Effects of hydroelectric turbine passage on fish early life stages
Turbine-passage mortality has been studied extensively for juveniles and adults of migratory fish species, but few studies have directly quantified mortality of fish eggs and larvae. An analysis of literature relating to component stresses of turbine passage (i.e., pressure changes, blade contact, and shear) indicates that mortality of early life stages of fish would be relatively low at low-head, bulb turbine installations. The shear forces and pressure regimes normally experienced are insufficient to cause high mortality rates. The probability of contact with turbine blades is related to the size of the fish; less than 5% of entrained ichthyoplankton would be killed by the blades in a bulb turbine. Other sources of mortality (e.g., cavitation and entrainment of fish acclimated to deep water) are controlled by operation of the facility and thus are mitigable. Because turbine-passage mortality among fish early life stages can be very difficult to estimate directly, it may be more fruitful to base the need for mitigation at any given site on detailed knowledge of turbine characteristics and the susceptibility of the fish community to entrainment. 7 refs., 1 fig.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- FERC; USDOE Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-84OR21400
- OSTI ID:
- 5879350
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-910778-2; ON: DE91007848
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: International conference on hydropower - waterpower: a new view of hydro resources, Denver, CO (USA), 24-26 Jul 1991
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ICHTHYOPLANKTON
MORTALITY
LOW-HEAD HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANTS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
ANADROMOUS FISHES
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CAVITATION
ENTRAINMENT
FISH PASSAGE FACILITIES
PRESSURE EFFECTS
SHEAR
SIZE
THEORETICAL DATA
TURBINE BLADES
TURBINES
TURBULENCE
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
DATA
FISHES
HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANTS
INFORMATION
MACHINERY
NUMERICAL DATA
PLANKTON
POWER PLANTS
TURBOMACHINERY
VERTEBRATES
130600* - Hydro Energy- Environmental Aspects
540310 - Environment
Aquatic- Basic Studies- (1990-)