91视频

A new laboratory at Oregon State University attempts to mimic the forces of nature on river projects and identify potential impacts on migrating fish.

Researchers have rigged the $600,000 Multipurpose River Hydraulics Research Facility on OSU‘s Corvallis campus to imitate flows of up to 35 cubic feet per second and support experiments involving live fish. The aim is to boost research to improve fish passage, stream restoration, flood control and dam removal, said Arturo Leon, an assistant professor of water resources engineering in OSU’s School of Civil and Construction Engineering.

Leon is the director of the facility, which he says is also ideal for use by companies developing hydraulic structures such as dam turbines.

鈥淚f they come up with a new turbine they can come here and they can test the technology,鈥� he said. 鈥淏asically any company, if they want to build something and they don’t know how it will perform, then we can make improvements to the performance.鈥�

At the research facility, located behind OSU’s O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory, two simultaneous and independent experiments can take place via recirculation of water through large, adjustable flumes. To further recreate a river setting, the facility can have sediment and fish swimming through it.

鈥淵ou build the river and the water will be recirculating,鈥� Leon said.

The system essentially acts like a treadmill for fish, said Guillermo Giannico, an associate professor and extension fisheries specialist with the OSU Department of Fisheries and Wildlife. This makes it perfect for tests to improve the design of fish ladders and culverts for migrating species to bypass dams and other obstacles while swimming to spawning grounds, he said.

鈥淒espite all the research, we are finding out that passage isn’t as good as we thought,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he ultimate goal is passage with the littlest amount of stress.鈥�

Giannico is hoping to perform experiments in the facility using mostly lab-bred rainbow trout, and monitor their vitals to assess whether they would survive the passage and be healthy enough to reproduce when they make it to the other side. This includes tracking oxygen consumption and the number of tail beats to see if the fish are exerting themselves too much.

鈥淎ny energy allocated to migration is taken away from reproduction,鈥� he said. 鈥淏y being able to monitor in a controlled environment all the different vitals, we can predict passage.鈥�

Computer modeling can help assess ways to modify or design a passage to minimize stress on fish, but nothing compares to an experiment that mimics real world factors, Giannico said. The same goes for projects that seek to return rivers and streams that have been channeled or dammed to a more natural state.

鈥淭here is a lot of modeling involved with these type of questions, but sometimes these models have black holes we do not understand,鈥� he said. 鈥�(The facility) offers a great menu of options for fisheries research and restoration research.鈥�

The research facility also has attracted attention from private companies, Leon said. Officials from Earth by Design, a Bend-based company that specializes in developing clean energy projects, have expressed interest in testing hydroelectric turbines in the lab, he said.

Leon said he’s spent the past two years on facility development and installation. Last month, OSU hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating its completion.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Oregon BEST and NorthWest Research Associates contributed money toward facility development.