Do fish locks have potential in tropical rivers?

This study evaluated attraction and passage of native fish through an automated fish lock on the tropical Fitzroy River in north‐eastern Australia. In 69 samples (24 h each) taken at the exit and entrance of the fish lock, 17 fish species and 13 402 individuals were collected, at a maximum rate of 3...

Full description

Saved in:

Bibliographic Details
Published in:	River research and applications Vol. 23; no. 3; pp. 269 - 286
Main Authors:	Stuart, Ivor G., Berghuis, Andrew P., Long, Peter E., Mallen-Cooper, Martin
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01-03-2007 Wiley
Subjects:	Agnatha. Pisces Animal and plant ecology Animal, plant and microbial ecology Australia Biological and medical sciences Eden Bann Weir fish passage fishway Fitzroy River Fresh water ecosystems Freshwater Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology migration Pisces potamodromous Queensland Synecology Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution Australia Oceania Queensland Australia, Queensland, Fitzroy R Fishpass Eden Bann Weir Migration potamodromous Rivers Freshwater environment Fitzroy River Aquatic environment Vertebrata Wildlife passage Pisces fish passage fishway Stream Animal conservation Australia Weir Queensland
Online Access:	Get full text
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!

Description
Summary:	This study evaluated attraction and passage of native fish through an automated fish lock on the tropical Fitzroy River in north‐eastern Australia. In 69 samples (24 h each) taken at the exit and entrance of the fish lock, 17 fish species and 13 402 individuals were collected, at a maximum rate of 3317 fish per day. During low river flows, the fish lock transferred a broad size range of fish (35–710 mm long), though migratory biomass was small. Removal of a vertical fish‐crowding device did not affect the passage rate. Netting studies and observations of fish migrating below the weir suggested that the entrance was poorly located during high flows and another fishway near the spillway would enhance fish passage. The fish lock was inoperative for 48% of the time, due to mechanical and software failure, and a narrow operational range unsuited to the variable hydrology. Nevertheless, these design issues are site specific and reflect that fish lock technology is in its infancy in Australia. The operational reliability of the fish lock is now greatly improved but further work is needed to optimize the automatic cycling. To accommodate the inherently variable hydrology of lowland tropical/sub‐tropical rivers into fishway design, we highlight important research needs for fishways and migratory fish communities. Fish locks are often considered a less favourable fish passage option but with the operational reliability issues partially resolved, they appear to have considerable potential for tropical river systems with low minimum flows and low biomass; with further research and design, they may have wider application. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Bibliography:	Stanwell Corporation Queensland Department of Primary Industries ArticleID:RRA979 istex:22BE7F8F0332FEC1B2AF9D86E44608BAB07C247C ark:/67375/WNG-F7Q50GKK-X ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23
ISSN:	1535-1459 1535-1467
DOI:	10.1002/rra.979