Event Title

Session B5: Habitat Compensation in a Nature-Like Fishway

Location

Groningen, The Netherlands

Event Website

http://fishpassage.umass.edu/

Start Date

23-6-2015 2:30 PM

End Date

23-6-2015 2:45 PM

Description

Abstract:

Nature-like fishways are designed to imitate the characteristics of natural streams, thereby providing both fish passage and habitat for a variety of aquatic organisms. Due to their often limited size the fishways will never be able to fully compensate for all habitat lost due to impoundments in the main river. Nevertheless, nature-like fishways are an increasingly common fishway type and such artificial stream habitats are likely to become even more important as river rehabilitation and connectivity issues are addressed. To date, however, the potential for habitat rehabilitation in nature-like fishways has not been fully realized. To develop the concept of how to design a nature-like fishway, a 500-meter long nature-like fishway, termed the biocanal, was constructed at the Eldforsen hydroelectric facility, Sweden. It included four habitat types: riffle, pool, floodplain and braided (i.e. with islands), each replicated three times. Thus the biocanal had a more varied in-stream environment than those of conventional nature-like fishways. Studies of the colonization of macroinvertebtates in the biocanal showed that the construction of this more diverse type of nature-like fishway possesses the potential for high biodiversity. Further efforts to improve the habitat function in the biocanal will focus on the freshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera) and its host fish, the brown trout (Salmo trutta).

Comments

Presenting Author Bio: Stina is a PhD student at Karlstad University (Sweden) in the department of biology. Her work focuses on habitat compensation in nature-like fishways and host fish suitability of the freshwater pearl mussel. Stina has a MSc in Ecology from Umeå University.

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS
 
Jun 23rd, 2:30 PM Jun 23rd, 2:45 PM

Session B5: Habitat Compensation in a Nature-Like Fishway

Groningen, The Netherlands

Abstract:

Nature-like fishways are designed to imitate the characteristics of natural streams, thereby providing both fish passage and habitat for a variety of aquatic organisms. Due to their often limited size the fishways will never be able to fully compensate for all habitat lost due to impoundments in the main river. Nevertheless, nature-like fishways are an increasingly common fishway type and such artificial stream habitats are likely to become even more important as river rehabilitation and connectivity issues are addressed. To date, however, the potential for habitat rehabilitation in nature-like fishways has not been fully realized. To develop the concept of how to design a nature-like fishway, a 500-meter long nature-like fishway, termed the biocanal, was constructed at the Eldforsen hydroelectric facility, Sweden. It included four habitat types: riffle, pool, floodplain and braided (i.e. with islands), each replicated three times. Thus the biocanal had a more varied in-stream environment than those of conventional nature-like fishways. Studies of the colonization of macroinvertebtates in the biocanal showed that the construction of this more diverse type of nature-like fishway possesses the potential for high biodiversity. Further efforts to improve the habitat function in the biocanal will focus on the freshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera) and its host fish, the brown trout (Salmo trutta).

https://scholarworks.umass.edu/fishpassage_conference/2015/June23/70