Surface Collector Hydraulics

ABSTRACT:  Dams with large fluctuations in reservoir elevation create a significant impediment to downstream passage of juvenile anadromous fish.  The use of Floating Surface Collectors (FSCs) to address this issue has been proven to be successful at several locations in the Pacific Northwest.  By installing Vee-type fish screens in a floating barge, juvenile salmonids can be captured at all reservoir elevations.  The captured fish can then be transferred to holding tanks and trucked below the dam to a safe release point.  While some FSCs incorporate evaluation facilities directly on the floating structure, others have evaluation facilities on-shore or not at all.  This presentation will cover the technical aspects Floating Surface Collectors, including hydraulics, floatation, moorage, mechanical systems, operation, and biological effectiveness.  It will also address what specific passage issues FSCs are best suited for and where they are most effective.  Adding floatation to the already complex process of downstream fish capture, introduces new, unique issues to fish passage.  These issues and how they have been addressed at different facilities will also be covered.