Nearly 400 hydropower facilities across the United States are expected to undergo relicensing within the next decade. As part of that process, many operators will consider installing or upgrading fish passage technologies, systems that help migratory species bypass dams so that they can survive, reproduce, and replenish the nation's fisheries. But until recently, there was no comprehensive, centralized source of information about existing fish passage facilities in the U.S., such as their number and locations.
To fill this gap, researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory collaborated with staff from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Low Impact Hydropower Institute to create a database and interactive digital map that identify fish passage facilities in the lower 48 states. Each entry includes detailed information such as the type of fish passage structure, the fish species present in the area, and, in some cases, how much the facility cost. Follow the links to access the digital map or the database.
The database is intended to help hydropower operators streamline the licensing or relicensing process and inform decision-making by providing accurate, geo-referenced data about fish passage, said Principal Investigator Paul Matson.
"This is particularly important in today's rapidly evolving hydropower landscape," Matson said. "It will act as an aid and a benchmark to the hydropower community as it seeks to modernize and strengthen the fleet."
With funding from the U.S. Department of Energy's Water Power Technologies Office, now known as the Hydropower and Hydrokinetic Office, the research team achieved the first comprehensive accounting of fish passage facilities in the contiguous United States in more than 30 years. Their findings greatly surpassed the only previous attempt, a 1993 survey, in terms of scope and thoroughness.
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