Roller Bucket Fish Barrier

Fish barriers play a central role in the re-establishment of native fish populations by preventing future upstream migration of invasive, non-native fishes.  Once a barrier is constructed, the non-native fish can be eradicated from the river upstream from the barrier and the native populations can be re-introduced to the river.  The barrier then prevents invasion of non-native species, allowing the native fish populations to rebound.

A physical hydraulic model study (conducted by U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Hydraulic Investigations and Laboratory Services group, Denver, Co.) was used to develop and optimize performance of an effective fish barrier design, using an ogee crest, with a roller bucket design located at the toe of the structure.  One advantage of the roller bucket is that it produces extreme turbulence where fish could normally stage to jump over the barrier.   The structure was designed for an area known as Halfway Wash located on the Virgin River, approximately 16 miles upstream from Lake Mead.  In addition, because the river bed channel is made up of fine silt and sand, the barrier was optimized for energy dissipation and the roller bucket design acted to minimize erosion occurring at the base of the structure.