US 4,260,286 A · Integrated fish migration system

Abstract

A system for use at dams, diversion canals, and the like includes a fish ladder for enabling fish to travel both upstream and downstream without injury past man-made obstacles such as dams. The fish ladder comprises a series of dish-like compartments to which water is made to flow from top to bottom. Auxiliary water input to each dish in the series is maintained to create the desired turbulence and flush debris from the ladder. Also included is a power predator seine chamber at the bottom of the fish ladder for chumming predator fish from the waters at the bottom of the fish ladder. The predator fish can be sorted out when the seine is raised. Repetitive traveling screens move through the water and allow the removal of water from a body of water without removing or damaging fish therein. The screen's rotation, size of the screen material, and the angle of the screen to primary water flow allow the migrating fish to keep moving in the desired direction while large volumes of water are diverted. Another component of the system is a multi-point discharger for providing water discharge from a dam or the like. The discharger includes a large pipe with numerous small openings for discharging the water as a multitude of small streams of water. The resulting discharge eliminates the confusion in upstream migrants which results from present water discharge systems. The upstream migrating fish are thus more quickly and easily able to find the fish ladder. Also, an optional fish return is provided for those situations where two rivers having migrating fish therein are coupled together by a canal.

Claims12

Dependent claims

Apparatus for providing a pathway for migrating fish between a lower body of water and an upper body of water, said apparatus comprising a plurality of compartment means having rounded bottoms for holding a preselected volume of water, said plurality of compartment means being coupled one to another in a ladder-like arrangement from a last compartment means at a lowest level to a first compartment means at a highest level, said plurality of compartment means comprising overflow means for allowing water in said compartment means to overflow therethrough whenever the water therein reaches a predetermined level, each of said plurality of compartment means between said first and last compartment means being coupled to receive water through the overflow means from the compartment means preceding it and to provide water through said overflow means to the compartment means succeeding it;

and an inlet means being coupled to at least one of said plurality of compartment means for providing a preselected flow of water into at least one of said plurality of compartment means, thereby providing a preselected amount of water flow within said compartment means and also providing a preselected amount of turbulence for cleaning debris from said ompartment means.

A system for use in removing water from a first body of water while not removing or damaging fish and other water life therein, said system comprising:

a first means for containing flowing water of said first body of water and having a water flow at a first portion thereof occurring substantially along a first line;
a second means coupled to said first means at said first portion for containing flowing water having a water flow occurring substantially along a second line, said second line being substantially orthogonal to said first line;
and
a screen means coupled to said first means and said second means comprising a meshlike material of a preselected size for allowing water to flow therethrough and for preventing a predetermined size of fish and other water life from passing therethrough, said meshlike material being interposed between said first means and said second means, the plane formed by said meshlike material being essentially perpendicular to the water flow in said second means.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Integrated fish migration system

Life of this patent

Integrated fish migration system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims12