Effective Placement Strategies for Portable Fishways in Agricultural Drainage Canals: A Numerical Investigation

Abstract

Agricultural drainage canals that connect upstream fish spawning areas to downstream rivers and lakes serve as crucial habitats for migrating fish. However, disconnections, such as drops and chutes, have been constructed in these canals due to agricultural modernization and flood control measures, hindering the movement of fish that find it difficult to ascend in fast-flowing currents. Portable fishways offer a promising solution to reconnect waterbodies in agricultural canals, as they can be easily removed during high water discharges to avoid impeding the canals’ drainage function. In addition to experimental assessments of fishway functionality, employing a hydrodynamic model to explore effective placement strategies for portable fishways is essential to maximize their effectiveness. This study presents a method for determining the best horizontal location of a portable fishway in an agricultural drainage canal using two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations within the specified cases. The applicability of this method is demonstrated by addressing the positioning challenge of a portable fishway on a chute in an agricultural drainage canal in Japan. The results indicate that the proposed method allows for the selection of a suitable location, considering preferable hydraulic conditions both within the portable fishway and around its entrance.