Installation of a Pilot Plant with Mechanical Barrier for Fish Protection

According to the European Water Framework Directive, all hydropower plants in Germany have to be modified within a certain period so that they do not cause damage to the fish populations in the waters in the future.  The necessary technical solutions such as fish protection systems and fish-friendly turbines are not yet available and are currently being developed. Therefore, the Government of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia has built a pilot plant with a 10 mm bar screen and various bypass systems for salmon, eel and potamodromous fish species. The plant has a design flow of 28 m³/s.  The screens are equipped with three different bar profiles as well as special cleaning systems. Furthermore, extensive facilities for monitoring downstream migrating fish have been installed. A biological and technical monitoring will be performed to examine the use of the system to other locations.