skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Surface bypass as a means of protecting downstream-migrating fish: lack of standardised evaluation criteria complicates evaluation of efficacy

Journal Article · · Marine and Freshwater Research
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1071/MF18097· OSTI ID:1524243

A surface bypass is a downstream migration structure that can help reduce hydropower-induced damage to migrating fish. We reviewed results of laboratory and field studies conducted in North America, Europe, and Australia between 1982 and 2017 concerning surface bypass efficacy. The main challenges in designing efficient surface bypasses were identified to be the simultaneous consideration of hydraulic and geometrical parameters and biological knowledge of fish behavior. Without the combined efforts of engineers and biologists, an efficient bypass design cannot be achieved. Moreover, the use of different criteria for evaluating bypass performance prevents direct comparison of the results of studies and deduction of design criteria. Bypass efficiency is a term that is widely used, but no standard definition of the term exists. Its definition can thus vary among studies. Two groups of definitions were identified: One group uses only those fish that approach or pass the dam whereas the other group includes all marked or tagged fish that are released upstream of a dam regardless of their fate after release. Within these groups, the definitions of bypass efficiency are comparable. Based on this concept, the efficiencies for different fish species at surface bypasses were identified: eels (11% // 10%), Pacific salmon (46% // 19%), steelhead and brown trout (49% // 41%), and Atlantic salmon (72% // 48%). Currently it is not possible to formulate design criteria for a wide range of species because available data are insufficient data. We recommend that in future bypass studies, more comparable standards and performance criteria should be used and both successes and failures should be reported.

Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
1524243
Report Number(s):
PNNL-SA-132774
Journal Information:
Marine and Freshwater Research, Vol. 69, Issue 12
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (70)

Evaluation of fish-injury mechanisms during exposure to turbulent shear flow
  • Deng, Zhiqun; Guensch, Gregory R.; McKinstry, Craig A.
  • Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, Vol. 62, Issue 7, p. 1513-1522 https://doi.org/10.1139/f05-091
journal July 2005
A fish-eye view of riverine hydropower systems: the current understanding of the biological response to turbine passage journal January 2016
La migration de dévalaison : problèmes et dispositifs journal January 1992
The development of fish passage research in a historical context journal November 2012
Behaviour and passage of European silver eels ( Anguilla anguilla ) at a small hydropower plant during their downstream migration journal January 2010
A new Eulerian–Lagrangian agent method to model fish paths in a vertical slot fishway journal March 2016
Efforts to aid downstream migrating brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) kelts and smolts passing a hydroelectric dam and a spillway journal May 2007
Success of a low-sloping rack for improving downstream passage of silver eels at a hydroelectric plant journal July 2013
The Status of Environmentally Enhanced Hydropower Turbines journal April 2014
Tests of two types of bypass for downstream migration of eels at a small hydroelectric power plant journal January 2005
Fish Exploiting Vortices Decrease Muscle Activity journal November 2003
Downstream Swimming Behaviour of Catadromous and Potamodromous Fish Over Spillways: Downstream Fish Passage Behaviour Over Spillways journal May 2015
Optimal swim speeds for traversing velocity barriers: an analysis of volitional high-speed swimming behavior of migratory fishes journal February 2005
Efficacité d'un exutoire de dévalaison pour smolts de saumon atlantique (Salmo salar L.) et comportement des poissons au niveau de l'aménagement hydroélectrique de Camon sur la Garonne journal January 1999
Quantifying Mortal Injury of Juvenile Chinook Salmon Exposed to Simulated Hydro-Turbine Passage journal January 2012
A review of information relating to fish passage through turbines: implications to tidal power schemes journal December 1988
Mortality of larval Murray cod (Maccullochella peelii peelii) and golden perch (Macquaria ambigua) associated with passage through two types of low-head weirs journal January 2006
APPLIED ISSUES: Size-dependent mortality of migratory silver eels at a hydropower plant, and implications for escapement to the sea: Eels in regulated rivers journal July 2010
Fish passage experience at small-scale hydro-electric power plants in France journal June 2008
Fine-Scale Behavioral Responses of Pacific Salmonid Smolts as They Encounter Divergence and Acceleration of Flow journal March 2005
Influence of Infection with Renibacterium salmoninarum on Susceptibility of Juvenile Spring Chinook Salmon to Gas Bubble Trauma journal June 1999
Developing fish passage and protection at hydropower dams journal May 2007
Fish navigation of large dams emerges from their modulation of flow field experience journal March 2014
Development of successful fish passage structures for downstream migrants requires knowledge of their behavioural response to accelerating flow
  • Enders, Eva C.; Gessel, Michael H.; Williams, John G.
  • Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, Vol. 66, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1139/F09-141
journal December 2009
Escapement success of silver eels from a German river system is low compared to management-based estimates journal October 2013
Evaluating technical improvements for downstream migrating diadromous fish at a hydroelectric plant journal November 2012
Effect of trash diverters and overhead cover on downstream migrating brown trout smolts journal November 2012
Surface Flow Outlets to Protect Juvenile Salmonids Passing Through Hydropower Dams journal September 2006
Influence of Dissolved Atmospheric Gas on Swimming Performance of Juvenile Chinook Salmon journal October 1974
Removal of Weirs and the Influence on Physical Habitat for Salmonids in a Norwegian River: Removal of Weirs in a Norwegian River journal May 2011
A concept for improving Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolt migration past hydro power intakes journal June 2012
Evaluation of a Prototype Surface Flow Bypass for Juvenile Salmon and Steelhead at the Powerhouse of Lower Granite Dam, Snake River, Washington, 1996–2000 journal February 2005
Migratory delay leads to reduced passage success of Atlantic salmon smolts at a hydroelectric dam journal October 2016
Downstream Migration: Problems and Facilities journal January 2002
Efficacité d'un exutoire de dévalaison et d'une barrière acoustique pour les smolts de saumon atlantique (Salmo salar L.) à l'aménagement hydroélectrique de St. Cricq sur le gave d'Ossau. journal January 1999
Assessment of a retrofitted downstream fish bypass system for wild Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) smolts and kelts at a hydroelectric facility on the Exploits River, Newfoundland, Canada journal May 2007
The effects of horizontally and vertically oriented baffles on flow structure and ascent performance of upstream-migrating fish journal January 2017
Effect of Flow Turbulence on Swimming Speed of Fish journal September 2005
Sluiceway Operations to Pass Juvenile Salmonids at The Dalles Dam, Columbia River, USA journal October 2013
Gas Supersaturation and Gas Bubble Trauma in Fish Downstream from a Midwestern Reservoir journal May 1995
Performance of a Surface Bypass Structure to Enhance Juvenile Steelhead Passage and Survival at Lower Granite Dam, Washington journal April 2014
Optimising Atlantic salmon smolt survival by use of hydropower simulation modelling in a regulated river journal September 2013
Performance of a prototype surface collector for juvenile salmonids at Bonneville Dam's first powerhouse on the Columbia River, Oregon journal September 2008
Dam Operations Affect Route-specific Passage and Survival of Juvenile Chinook Salmon at a Main-stem Diversion dam: Dam Passage and Survival of Juvenile salmon journal July 2016
Evaluation of blade-strike models for estimating the biological performance of Kaplan turbines journal November 2007
Evaluating migratory fish behaviour and fishway performance: testing a combined assessment methodology journal January 2010
Migration depth and residence time of juvenile salmonids in the forebays of hydropower dams prior to passage through turbines or juvenile bypass systems: implications for turbine-passage survival journal January 2015
Downstream passage of silver eels at a small hydroelectric facility journal June 2006
Physical and ecological evaluation of a fish-friendly surface spillway journal January 2018
Effect of Water Acceleration on Downstream Migratory Behavior and Passage of Atlantic Salmon Smolts and Juvenile American Shad at Surface Bypasses journal January 1998
Understanding Barotrauma in Fish Passing Hydro Structures: A Global Strategy for Sustainable Development of Water Resources journal March 2014
Do Brown Trout Choose Locations with Reduced Turbulence? journal May 2006
Evaluation of the Prototype Surface Bypass for Salmonid Smolts in Spring 1996 and 1997 at Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River, Washington journal March 2000
Poor Performance of a Retrofitted Downstream Bypass Revealed by the Analysis of Approaching Behaviour in Combination with a Trapping System: Retrofitted Downstream Bypass System journal July 2016
Connectivity is a two-way street-the need for a holistic approach to fish passage problems in regulated rivers: CONNECTIVITY IS A TWO-WAY STREET journal February 2009
Availability of and access to critical habitats in regulated rivers: effects of low-head barriers on threatened lampreys journal March 2009
A piecewise regression approach for determining biologically relevant hydraulic thresholds for the protection of fishes at river infrastructure: modelling thresholds for barotrauma injury journal March 2016
The hydraulics of a vertical slot fishway: A case study on the multi-species Vianney-Legendre fishway in Quebec, Canada journal May 2016
Gas Bubble Trauma Incidence in Adult Salmonids in the Columbia River Basin journal May 2002
The Effects of Total Dissolved Gas on Chum Salmon Fry Survival, Growth, Gas Bubble Disease, and Seawater Tolerance journal February 2013
Survival Estimates for Juvenile Fish Subjected to a Laboratory-Generated Shear Environment journal March 2004
A re-evaluation of swimming performance in juvenile salmonids relative to downstream migration journal March 1998
Eel protection measures within the Manapouri hydro-electric power scheme, South Island, New Zealand journal June 2008
Thinking like a Fish: a key Ingredient for Development of Effective fish Passage Facilities at River Obstructions: fish Behaviour Related fish Passage at dams journal July 2011
A review of fish swimming mechanics and behaviour in altered flows journal May 2007
Sluiceway Operations for Adult Steelhead Downstream Passage at The Dalles Dam, Columbia River, USA journal October 2013
Migratory behaviour of adult fast-growing brown trout (Salmo trutta, L.) In relation to water flow in a regulated Norwegian river journal January 1996
Survival of migrating sea trout (Salmo trutta) and Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) smolts negotiating weirs in small Danish rivers journal September 2003
Fischabstiegs- und Fischschutzanlagen an der Wasserkraftanlage ECI-Centrale in Roermond/Niederlande journal July 2012
Cyprinid swimming behaviour in response to turbulent flow journal July 2012