Restoration of fish passage: development and results of a master plan established for the Ruhr river basin

Abstract

According to the central aim of the European Water Framework Directive, the protection and sustained management of the aquatic ecological system, the ecological condition of a specific type of water, will be the primary parameter in future. Aiming at good ecological status in surface water bodies, population diversity and abundance of fish and macroinvertebrates is decisive. Free passage in river systems, to allow the natural migration of fish and all other aquatic organisms, is a prerequisite. To achieve this for the Ruhr River Basin a study has been commissioned in order to develop a master plan for river continuum restoration. Sustainable development aimed at promoting biodiversity in the surface water body system is a key objective. This project is complemented by investigations of the sediment--which is the nursery of the fish--in the rivers to identify river sections or tributaries which obviously provide a suitable habitat for the successful reproduction of big Salmonidae. The master plan illustrates the inherent problems of projects aimed at the restoration of fish passage in water bodies which are strongly affected by anthropogenic modifications. The results obtained may as well be transferred to other catchments with similar use patterns.

Effectiveness monitoring of fish passage facilities: historical trends, geographic patterns and future directions

“…Thus, evaluations in Europe studied baseline efficiencies for a larger range of fish taxa instead of more detailed mechanisms of passage by a single species. Indeed, a key objective of the European Water Directive Framework (European Commission 2000) is to allow passage of all fish species and other aquatic organisms (Weyand et al 2005). Similarly, studies from tropical areas rarely monitored individual passage or mechanisms of failure but nearly always included the entire community.…”

“…These vary among countries. The European Water Directive Framework considers free passage and undisturbed migration of fish as a key component to restoring and managing watersheds (European Commission 2000; Weyand et al. 2005).…”

“…Dams can significantly alter up‐ and down‐stream habitats and so unhindered passage at barriers does not ensure pre‐barrier fish abundances or biodiversity if surrounding habitats are no longer suitable. Nonetheless, connectivity of river corridors has been identified as a prerequisite to good ecological condition in managed watersheds (Weyand et al. 2005).…”

“…These vary among countries. The European Water Directive Framework considers free passage and undisturbed migration of fish as a key component to restoring and managing watersheds (European Commission 2000;Weyand et al 2005). In the United States, hydropower licensing requires that fishways ensure safe and timely movement of fish past hydropower projects (Odeh 1999).…”

Health Co-Benefits of Green Building Design Strategies and Community Resilience to Urban Flooding: A Systematic Review of the Evidence

“…Parkland queried “Biodiversity”, “Conservation of Natural Resources”, and “Facility Design and Construction” (four citations were returned, three of which were relevant to the inquiry [ 72 , 73 , 74 ]). Design strategies meeting the credit requirements were found to reduce the risk of exposure to flooding events by influencing land use choices.…”