US Government As Represented by the Secretary of the Army

Other

The United States of America As Represented by the U.S. Army Corps of

John M Nestler

Falih H Ahmad

Jim Evans

Richard W Haskins

Virginia Kay Sutton

Richard Andrew Goodwin

James A Evans

Peter N Johnson

Thomas James Carlson

James G Evans

James L Pickens

A system and method for guiding fish that migrate is provided. A preferred embodiment is affixed to a dam having intakes that: a) generate hydroelectric power and b) serve as a natural hydraulic cue for fish that, once attracted to the intake, may be injured or killed traversing the intake. A device resembling an oversize kitchen exhaust fan hood, with extension, is affixed adjacent the upstream side of a stream barrier that otherwise precludes fish from safely passing. The device simulates a naturally occurring hydraulic cue that fish use to migrate and may be used to defeat competing detrimental hydraulic cues. Also provided are embodiments to enable adjustment of the device to meet changing hydraulic conditions; to preclude the accidental provision of competing negative cues or stimuli; and to complement the simulated natural hydraulic cue provided by the device through using stimuli such as light, sound or combinations thereof.

Natural cue surface bypass collector

Provided are a device and associated method for simulating natural hydraulic cues received instinctively by waterborne fauna. A preferred embodiment is suitable for modifying existing manmade barriers such as fish diversion screens used at dams. The simulated cues mimic those produced by the flow of water over rough streambeds. Fish detect the cues and avoid contact with the barriers in the same way that they avoid collision with natural features. In one embodiment, a series of rectangular plates are attached to the U-clip connectors on the downstream side of diversion screens. The plates are oriented approximately perpendicular to the flow lines approaching the surface of the screen. The flow contacts the plates and, because the orientation of the plate creates an unstable hydraulic field, the flow alternately slips above and below the plates, creating fluctuating local acceleration zones able to be detected by migrating fish and other waterborne fauna.

Device and method for simulating natural cues so that waterborne fauna avoid contacting manmade barriers

Apparatus for studying the variations in hydrodynamic pressure for correlation with fish movement towards and away from zones of danger comprises a hollow winged section having mounted on the surface thereof, piezoelectric sensors, and an accelerometer mounted within the apparatus, for generating electrical signals that are processed and interpreted by remote electronic means.

Multiple pressure gradient sensor

A method for determining the probable response of aquatic species to selected components of water flow fields, comprising the steps of obtaining data for identifying travel and quantitatively describing behavior of real fish constituting members of a selected aquatic species in a flow field, determining passive transport trajectories of the members of the aquatic species in the flow field to establish a basis from which to determine swim path selections, developing postulated behavioral responses of members of the aquatic species to at least one of hydraulic and acoustic stimuli, using statistical rules, and developing a computer utilizing the travel behavior data, the passive transport trajectories, and the postulated behavioral responses, to provide a virtual fish. The method further includes the steps of obtaining data on at least one selected hydraulic flow field component to generate a virtual hydraulic flow field, generating a simulative application of a multiplicity of virtual fish to the virtual hydraulic flow field, and tracking and monitoring the virtual fish through the virtual flow field, and summarizing results as to the numbers of virtual fish entering and exiting the virtual flow field, whereby to determine probable efficiency of real fish passage through the real hydraulic flow field.

Method for determining probable response of aquatic species to selected

The invention is a processor based analysis system with appropriate interface that includes multiple fish surrogates that each have a plurality of piezoelectric and triaxial accelerometer sensors for emulating sensory organs of a particular fish. The multiple fish surrogate array is immersed in flowing water intakes of a hydraulic structures such as intakes, intake bypasses, and diversion structures, and natural geological formation such as riffles, shoal areas, and pools. The invention is an interface system for data acquisition analysis and perspective display of acoustic and fluid dynamic data in or near these hydraulic structures and/or natural formations. To accomplish this, multiple sensors in each of the fish-shaped surrogate physical enclosures that form the array are deployed at the same time to describe a fish's aquatic environment at the hydraulic structure location. The gathered data can then be correlated with fish behavior for the purpose of developing methods of diverting fish from such areas of danger of a water intake or to attract them to a water bypass entrance system.

Multiple sensor fish surrogate interface system for acoustic and

A computer implemented method for analyzing data utilizes a program and computer for processing input data in the form of a digitized map representing a physical structure. The microprocessor performs the steps and stores the results of the steps in an attached storage device. The computer is programed to employ or use various linear scales to establish critical dimensions of the curve and to analyze the dimensions in terms of orthogonal components. These are also stored for later processing or analysis to predict physical behavior associated with the structure. In a particular embodiment the curve represents a river bottom and predictions may be made about flows and the like.

Method for spatial and temporal analysis of nested graphical data

Profiles of a river area analyzed by determining a ruler length characterizing the size of topological features of the river. The perimeter of a transect of the river is then determined by integrating the Pythagorean theorem using selected points on the transect. Main voids occurring in the calculation are measured by dividing the main void into triangular areas and accumulating the triangular areas across the main void.

Hybrid method of Characterizing spatial aspects of the transect of a

A method of producing quantitative criteria for optimizing river water rerces under variable flow conditions is described. The method includes calculating a bivariate frequency distribution from data representing flow conditions of a target reach of river, calculating a bivariate frequency distribution from data representing flow conditions of a standard reach of river, and comparing the target frequency distribution with the standard frequency distribution, thereby to assess the degree of similarity between the target flow conditions and the standard flow conditions. The similarity coefficients serve as the criteria by which water resource decisions are made. Ecosystem level impacts are defensibly assessed while optimizing water resource allocation.

Riverine community habitat assessment and restoration methodlogy

The apparatus of this invention are multiple fish surrogates that each have plurality of piezoelectric and triaxial accelerometer sensors for emulating sensory organs of a particular fish. The multiple fish surrogates are immersed in flowing water intakes of a hydraulic structure such as: intakes, intake bypasses, and diversion structures; or also natural geological formation such as riffles, shoal areas, and pools. The invention is used for acquisition of acoustic and fluid dynamic data in or near these hydraulic structures and natural formations. To accomplish this, multiple sensors in multiple fish-shaped physical enclosures are deployed at the same time to describe a fish's aquatic environment at locations such as in proximity to a dam's intake. Since such an intake exhibits turbulent and high energy flow fields that cannot be characterized by a single sensor, many sensor bodies are required for a complete characterization of the environment. Similar deployment of the multiple sensor fish bodies can be made in complex natural channels to describe their acoustic fields and hydrodynamic fields. Such data are correlated with fish behavior for the purpose of developing methods of diverting fish from such areas of danger of a water intake or to attract them to a water bypass entrance system.

Multiple sensor fish surrogate for acoustic and hydraulic data collection

Acoustic signals and hydraulic pressure variations which influence fish bvior in bodies of water are measured and recorded by apparatus simulating a fish immersed in water, fitted with piezoelectric transducers and connected by wiring to remote amplifying and recording means. Such data are correlated with fish behavior for the purpose of developing methods of diverting fish from such areas of danger as the intake piping of hydroelectric power generating turbines and pumping stations.

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Vicksburg, MS, United States of America

John M Nestler