Efficiency of a nature-like bypass channel for restoring longitudinal connectivity for a river-resident population of brown trout

Dodd, Jamie R.; Cowx, Ian G.; Bolland, Jonathan D.

Abstract

Man-made, physical barriers have disrupted longitudinal connectivity for migratory fish in many river systems throughout the world for centuries. These barriers are considered to be a key reason for the decline of many fish species in river systems. To date, most research to ease movement of anadromous salmonids past such barriers to help dwindling populations has focused on the use of technical fishways. More recently emphasis has been placed on nature-like fishways to enable a wider range of fish species to bypass these barriers, but few studies have examined their efficacy. In this study, Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) telemetry was used to assess the upstream-directed movements of 111 river-resident brown trout (length, 151–510-mm) into and through a 150-m long, nature-like bypass on the River Aire, England. Attraction (51%), entrance (86%), passage (78%) and exit (97%) efficiencies were high, and trout of a wide range of sizes entered and exited (197–510 mm) the pass across a wide range of flows (entrance = 3.55–67.44 m 3 s −1 and exit = 3.89–35.5 m 3 s −1 ). There was evidence that two trout inhabited the pass during the day, entering at sunrise and exiting at sunset. This information is important to improve understanding of fish pass performance, thus informing future best practice guidance of fish passage designs.

Citation

Dodd, J. R., Cowx, I. G., & Bolland, J. D. (2017). Efficiency of a nature-like bypass channel for restoring longitudinal connectivity for a river-resident population of brown trout. Journal of environmental management, 204(1), 318-326. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.09.004

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 2, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Sep 9, 2017
• Publication Date: Dec 15, 2017
• Deposit Date: Sep 15, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 11, 2018
• Journal: Journal of environmental management
• Print ISSN: 0301-4797
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 204
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 318-326
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.09.004
• Keywords: Fish passage; Barrier; Salmo trutta; Telemetry; PIT
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/454807
• Publisher URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301479717308654
• Additional Information: This is the accepted manuscript of an article published in Journal of environmental management, 2017. The version of record is available at the DOI link in this record.
• Contract Date: Sep 15, 2017