Prioritising the rehabilitation of fish passage in a regulated river system based on fish movement

2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin O'Connor ◽  
Frank Amtstaetter ◽  
Matthew Jones ◽  
John Mahoney
Keyword(s):  
River System ◽  
Fish Passage ◽  
Regulated River ◽  
Fish Movement

scholarly journals Analysing Habitat Connectivity and Home Ranges of Bigmouth Buffalo and Channel Catfish Using a Large-Scale Acoustic Receiver Network

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 3051 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva C. Enders ◽  
Colin Charles ◽  
Douglas A. Watkinson ◽  
Colin Kovachik ◽  
Douglas R. Leroux ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ictalurus Punctatus ◽  
Channel Catfish ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
River System ◽  
The United States ◽  
Fish Passage ◽  
Biological Knowledge ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Fish Movement ◽  
Lake Winnipeg

The determination if fish movement of potadromous species is impeded in a river system is often difficult, particularly when timing and extent of movements are unknown. Furthermore, evaluating river connectivity poses additional challenges. Here, we used large-scale, long-term fish movement to study and identify anthropogenic barriers to movements in the Lake Winnipeg basin including the Red, Winnipeg, and Assiniboine rivers. In the frame of the project, 80 Bigmouth Buffalo (Ictiobus cyprinellus) and 161 Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) were tagged with acoustic transmitters. Individual fish were detected with an acoustic telemetry network. Movements were subsequently analyzed using a continuous-time Markov model (CTMM). The study demonstrated large home ranges in the Lake Winnipeg basin and evidence of frequent transborder movements between Canada and the United States. The study also highlighted successful downstream fish passage at some barriers, whereas some barriers limited or completely blocked upstream movement. This biological knowledge on fish movements in the Lake Winnipeg basin highlights the need for fish passage solutions at different obstructions.

Flow-related migration, juvenile dispersal and gonad development in two co-occurring mullet species, Mugil cephalus and Trachystoma petardi, in a regulated river system

2019 ◽  
Vol 70 (8) ◽  
pp. 1105 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. Harding ◽  
D. T. Roberts ◽  
D. Sternberg ◽  
T. M. Mullins ◽  
M. J. Kennard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Gonad Development ◽  
Movement Ecology ◽  
River System ◽  
Fish Passage ◽  
Mugil Cephalus ◽  
Regulated River ◽  
Pit Tags ◽  
Juvenile Dispersal ◽  
Eastern Australia

Catadromous fish species often use elevated flows to migrate from freshwater to downstream spawning grounds. However, in regulated river systems, artificial barriers and flow alteration can disrupt movement cues, affecting fish migration. Using a combination of acoustic telemetry, passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags and gonad maturity data, we assessed the migratory timing and flow requirements for downstream spawning migrations and upstream dispersal in two co-occurring mullet species in the Logan River, eastern Australia. Over 4 years, 141 adult sea mullet (Mugil cephalus) and 28 adult pinkeye mullet (Trachystoma petardi) were implanted with acoustic transmitters and broad-scale movements tracked using an array of 49 acoustic receivers. Juvenile upstream dispersal was monitored using implanted PIT tags and readers deployed in weir fishways. Sea mullet and pinkeye mullet undertook large-scale downstream migrations from February to March. Movements past weirs only occurred once sufficient flow had occurred and, in the case of pinkeye mullet, when gonads were mature. In contrast, juvenile dispersal into upstream habitats occurred primarily between November and April on low flows. This study advances our understanding of bidirectional movement ecology and flow requirements of two co-occurring mullet species to inform environmental flow management (e.g. to facilitate fish passage) in a regulated river system.

scholarly journals Culverts in paved roads as suitable passages for Neotropical fish species

2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 763-770 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergio Makrakis ◽  
Theodore Castro-Santos ◽  
Maristela Cavicchioli Makrakis ◽  
Ricardo Luiz Wagner ◽  
Maurício Spagnolo Adames
Keyword(s):  
Fish Passage ◽  
Fish Movement ◽  
Upstream Migration ◽  
Migratory Species ◽  
Neotropical Fish ◽  
Potential Barriers ◽  
Medium Risk ◽  
Fall Height ◽  
Additional Monitoring ◽  
Spawning Success

Improperly installed or poorly maintained culverts can pose a serious threat to fish by disrupting their habitat and endangering spawning success. Road culverts that are not designed for fish passage frequently can become obstacles. This can be especially problematic for migratory species, but can lead to fragmentation of resident populations as well. This study evaluated 40 culverts of 29 sites within a 25-km radius from Toledo city, Paraná State, southern Brazil, with respect to their likely effects on movement of the local ichthyofauna. We collected data on the shape and length of culverts, culvert material, waterfall height, water column depth, slope, and estimated flow velocity. Culverts were categorized by level of barrier risk for upstream migration: high, medium, low, and impassable, as well as the type of barrier posed (fall height, depth, length and velocity). Most of culverts analyzed were considered potential barriers to fish movement, with 45% classified as impassible, 45% as high risk, 10% as medium risk, and no culverts as low risk. Brazilian culverts as fishways will require additional monitoring and studies to corroborate the premises proposed in the present study. Road culvert projects that are properly built and maintained will be able to simultaneously improve function of roadways and protect fish populations.

scholarly journals Robust global sensitivity analysis of a river management model to assess nonlinear and interaction effects

2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 3777-3785 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. J. M. Peeters ◽  
G. M. Podger ◽  
T. Smith ◽  
T. Pickett ◽  
R. H. Bark ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sensitivity Analysis ◽  
Driving Forces ◽  
Potential Evapotranspiration ◽  
Nonlinear Effects ◽  
River System ◽  
River Management ◽  
Interaction Effects ◽  
Regulated River ◽  
Management Model ◽  
Sensitivity Indices

Abstract. The simulation of routing and distribution of water through a regulated river system with a river management model will quickly result in complex and nonlinear model behaviour. A robust sensitivity analysis increases the transparency of the model and provides both the modeller and the system manager with a better understanding and insight on how the model simulates reality and management operations. In this study, a robust, density-based sensitivity analysis, developed by Plischke et al. (2013), is applied to an eWater Source river management model. This sensitivity analysis methodology is extended to not only account for main effects but also for interaction effects. The combination of sensitivity indices and scatter plots enables the identification of major linear effects as well as subtle minor and nonlinear effects. The case study is an idealized river management model representing typical conditions of the southern Murray–Darling Basin in Australia for which the sensitivity of a variety of model outcomes to variations in the driving forces, inflow to the system, rainfall and potential evapotranspiration, is examined. The model outcomes are most sensitive to the inflow to the system, but the sensitivity analysis identified minor effects of potential evapotranspiration and nonlinear interaction effects between inflow and potential evapotranspiration.

scholarly journals Utilising the boundary layer to help restore the connectivity of fish habitats and populations

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jabin R. Watson ◽  
Harriet R. Goodrich ◽  
Rebecca L. Cramp ◽  
Matthew A. Gordos ◽  
Craig E. Franklin
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Fragmentation ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
Juvenile Fish ◽  
Fish Passage ◽  
Freshwater Ecosystems ◽  
Water Velocity ◽  
Fish Movement ◽  
Important Species ◽  
Significant Contributor ◽  
Remediation Design

SignificanceHabitat fragmentation is a significant contributor to the worldwide decline of freshwater ecosystem health, the most pervasive cause of which is culverts. Culverts act as a barrier to fish movement, impacting feeding, predator avoidance, spawning, and community structures. Here we show that a common remediation strategy that involves baffles, is detrimental to the successful passage of small bodied and juvenile fish at high velocities. To remedy this widespread problem, we present a novel remediation design that benefits a range of small-bodied species and juvenile fish at the same high velocities, regardless of morphology or ecological niche. The application of this remediation design may be expanded to any smooth surfaced anthropogenic structure, to improve fish passage and restore ecosystem functionality.AbstractCulverts are a major cause of habitat fragmentation in freshwater ecosystems, are a barrier to fish movement, and are regarded as a significant contributor in the decline of freshwater fish populations globally. To try to address this, various culvert remediation designs have been implemented, including the installation of vertical baffles and the provision of naturalistic (rock) substrates. While remediation strategies generally aim to reduce the velocity of water flowing through the structure, there is often resistance to their use because the resultant reduction in culvert discharge can negatively impact upstream flooding while also resulting in debris clogging and increased culvert maintenance costs. In addition, baffles markedly increase water turbulence that may be detrimental to passage by some fish species or size classes. Here we present some novel remediation designs that exploit the reduced water velocity in boundary layers along the culvert wall to enhance fish passage without significantly compromising discharge capacity. These longitudinal designs produce an expanded reduced velocity zone along the culvert margins that generate minimal turbulence. We show that these novel designs are significantly advantageous to the swimming endurance and traversability for six small-bodied Australian fish species. We also provide data on how and why some culvert baffle designs may impede small-bodied fish passage. This data scales with increasing water velocity, encompassing inter-specific differences in swimming capacity. These results have broad implications for fish community structure and the requirement of juvenile cohort of large-bodied commercially important species where baffles have been implemented to facilitate fish passage.

scholarly journals Variation in turbidity with precipitation and flow in a regulated river system – River Göta Älv, SW Sweden

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 255-293
Author(s):  
G. Göransson ◽  
M. Larson ◽  
D. Bendz
Keyword(s):  
Sediment Transport ◽  
Suspended Sediment ◽  
Fresh Water ◽  
Surface Runoff ◽  
River System ◽  
Regulated River ◽  
Suspended Sediment Transport ◽  
Simple Relationship ◽  
Main River ◽  
Lake Vänern

Abstract. The turbidity variation in time and space is investigated in the downstream stretch of the river Göta Älv in Sweden. The river is heavily regulated and carries the discharge from the largest fresh water lake in Sweden, lake Vänern, to the outflow point in Göteborg Harbour on the Swedish west coast. The river is an important waterway and serves as fresh-water supply for 700 000 users. Turbidity is utilised as an indicator to ensure sufficient quality of the intake water to the treatment plant. The overall objective of the study was to investigate the influence of rainfall, surface runoff, and river water flow on the temporal and spatial variability of the turbidity in the regulated river system by employing statistical analysis of an extensive data set. Six-year long time series of daily mean values on precipitation, discharge, and turbidity from six stations along the river were examined primarily through linear correlation and regression analysis, combined with nonparametric tests and analysis of variance. The analyses were performed on annual, monthly, and daily basis, establishing temporal patterns and dependences, including seasonal changes, impacts from extreme events, influences from tributaries, and the spatial variation along the river. The results showed that there is no simple relationship between discharge, precipitation, and turbidity, mainly due to the complexity of the runoff process, the regulation of the river, and the effects of lake Vänern and its large catchment area. For the river Göta Älv, significant, positive correlations between turbidity, discharge, and precipitation could only be found during periods with high flow combined with heavy rainfall. Local precipitation does not seem to have any significant impact on the discharge in the main river, which is primarily governed by the precipitation at catchment scale. The discharge from the lake Vänern determines the base level for the turbidity in the river, whereas local surface runoff and tributary discharge induced by rainfall govern the temporal variability in turbidity. Autocorrelation analysis indicates a temporal persistence in turbidity of about 10 days. The results also show that erosion in the main river, from the river bed and banks, is not a dominant contributor to the suspended sediment transport in the river. Further studies on the correlation between turbidity and suspended sediment transport and in relation to erosion processes are suggested.

Remedial strategy of algal proliferation in a regulated river system by integrated hydrological control: an evolutionary modelling framework

2014 ◽  
Vol 65 (5) ◽  
pp. 379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dong-Gyun Hong ◽  
Kwang-Seuk Jeong ◽  
Dong-Kyun Kim ◽  
Gea-Jae Joo
Keyword(s):  
Chlorophyll A ◽  
Phytoplankton Biomass ◽  
River Flow ◽  
Winter Season ◽  
River System ◽  
Regulated River ◽  
Water Volume ◽  
Ample Evidence ◽  
Chlorophyll A Concentration ◽  
Rule Set

We simulated water-quality measures in a regulated river system (the lower Nakdong River) under simultaneous discharge control at upriver dams and an estuarine barrage with the goal of reducing phytoplankton biomass (chlorophyll a concentration). We used genetic programming (GP) to create a rule-set-based predictive model for the chlorophyll a concentration based on 16 years (1994–2009) of meteorological, hydrological, and limnological data. The rule-set model used eight variables, including water temperature, dam and estuarine barrage discharge, phosphate and silica concentrations, and accurately predicted the phytoplankton biomass (determination coefficients, r2, for training and test data were 0.52 and 0.45, respectively). According to sensitivity and scenario analyses, a larger water volume resulting from increased discharge from upriver dams and decreased discharge from an estuarine barrage would reduce chlorophyll a concentrations at the study site. This result provided ample evidence that simultaneous manipulation of dam and estuarine discharge rates could effectively increase river flow and flush aggregated algal populations downstream. Additionally, we considered that even small increases in river flow could play a role in diluting phytoplankton biomass during the dry winter season when estuarine discharge remains low. These two hydrological mechanisms could be used as selective strategies for water-resource management.

Migration patterns and estuarine aggregations of a catadromous fish, Australian bass (Percalates novemaculeata) in a regulated river system

2017 ◽  
Vol 68 (8) ◽  
pp. 1544 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. Harding ◽  
R. G. Dwyer ◽  
T. M. Mullins ◽  
M. J. Kennard ◽  
R. D. Pillans ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fish Species ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
River System ◽  
Regulated River ◽  
Regulated Rivers ◽  
Migration Patterns ◽  
Migratory Response ◽  
Resource Managers ◽  
Receiver Array ◽  
Downstream Movement

Catadromous fish species require adequate flows to migrate between fresh and saltwater habitats to reproduce. However, artificial barriers and flow alteration affect fish populations by reducing habitat connectivity and disrupting movement cues. In regulated rivers, it is critical that migratory flow requirements are quantified to optimise water allocation for multiple users. In the present study, we assessed the migratory timing, flow and estuarine aggregation requirements for Australian bass (Percalates novemaculeata). Over 2 years, 66 bass were tracked using an acoustic receiver array in the Logan River (Qld, Australia). Bass performed large-scale downstream movements in response to elevated winter flows (40 and 108m3 s–1), which facilitated migration to the lower estuary, where salinity conditions were appropriate for spawning. Bass migrations occurred only when gonads were mature, despite large flows providing opportunities for movement outside this period. Experimental flow releases from an impoundment (2.1m3 s–1) during winter did not elicit a migratory response. Connectivity between upstream and estuarine habitats was reduced by the presence of instream weirs, with downstream movement across weirs occurring only when sufficient flow magnitude was achieved (>76.1m3 s–1). These findings are relevant for water resource managers formulating environmental flow rules for catadromous fish species in systems with multiple instream artificial barriers.

scholarly journals Movement patterns and home range size of tigerfish (Hydrocynus vittatus) in the Incomati River system, South Africa

Koedoe ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francois Roux ◽  
Gert Steyn ◽  
Clinton Hay ◽  
Ina Wagenaar
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Home Range ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Specific Activity ◽  
Movement Patterns ◽  
River System ◽  
Home Range Size ◽  
Range Size ◽  
Management Policy ◽  
Fish Movement

Historical data suggested that the tigerfish (Hydrocynus vittatus) of the Incomati River migrates upstream and downstream as part of their life history. It has been suggested that this movement was a prerequisite for successful spawning in inundated floodplains in Mozambique. Recent advances in aquatic radio telemetry provided a reliable mechanism to monitor fish movement and increase knowledge of the ecology of tigerfish. From 04 January 2003 to 22 December 2003, 41 tigerfish in the Incomati River system were fitted with radio transmitters to record movement patterns and estimate home range size. On average, each fish was tracked 72 times, and the total number of fixes was 2971 over the study period, including 1322 summer fixes and 1649 winter fixes. The mean longest distance travelled by tigerfish was 730 m (range = 75 m to 3200 m). The home range size varied between individual fish, but on average fish stayed within a defined home range of 48 846 m2. Tigerfish showed high site fidelity to specific habitats within specific activity zones and movement occurred primarily within these defined zones. Differences in movement pattern, longest distance travelled and home range size could not be attributed to the sex or size of the fish. No large-scale movement patterns associated with specific life history activity were observed; thus, previous reports of large-scale downstream migrations and spawning migrations appear to be invalid. The presence of weirs in the study area impedes free fish movement as these weirs create migration obstructions.Conservation implications: River regulation such as damming, water abstraction, obstructive barriers and channel modification may have a detrimental impact on the survival strategy of this species. Implementation of these results in a management policy will provide a reliable basis for species specific requirements such as upstream reservoir release management; minimum flow volumes required for downstream ecosystem maintenance and management and planning of structures obstructing natural flow.

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