Fish passes: the win-win model for

hydropower

Toby Coe and Pete Kibel

 Talk Outline

• What is a fish pass? Different designs and

applications

• Why do they matter for hydropower?

• How easy are they to install and how much do they

cost?
 • What is a Fish Pass?

• “Any form of conduit, channel, lift, other device or

structure which facilitates the free passage of migrating fish
over, through or around any dam or other obstruction,
whether natural or man-made, in either an upstream or a
downstream direction.”

• Most basic:
• Example: baffle passes (e.g. Alaskan A, Larinier, Denil)
• Increasingly the pass of choice throughout the UK
• How do they work?

• Larinier – bottom baffles

• Set widths of 600 or 900 mm and multiples thereof

• Alaskan A – side and bottom baffles

• Set width of 560 mm

 Why do they matter for hydropower?

• Fisheries concerns often an issue for hydro - fish pass

often essential part of project

• Help maintain or even improve fisheries ecology

• Stakeholder (anglers, riparian owners) ‘appeasement’

• An offset against the perceived risk of hydropower

• Compliance with Water Framework Directive

• Essential part of a project
• Stakeholder appeasement and improving river ecology

• Totnes weir pool, River Dart, Devon

• Current situation delays fish. Indirectly causes fish

mortality
• Initially, significant stakeholder concern and objections

• However, situation will actually be improved:

• Large Larinier pass being installed
• Fish counter
• Angling platforms

“The proposed hydro-generation development at Totnes Weir on the

River Dart is an excellent example of pre-application cooperation…
The outcome is a scheme which will improve fish passage over the
weir, generate a significant amount of renewable energy, and provide
much needed monitoring of fish migration“

Roger Furniss, Director, Angling Trust

• Even Alan Butterworth likes it..!

• Satisfying the Environment Agency/stakeholders

• Obligations under Water Framework Directive

• Fish passes cost money. Hydropower can provide it

 How much do they cost and how easy are they to
install?

• The current perception: very expensive!

• Average cost is ~£200,000 (Greg Armstrong, EA National
fish pass panel)

• Majority of cost: civil engineering work

• For a hydro scheme:

• Drawings done as part of hydro project

• All machinery already on site

• Civil work already being undertaken

• Cost usually significantly less

Example costs:

• Larger the scheme, larger the fish pass

• 10% of the maximum abstraction

• Assume £5K per installed kW as average scheme cost for

low head sites:

- Conventional pool and overspill pass would be

between 20 and 40% of the scheme cost

- Baffle type pass would be ~5-10% of scheme cost

• Number of joint projects where EA covered fish pass cost

• Again, much cheaper for the EA than installing one
independently of hydro development
JCB engineering academy

• Archimedean screw, 2.5 m

head

• Three key issues for pass:

• Cost
• Space
• Suitability
Three options considered:

1) Pool and traverse pass

- Very long (over 20 m) and wide
- Cost: ~£60-70K

2) Larinier pass
- Two flights with resting pool
- Almost 20 m long
- Multi-species pass
- Cost: £40-50K

3) Alaskan A pass
- One flight. Steep angle (25% slope). Short
- Suitable for salmonids
- Cost: £35K
 Thank you. Any questions?

www.fishtek-consulting.co.uk