Applications of Mesohabsim Simulation Model In the Management of Hydroelectric Dams

The changing spatial distributions of a river’s physical attributes as a result of flow variations and an aquatic species’ biological response to these changes provide the basis for simulating the consequences of ecosystem alteration and justify restoration measures. Developed with hydropower in mind MesoHABSIM is a modification of micro-scale instream flow models to support effective simulation of entire riverscapes. It offers advantages, such as the incorporation of multivariate habitat attributes for entire fish communities and the ecological assessment of hydrological time series. The model has been developed over the past decade and applied worldwide. This paper discusses the MesoHABSIM application in the context of managing hydroelectric dams and highlights the flexibility of the methodology. In particular, examples of successful applications in US and Europe are reported. They offer a practical reference for project managers interested in developing and monitoring the effectiveness of detailed schemes of flow management and habitat restoration measures for different types of hydropower facilities.