Efficient and timely downstream passage solutions for European silver eels at hydropower dams

Abstract

The European eel population is critically endangered due to a multitude of human-induced factors such as habitat fragmentation, parasites, fishing, and climate change. In freshwater, downstream migrating silver eels encountering hydroelectric plants often suffer substantial delays and increased mortality from trash-rack impingement and turbine-induced mortality. Downstream passage problems can be ameliorated by implementing different types of downstream passage solutions that show variable but promising results for salmonids, but their performance for silver eels remains largely unknown. To address these knowledge gaps, radio telemetry was used to monitor the downstream migration of silver eels during 2 years past a hydroelectric plant recently equipped with two new fish passage solutions, consisting of an angled bar rack with a full-depth bypass, and a nature-like fishway. No tagged eels passed through the turbines, but bypassed the dam evenly between the two passage solutions, resulting in a 95% impediment passage efficiency and a median passage time of 1 h. Movement patterns and route selection were associated with variation in discharge and most individuals approached both passage solutions before passing, resulting in route-specific efficiencies of 69% for the angled rack and bypass, and 46% for the nature-like fishway. We conclude that the combination of a new bypass, paired with an angled rack, and a large nature-like fishway provided downstream migrating silver eels with a highly effective combination of passage solutions, with high impediment passage success and relatively low passage times.