**ABSTRACT NOT FOR CITATION WITHOUT AUTHOR PERMISSION. The title, authors, and abstract for this completion report are provided below. For a copy of the full completion report, please contact the author via e-mail at dzielinski@glfc.org. Questions? Contact the GLFC via email at slrp@glfc.org or via telephone at 734-662-3018.**

 

 

PROOF OF CONCEPT TEST OF FLOW VELOCITY ENHANCEMENT SYSTEMS (FVES) TO GUIDE SEA LAMPREY MOVEMENT

 

D.P. Zielinski2, S. Meihls3, G. Burns4, C. Coutant5

 

2Great Lakes Fishery Commission, 310C, 310 W. Front Street, Traverse City, MI 49684

3U.S. Geological Survey, Hammond Bay Biological Station, 11188 Ray Road, Millersburg, MI 49759

4Natural Solution...A Dam Site-better LLC, 1890 Sierra Road East, Helena, MT 59602

5Coutant Aquatics, 120 Miramar Circle, Oak Ridge, TN 37830

 

 

January 2020

 

ABSTRACT:

 

Manipulation of water velocities and turbulence using pumps, propellers, or jets is a promising alternative to physical water control structures to guide fish towards traps or fishways.  Sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) are a species of concern in much of its native and invasive ranges, and their improved guidance could benefit management actions for both conservation and control.  The Flow Velocity Enhancement System (FVES), an emergent technology that uses a venturi pump to generate a plume of turbulence, has shown promise guiding downstream migrating fish in slow-moving or static water conditions formed by large reservoirs, but is untested for guidance of upstream swimming fish in low current environments.    The FVES had minimal impact on depth averaged velocity profiles, but produced elevated levels of turbulent intensity.  Changes in spatial distribution and number of turns suggest sea lamprey detect and are mildly attracted to turbulence induced by the FVES.  These results demonstrate the potential of induced turbulence as a guidance mechanism for upstream migrating sea lamprey, but more extensive testing is needed to show the full utility of this approach.