The Impact of Riverine Barriers on the Freshwater Migration of Atlantic Salmon

Matt Newton

A project supported by the European Union's INTERREG IVA Programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body

Barriers to Migration
Habitat Connectivity Spawning grounds, Juvenile maturation, Adult feeding grounds Migration between habitats is ESSENTIAL WFD Requirement of FREE PASSAGE What is a barrier? Anything that can alter behaviour or that results in delay or stopping of movement
Physical: leap , velocity, depth Environmental: Temperature, DO Flow variability: Velocity/ Depth

Permanent Barriers
Relatively Obvious?
Mitigation fish passes Research

Small scale barriers may also be impassable

Lack research

Partial/Temporary Barriers
Traditionally If a fish is seen to pass or is present upstream of a barrier it is generally considered passable Species variability Salmon Eel Within population variability Size variations Life stage Swimming ability Environmntal Conditions Temperature, Oxygen Flow conditions Depth Velocity

Channel type and Variation

High Flows?

Flow

Barrier Studies
Physical properties of the barrier e.g. SNIFFER model WFD111: Coarse resolution rapid assessment methodology
Lacks Validation

Telemetry
Visualise NATURAL behaviour in response to barrier Telemetry is expensive Majority of studies are undertaken at large scale impoundments in cooperation with hydropower companies to improve fish passage Small sample sizes

Results:
Gowans et al (2007): 4 of 54 tagged fish reached spawning areas Croze, (2005): 4.3% of individuals passed 28 barriers to spawn Roscoe et al (2011): Survival rates for fish released below dam was 43% compared to those above of 93% 100% Success in Prestine River Tana Northern Norway; Erkinaro(1999), kland (2001)

Research Gaps
Often limited to single impoundments Very few studies on small scale, run of the river type barriers Likely to be temporary No control over flows
Effect of delay Predation Angler pressure Increased energy expenditure

Multiple Channel options Observational studies Highlight migratory bottleneck but fail to identify reasons for failure
Caudhill et al, (2007) Tagged 18,286 fish with 160 receivers, no mention of reasons for failure Why do fish fail to pass an obstruction? ALSO Why do fish pass?

Requirement for an interdisciplinary approach linking observational telemetry with physiological and genomic tools

Research Gaps
Often limited to single impoundments Very few studies on small scale, run of the river type barriers Likely to be temporary No control over flows
Effect of delay Predation Angler pressure Increased energy expenditure

Multiple Channel options Observational studies Highlight migratory bottleneck but fail to identify reasons for failure
Caudhill et al, (2007) Tagged 18,286 fish with 160 receivers, no mention of reasons for failure Why do fish fail to pass an obstruction? ALSO Why do fish pass?

Requirement for an interdisciplinary approach linking observational telemetry with physiological and genomic tools

Aims and Objectives

Investigate how salmon use fish pass channels in large weir systems and the effects of small-scale barriers in river systems to develop management options for WFD targets.

Assess the behaviour of Atlantic Salmon on approach to a small scale riverine barrier
What actually happens? Attempt to understand reasons for passage/success at barrier and if related to individual traits

Identify channel selection and potential reason for channel selection

Tease apart, hydrologically, river barrier in an attempt to understand what channels fish are using, when they are using them and under what conditions are fish using them.

Validation of SNIFFER barrier assessment

Method: Radio Telemetry

2012: Fish collected in fish pass, transported and released downstream. Had previous encounter with barrier and exhibited route choice: Possbile association impassable channel 2013: Fish collected through draft netting Barrier nave

Radio tags emit a coded frequency which can be detected through receiver equipment on land

Tags are inserted oesophgally into the fish. Salmon do not feed in freshwater and so tag is secure and does not effect fish behaviour

Receiving equipment allows fish to be pinpointed within the aquatic environment

Receiver Array To enable the precise identification of the movements of salmon

Automatic Listening stations

Sion Mills Barrier

River Scale Broad movements between Site Scale Fine scale automatic listening movements at barrier zones

Radio Tracking 2012/13

Effect of small scale barriers on salmon migration
Temporary barriers and variability in flows affecting channel passability Channel selection

Radio tagged 132 salmon (12 in 2012, 120 in 2013) Development of a radio telemetry array at a river barrier
Fine scale movements of individual behaviour at a migration barrier, in response to environmental + individual traits

A project supported by the European Union's INTERREG IVA Programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body