144th Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society

August 17 - 21, 2014

With growing worldwide energy demands, solutions are needed that provide clean and renewable energy while also protecting or enhancing environmental resources.  Although increasing hydropower energy production has tended to be at odds with the ecological integrity of free-flowing river systems, there are opportunities for both endpoints to benefit.  One such example is the Penobscot River (Maine, USA), where improved passage and removal of dams in the lower portion of the basin freed up almost 1000 miles of habitat for anadromous species, such as Atlantic salmon and shortnose sturgeon.  Losses in energy in the lower portion of the basin were offset by increasing energy production at six upstream dams, leading to a total net increase in energy production.  While the Penobscot River restoration is a premier example of a win/win scenario, other examples of optimal energy-environmental solutions within US river basins are rare.  However, US initiatives are in place to meet the growing need for sustainable energy development while also improving environmental conditions.  Presentations within this symposium should highlight initiatives, examples, approaches, and tools to balance hydropower energy development with environmental mitigation and improvements to fisheries at a basin scale.  In addition, presentations regarding approaches to engage and integrate demands from competing stakeholders are also encouraged.  Examples of environmental benefits include, but are not limited to, enhancements in fish passage, fisheries productivity, water quality, hydrology, restoration, and land acquisition whereas examples of hydropower energy expansion include increases in efficiency through installation of new turbines or modifying operations, powering existing dams, or construction of new projects.  While individual hydropower projects and associated regulations are not the main focus of the symposium, we encourage presentations involving hydropower projects spanning entire river networks or large portions of rivers.  Contributions from the international community, especially in countries exhibiting substantial energy expansion, are also encouraged.