The Potential Effect of Riprap on the Utilisation of Space By Fish Communities

Riprap is a form of riverbank stabilization that is commonly used to protect road and bridge infrastructures from fluvial erosion. However, little is known about how riprap can affect the repartition of the fish communities. In fact, we know the physical environment is a crucial determinant of the habitat selection by river fish. The objective of this study is to assess potential impacts of riprap on fish communities through a pairwise comparison of stabilized and non-stabilized stream in the Lowland regions of Montérégie-Est (Québec, Canada). The present study aims at acquiring knowledge on how the fish use that riprap zone and also on how we can design the riprap to have minimum impact. Another main interesting part of the study is to develop a method to sample fish in disturbed rivers like the ones that are located in the Lowland and when some kinds of method, like the seine and the electrofishing, are difficult to use because of the riprap zone.

Key words: riprap; fish communities