Laboratory Study of Fish Passage and Discharge Capacity in Slip-Lined, Baffled Culverts

• Published in: Journal of hydraulic engineering (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 139; no. 4; pp. 424 - 432
• Main Authors: Olsen, A. H, Tullis, B. P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Reston, VA American Society of Civil Engineers 01-04-2013
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Buildings. Public works; Culverts; Durability. Pathology. Repairing. Maintenance; Exact sciences and technology; Fish; Flow velocity; Hydraulic engineering; Hydraulics; Pipe; Repair (reinforcement, strenthening); Road operations (signalization, lighting, safety and accessories, snow clearance, acoustical panel, etc.); Roughness; Salmo trutta; Slopes; Technical Papers; Transportation infrastructure; Laboratory study; Fish management; Fishpass; Highway; Culverts; Experimental study; Fish passage through slip-lined culverts; Laboratory tests; Culvert rehabilitation; Test facility; Culvert fish passage; Stream; Culvert; Rehabilitation; Fish passage; Baffled culverts
• DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0000697
• EISSN: 1943-7900
• ISSN: 0733-9429

AbstractCulvert rehabilitation is a cost-effective alternative to culvert replacement for many applications where the culvert has reached the end of its useful life. When a profile-walled existing (host) culvert is relined with a smooth-walled pipe, the culvert flow velocities typically increase, the corresponding flow depths decrease, and the resulting flow conditions can create a potential barrier to fish passage. In an effort to provide some baseline data for fish passage through baffled culvert liners, fish passage behaviors of wild brown trout through prototype-scale 0.61-m-diameter, 18-m-long smooth-walled baffled and nonbaffled culverts were observed in the laboratory under a variety of culvert slopes and discharges. The baffles significantly increased the range of culvert slopes and discharges over which the fish could successfully pass. The baffled culvert hydraulic roughness coefficient (Manning’s n) increased 274% (approximately equivalent to corrugated metal pipe values) relative to the nonbaffled culvert.