Slide 1
Why is fish passage important?Migration for spawningMovement for
survival, temperatures, flows, available food and coverPrevent
population fragmentationAvoid predatorsAfter a catastrophic event,
recolonizationMeet life requirements in an energy efficient
way.
Context for TRANSTRANS projects are linearly based with the
occasional exception of building reservoirs and canals. TRANS is
not large land scale developers.2We dont do this type of
development:3
Rather we are focused on roads and bridges as part of the
provincial highway network.4
And wed rather avoid this:5
6
And fish really dont do this7
Or this.8
Or not in this continent - walk9
So that fish dont have to walk or bicycle wed rather create
this: embedded (fish friendly) crossings10
But back to the impacts TRANS has on fish movementRemember we
are linear developers
Most often, TRANS influences fish movement through habitat
fragmentation not habitat itself.1112
Also remember that TRANS cannot tell crossing owners that may be
hindering fish passage further up the watershed. We have no
authority to do so and very often we are asked for funding and we
dont have the $$$$ nor does our mandate allow us to. 13And now to a
different subject 14Biology Basics (as they relate to fish
passage).
"Fishes are the evolutionary solution to a number of mechanical,
aural, optical, structural, electrical and other engineering
problems relating to the environment in which they exist.15They are
complex organisms, or animals, and their sensory systems have
evolved to provide the necessary functions to make the whole fish a
viable entity in the watery environment"
16Fish have adapted to the underwater environment here are some
examples
Many questions have come up about culvert length based on
anthropogenic perceptions.
Not only to fish see better in water than humans, they have a
photo spectrum outside of humans.17Fish have a well-developed sense
of sight, which allows them to find food, cover, mates, and avoid
being eaten in the underwater "fish eat fish world." Their eyesight
is on par with ours, as many fish species, but not all, see color
and some can literally see in the dark.1819
Fish have other senses "The lateral line system is a kind of
underwater sonar and is very similar to the sonar-based navigation
system employed by bats.2021But instead of listening to ultrasonic
squeaks bouncing back from solid objects, the fish is able to feel
the movement of water reflected back against its body from objects
around it.22
The lateral line system of fish has been the subject of
extensive research. It consists of rows of mechanosensory cells
that run around the head and along the side of the body, where they
are often visible as a faint line. Not only is this system
extremely sensitive, but it also shows some remarkable parallels to
the eye. It can form a sort of hydrodynamic 'image', apparently
interpreting a complex array of stimuli that are received on the
side of the fish's body (although, presumably, there is no way to
focus this image).23In other words, fish have abilities that are
not well understood.24
What is known about fish swimming capabilities?Short Answer:
Not a lot.
25Swimming Abilities of FishThree forms of swimming which
arepredominant in fish species found in Alberta include:
AnguilliformSubcarangiformEsosiformAnd a possible new category,
Mechosiform AnguilliformBurbot (freshwater cod)Swim in an eel-like
fashion (undulating)
TriviaScientific name for burbot is Lota lota.
For First Nations in BC this a translation of bottom feeder or
lawyer.28SubcarangiformBull TroutSwim using the anterior part of
theirs bodies (e.g. tail)
EsosiformNorthern PikeSwim using both characteristics of both
anguilliform and subcarangiform
Pike can accelerate between 96 m s2 and 3.1 m s1, respectively,
for feeding and150 m s2 and 3.5 m s1, respectively, for escape.
31Fast-starts are quick bursts of energy from fish beginning in a
resting, or near resting position, to achieve very high
accelerations
32Trivia With the exception of the Homo sapiens, there is
perhaps no other species so dedicated to gluttony as Esox lucius,
the northern pike. Wisconsins second largest predator fish (the
muskellunge, a close relative of the northern, is first), the
northern pike is a voracious feeder that finds most creatureseven
squirrels and sandpipersfair game.
lucius is derived from luce water wolf 33How does this all
relate to fish passage in culverts?Contrary to popular belief, fish
do not automatically come up to a culvert and turn around and go
away.
34
Swimming termsBurst Speeds highest speed; endurance less than 20
seconds but some fish can burst up to 60 seconds (300mm Rainbow
Trout can burst up to 4.3 m/s and NPike can burst up to 3.5
m/s)
Prolonged intermediate swimming speeds; endurance 20 seconds to
30 minutes
Sustained low speeds maintained indefinitely
Culvert structures are designed with appropriate hydraulic
conditions that will allow the fish species that are present to
swim through the structure within a specific range of flows. Fish
swimming abilitiesThe ability of fish to move is controlled by a
number of factors including but not limited to:
Fish species typeBody
morphologyBehaviorMotivationEnergeticsTemperaturePhysiology
38A familiar reference is Katopodis and Gervais (1991) who
produced fish endurance and swimming distance versus water velocity
curves. The authors meant these curves to used as guidance since
they are so conservative.393940Example: Swimming Performance
Assessment Subcarangiform Mode (Katopodis and Gervais 1991)
Although well meaning these were misinterpreted by on the ground
regulatory staff.For example, when a stream was running at 1.0 m/s
(with whitefish happily swimming around) we were asked to slow down
the velocities in our culvert to 0.5 m/s based on the fish
curves.
Huh? Were we expected to put a dam in the
culvert?41AAAAhhhh!42
?????43
44Most of the data was obtained in laboratories where fish were
generally put inside a tube or flume, zapped with electricity to
get them moving, and then water velocities were incrementally
increased until the fish reach fatigue.
45Very cranky bull trout in a swim tube
46As already mentioned, the swimming performance curves, many
people used the numbers as absolutes rather than guidance.
If those curves were actually true, we would have virtually no
fish in Alberta (or even the rest of Canada).
47However, field studies (including TRANS work) have solidly
proven that fish swimming abilities have far exceeded those
predicted by theory. 48It has been found that fish are able to
successfully pass through culverts at higher average velocities
than the velocities predicted in laboratory studies.We need better
data exchanges or a universal website.There are new fish curves
that have yet to be released but these are improved from previous
ones.
Were not sure that fish curves are the best way to illustrate
data since (sorry) they were designed but engineers and open to
misinterpretation to a non-engineering audience.
Suggestions?
4950
51
52Dependent on the fish species , many have different modes of
swimming . Fish are energetically efficient they will seek out
lower velocity zones when migrating and will do so in culverts if
needed. 53Culverts do have slower velocity area (margins) along the
walls and bottom.Slope = 0.5%, flow = .0145 cms, Average velocity =
.872 m/s (Illustration of culvert velocities [Magura, 2007])
54Information on swimming abilities, behavior, energetics and
other areas of fish biology are being explored more and more.
As for Mechosiform see the following.55Information on swimming
abilities, behavior, energetics and other areas of fish biology are
being explored more and more.
As for Mechosiform see the following.56
57The prototype of the tongue-in-cheek fish buggy consists of a
small aquarium on top of a battery-powered, radio-controlled car.
Two single-board microcontrollers an Arduino and a Beagleboard are
connected to a standard webcam, which tracks the fishs position in
the tank. Whichever way the fish swims steers the car in that
direction.Just another idea58