and downstream fish passage should be considered as they can mitigate ecological deficiencies of reservoir operations while accounting for economic feasibility. Possibilities and challenges of combining SBT and fish passage were explored by bringing together a team of interdisciplinary specialists on hydraulics, sediment transport and continuity, bypassing, hydraulic structures, hydropower engineering, aquatic biology, and fish passage in a two-day workshop. Here, we present potential solutions identified during the workshop for integrating SBT and fish passage. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:11:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-959ada9e261a48c79267860ec9e77abf |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4441 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:11:32Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Water |
| spelling | doaj.art-959ada9e261a48c79267860ec9e77abf2023-11-23T19:30:42ZengMDPI AGWater2073-44412022-06-011412197710.3390/w14121977Combining Fish Passage and Sediment Bypassing: A Conceptual Solution for Increased Sustainability of Dams and ReservoirsAnders Foldvik0Ana T. Silva1Ismail Albayrak2Kordula Schwarzwälder3Robert M. Boes4Nils Ruther5Department of Salmonid Fishes, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Høgskoleringen 9, 7034 Trondheim, NorwayDepartment of Salmonid Fishes, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Høgskoleringen 9, 7034 Trondheim, NorwayLaboratory of Hydraulics, Hydrology and Glaciology (VAW), ETH Zurich, HIA C 57, Hoenggerbergring 26, CH-8093 Zurich, SwitzerlandDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), S.P. Andersens veg 5, 7491 Trondheim, NorwayLaboratory of Hydraulics, Hydrology and Glaciology (VAW), ETH Zurich, HIA C 57, Hoenggerbergring 26, CH-8093 Zurich, SwitzerlandDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), S.P. Andersens veg 5, 7491 Trondheim, NorwaySedimentation is one of the main eco-morphological and technological challenges associated with reservoirs. Sedimentation not only reduces the functional capacity of a reservoir by filling it, but also changes downstream sediment dynamics and habitat availability for the aquatic biota. Additionally, dams hinder free bi-directional fish passage, emerging as a major threat to species of migratory fish. In the past decades, mitigation measures aimed at reducing such environmental and technological impacts have been developed. Sediment bypass tunnels (SBTs) have been shown to successfully help prevent reservoir sedimentation, whereas fish passages have been found to be potential solutions to facilitate bi-directional passage of fish. However, the construction of such structures, in particular of SBT, can be extremely costly. The development of design solutions that can function both for downstream sediment transport and up- and downstream fish passage should be considered as they can mitigate ecological deficiencies of reservoir operations while accounting for economic feasibility. Possibilities and challenges of combining SBT and fish passage were explored by bringing together a team of interdisciplinary specialists on hydraulics, sediment transport and continuity, bypassing, hydraulic structures, hydropower engineering, aquatic biology, and fish passage in a two-day workshop. Here, we present potential solutions identified during the workshop for integrating SBT and fish passage.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/14/12/1977sediment bypassingfish passagefish migrationreservoir sedimentationriver continuum |
| spellingShingle | Anders Foldvik Ana T. Silva Ismail Albayrak Kordula Schwarzwälder Robert M. Boes Nils Ruther Combining Fish Passage and Sediment Bypassing: A Conceptual Solution for Increased Sustainability of Dams and Reservoirs Water sediment bypassing fish passage fish migration reservoir sedimentation river continuum |
| title | Combining Fish Passage and Sediment Bypassing: A Conceptual Solution for Increased Sustainability of Dams and Reservoirs |
| title_full | Combining Fish Passage and Sediment Bypassing: A Conceptual Solution for Increased Sustainability of Dams and Reservoirs |
| title_fullStr | Combining Fish Passage and Sediment Bypassing: A Conceptual Solution for Increased Sustainability of Dams and Reservoirs |
| title_full_unstemmed | Combining Fish Passage and Sediment Bypassing: A Conceptual Solution for Increased Sustainability of Dams and Reservoirs |
| title_short | Combining Fish Passage and Sediment Bypassing: A Conceptual Solution for Increased Sustainability of Dams and Reservoirs |
| title_sort | combining fish passage and sediment bypassing a conceptual solution for increased sustainability of dams and reservoirs |
| topic | sediment bypassing fish passage fish migration reservoir sedimentation river continuum |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/14/12/1977 |
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