Session B8: An Integrative Strategy for Understanding Fish Behavior at Hydropower Forebays

Location

Groningen, The Netherlands

Event Website

http://fishpassage.umass.edu/

Start Date

24-6-2015 2:30 PM

End Date

24-6-2015 2:45 PM

Description

Abstract:

In the last decade, CFD with agent-based models has emerged as a useful methodology to design and evaluate fishway efficiency. However, despite using sophisticated modeling approaches, actual fishway performance varies widely. For certain species, expensive operational or structural changes of the bypasses are needed after biological information became available. Understanding the behavior of targeted fish species is therefore essential in locating and designing fishway entrances. This study presents a methodology that integrates biology and engineering to link fish behavior to hydrodynamics using an inverse problem approach. Chinook and steelhead swim paths were measured in the forebay of Rocky Reach and Priest Rapids dams. 3D CFD simulations of hydropower forebays were performed to model and fully understand the hydraulics of the system. Fish thrust magnitude and orientation, calculated by combining measured and modeled data at every measured fish location, were used to characterize fish swimming behavior at the forebay. Probabilistic distributions for fish thrust magnitude and direction were generated to capture the inherent stochasticity of animal behavior and will be presented and discussed.

Comments

Presenting Author Bio: Dr. Marcela Politano is a Research Engineer at IIHR-Hydroscience & Engineering, University of Iowa, USA. She has expertise in numerical modeling of the hydrodynamics and water quality in rivers, tailraces, reservoirs and fish passage facilities. During the past 10 years, she has supervised over 30 projects for the power industry. She has been the project manager of numerical studies directed at reduction of TDG downstream of numerous hydroelectric projects in the USA.

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Jun 24th, 2:30 PM Jun 24th, 2:45 PM

Session B8: An Integrative Strategy for Understanding Fish Behavior at Hydropower Forebays

Groningen, The Netherlands

Abstract:

In the last decade, CFD with agent-based models has emerged as a useful methodology to design and evaluate fishway efficiency. However, despite using sophisticated modeling approaches, actual fishway performance varies widely. For certain species, expensive operational or structural changes of the bypasses are needed after biological information became available. Understanding the behavior of targeted fish species is therefore essential in locating and designing fishway entrances. This study presents a methodology that integrates biology and engineering to link fish behavior to hydrodynamics using an inverse problem approach. Chinook and steelhead swim paths were measured in the forebay of Rocky Reach and Priest Rapids dams. 3D CFD simulations of hydropower forebays were performed to model and fully understand the hydraulics of the system. Fish thrust magnitude and orientation, calculated by combining measured and modeled data at every measured fish location, were used to characterize fish swimming behavior at the forebay. Probabilistic distributions for fish thrust magnitude and direction were generated to capture the inherent stochasticity of animal behavior and will be presented and discussed.

https://scholarworks.umass.edu/fishpassage_conference/2015/June24/55