Ecological impacts of small hydropower plants on headwater stream fish: from individual to community effects

2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 295-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lluís Benejam ◽  
Sandra Saura-Mas ◽  
Mònica Bardina ◽  
Carolina Solà ◽  
Antoni Munné ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Headwater Stream ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Stream Fish ◽  
Community Effects ◽  
Small Hydropower ◽  
Hydropower Plants

scholarly journals Development of a Hydropower Turbine Using Seawater from a Fish Farm

Processes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 266
Author(s):  
Md Rakibuzzaman ◽  
Sang-Ho Suh ◽  
Hyoung-Ho Kim ◽  
Youngtae Ryu ◽  
Kyung Yup Kim
Keyword(s):  
Power Plants ◽  
Guide Vane ◽  
Cross Flow ◽  
Synchronous Generator ◽  
Fish Farm ◽  
Hydropower Plant ◽  
Fish Farms ◽  
Data Simulation ◽  
Small Hydropower ◽  
Hydropower Plants

Discharge water from fish farms is a clean, renewable, and abundant energy source that has been used to obtain renewable energy via small hydropower plants. Small hydropower plants may be installed at offshore fish farms where suitable water is obtained throughout the year. It is necessary to meet the challenges of developing small hydropower systems, including sustainability and turbine efficiency. The main objective of this study was to investigate the possibility of constructing a small hydropower plant and develop 100 kW class propeller-type turbines in a fish farm with a permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG). The turbine was optimized using a computer simulation, and an experiment was conducted to obtain performance data. Simulation results were then validated with experimental results. Results revealed that streamlining the designed shape of the guide vane reduced the flow separation and improved the efficiency of the turbine. Optimizing the shape of the runner vane decreased the flow rate, reducing the water power and increasing the efficiency by about 5.57%. Also, results revealed that tubular or cross-flow turbines could be suitable for use in fish farm power plants, and the generator used should be waterproofed to avoid exposure to seawater.

scholarly journals Assessment of the Impact of Small Hydropower Plants on the Ecological Status Indicators of Water Bodies: A Case Study in Lithuania

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 433
Author(s):  
Laima Česonienė ◽  
Midona Dapkienė ◽  
Petras Punys
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Benthic Macroinvertebrates ◽  
Suspended Solids ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Fish Abundance ◽  
Water Bodies ◽  
Small Hydropower ◽  
Hydropower Plants ◽  
Physico Chemical ◽  
The Impact

Hydropower plants produce renewable and sustainable energy but affect the river’s physico-chemical characteristics and change the abundance and composition of the aquatic organisms. The impact of large HPPs on the ecological conditions of surface water bodies have been extensively studied, but less attention has been paid to environmental impact studies of small hydropower plants (SHPs). The impact of hydropeaking on both the river flow regime and ecosystems has been well-studied for peaking mode plants, mainly medium to large-sized ones. However, for small hydroelectric power plants, and especially for those in lowland rivers, the available information on water quality, benthic macroinvertebrates communities and fish abundance, and biomass is not sufficient. Ten small hydropower plants were selected, and the ecological status of water bodies was assessed in different parts of Lithuania. The studies were performed at the riverbed upstream from the SHPs, where the hydrological regime has not changed, and downstream from the SHPs. It was found that the small hydropower plants do not affect the physico-chemical values of the water quality indicators. This study demonstrated that the total number of benthic macroinvertebrates taxa (TS) is influenced by the concentration of nitrogen and suspended solids, the water flow, the river area, and the current speed; the number of EPT (Ephemeroptera (mayflies), Plecoptera (stoneflies), and Trichoptera (caddisflies)) taxa is influenced by the concentration of nitrogen and suspended solids. The studied indicators do not have a significant impact on biomass. The SHPs affect the fish abundance and biomass. The Lithuanian fish index (LFI) is influenced by the average depth and area of the river. Some SHPs operating in lowland areas may yield somewhat significant hydrograph ramping but more detailed investigation is needed to support the significance of this impact on the biological indices.

scholarly journals Fishways as Downstream Routes in Small Hydropower Plants: Experiences with a Potamodromous Cyprinid

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1041
Author(s):  
Francisco Javier Sanz-Ronda ◽  
Juan Francisco Fuentes-Pérez ◽  
Ana García-Vega ◽  
Francisco Javier Bravo-Córdoba
Keyword(s):  
General Assumption ◽  
Downstream Migration ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Hydropower Plant ◽  
Small Hydropower ◽  
Pit Tag ◽  
Safe Alternative ◽  
Hydropower Plants ◽  
Longitudinal Connectivity ◽  
Alternative Routes

Fish need to move upstream and downstream through rivers to complete their life cycles. Despite the fact that fishways are the most commonly applied solution to recover longitudinal connectivity, they are not considered viable for downstream migration. Therefore, alternative facilities are recommended to facilitate downstream migration. However, a few recent studies have disagreed with this general assumption, showing the potential for bidirectional movements. This study advances our understanding of the potential of fishways for downstream migration by studying their efficiency in a run-of-the-river hydropower plant in the Duero River (Spain). To achieve this, downstream movements of the Iberian barbel (n = 299) were monitored in a stepped fishway for two years with passive integrated transponder (PIT)-tag technology, considering the effect of fish origin and release zone. The results showed that 24.9% of barbels descended through the fishway, with the origin and release zone affecting the fishway location. In addition, downstream movements were observed throughout the whole year, except in winter. The study concludes that, under specific scenarios, fishways could act as safe alternative routes for downstream migration.

scholarly journals Fine-scale multiannual survey of benthic invertebrates in a glacier-fed stream used for hydropower generation

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto Scotti ◽  
Roberta Bottarin
Keyword(s):  
Research Programme ◽  
Eastern Alps ◽  
Hydropower Plant ◽  
Research Network ◽  
Small Hydropower ◽  
Hydropower Plants ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Long Term Ecological Research ◽  
Research Facilities

AbstractThe present dataset contains information about aquatic macroinvertebrates and environmental variables collected before and after the implementation of a small “run-of-river” hydropower plant on the Saldur stream, a glacier-fed stream located in the Italian Central-Eastern Alps. Between 2015 and 2019, with two sampling events per year, we collected and identified 34,836 organisms in 6 sampling sites located within a 6 km stretch of the stream. Given the current boom of the hydropower sector worldwide, and the growing contribution of small hydropower plants to energy production, data here included may represent an important – and long advocated – baseline to assess the effects that these kinds of powerplants have on the riverine ecosystem. Moreover, since the Saldur stream is part of the International Long Term Ecological Research network, this dataset also constitutes part of the data gathered within this research programme. All samples are preserved at Eurac Research facilities.

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