Wild passage, local species, 2021
Study Overview
Scientific partner:
Kleinschmidt Associates
Species:
American eel and elver, white sucker, largemouth bass, various sunfish, crawfish, freshwater mussels, dragonfly larvae
Fish length:
various
RHT runner:
0.55 m (1.8 ft) diameter
Head:
7 m (23 ft)
Rotational speed:
541 rpm, 15.6 m/s
Turbine-passed fish:
various
Control fish:
n/a
Results:
No observed injuries
Publication:
https://doi.org/10.1002/nafm.10866
In September of 2021, Natel evaluated juvenile alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus, a type of river herring) passage survival through a 0.55 m (1.8 ft) RHT at Freedom Falls, Maine, with assistance from Kleinschmidt Associates.
During this test, several wild species also passed safely through the Restoration Hydro Turbine (RHT) and were recovered in the live well. We discussed these organisms—including adult and elver-stage Amercian eel, suckers, perch, crayfish, mussels, and even dragonfly larvae—and their condition in our peer-reviewed paper "Juvenile Alewife Passage through a Compact Hydropower Turbine Designed for Fish Safety," published by North American Journal of Fisheries Management in 2023.
