Abstract

JIMENEZ-SEGURA, Luz Fernanda et al. Fish inside the discharge tunnels of a hydropower facility in the Porce River. Actu Biol [online]. 2018, vol.40, n.108, pp.97-102. ISSN 0304-3584.  https://doi.org/10.17533/udea.acbi.v40n108a09.

Flow in discharge tunnels of hydropower plants stimulates the entrance of potamodromous fish into these structures since the dam acts as a barrier to migration. Rescue of fish in the discharge tunnel is a management strategy to reduce the probability of entrapment inside the tunnels. At the Porce III hydropower station, the presence of the fish is detected when the discharge tunnel of the Porce III plant is emptied to perform maintenance activities to the discharge gates of the generation units. In the years 2012, 2013 and 2015 the trapped fish were transported from the discharge tunnels to the channel of the Porce River, downstream of the dam. Eight species of fish were found, different from those reported in other similar structures. In the transfers, individuals of migratory species were predominant. Those species move two times by year from the lowlands of the basin to the different tributaries. This mitigation strategy has been favorable to avoid fish mortalities due to their entrapment within these structures during their maintenance and it has been frequently adopted as a management activity by hydropower companies.

Keywords : Tropics; Andean River; hydropower; freshwater migratory fish; management strategy.

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