@article{fdi:010081039,
  title = {{P}rotecting the downstream migration of salmon smolts from hydroelectric power plants with inclined racks and optimized bypass water discharge},
  author = {{T}omanova, {S}. and {C}ourret, {D}. and {R}ichard, {S}. and {T}edesco, {P}ablo and {M}ataix, {V}. and {F}rey, {A}. and {L}agarrigue, {T}. and {C}hatellier, {L}. and {T}etard, {S}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{T}he sustained development of hydropower energy in the last century has caused important ecological impacts, promoting recent advances in efficient mitigation measures to be implemented in existing and future hydropower plants. {A}lthough upstream fish migration has been largely addressed with the development of fish-pass infrastructures, downstream passage solutions are often missing or inefficient, strengthening the need for their improvement and efficiency assessment. {T}he efficiency of horizontally inclined (26 degrees) low bar spacing racks associated to a bypass was assessed using salmon smolts radiotelemetry along three successive hydropower plants ({HPP}) in the {A}riege {R}iver (southern {F}rance). {I}n average, nearly 90% of the smolts were successfully protected by the racks and rapidly guided to the bypass, within few minutes in most cases. {F}urthermore, we detected a significant positive influence of the bypass discharge ({Q}(bp%) expressed as the proportion of concurrent {HPP} discharge) on the probability of successful bypass passage, reaching 85% of successful passage with a {Q}(bp%) of only 3%, and more than 92% when the {Q}(bp%) exceeded 5%. {T}he probability of bypass passage without hesitation (e.g. passage within the first 5 min) also increased with {Q}(bp%), and reached 90% with 5% of {Q}(bp%). {P}assage without hesitation was especially detected on the site having larger bypass entrances and transversal currents, providing better guidance into the bypass. {H}igh-efficiency results of inclined racks yielded with reduced {Q}(bp%) confirmed their relevance to mitigate some of the {HPP} ecological impacts, re-establishing safe downstream salmon migration with lower impact on energy production than older less efficient solutions.},
  keywords = {{H}ydropower plants ; {F}ish protection ; {D}ownstream passage ; {E}fficient solution ; {F}ish passage solution ; {FRANCE} ; {ARIEGE}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{J}ournal of {E}nvironmental {M}anagement},
  volume = {284},
  numero = {},
  pages = {112012 [10 p.]},
  ISSN = {0301-4797},
  year = {2021},
  DOI = {10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112012},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010081039},
}