PNNL

Abstract

In partnership with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has undertaken a phased program conducted by an interdisciplinary team of experts to address the hydraulic and behavioral issues associated with juvenile salmonid fish passage through culvert systems. Juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) is the initial test subject. This program addresses the testing and assessment of culvert designs, along with associated measurements of hydraulic conditions and fish behavior, occurring in full-scale physical models of culvert systems deployed in an experimental test bed. The proposed approach includes the use of three kinds of models. First, a conceptual model of fish passage is developed to guide the design of hydraulic and behavioral testing and to interpret the results. Second, mathematical models of culvert hydraulics provide information to design the full-scale test facility and to guide design of the hydraulic and behavioral testing program. Third, full-scale physical models of culverts in a test bed are used to evaluate fish passage quantitatively. Using the knowledge and data from previous studies, this program will encompass the design, fabrication, installation, and operation of a full-scale, controlled culvert test bed. Experiments in the testing apparatus will measure the hydraulic conditions (mean velocity, turbulence, and water depth) associated with various culvert designs under various slopes and flow regimes and then relate these measures to repeatable, quantitative measures of fish passage success. After construction in late spring, 2001, preliminary trials will be conducted in summer 2001.