Influence of pool geometry on the biological efficiency of vertical slot fishways

The characteristics of the flow in vertical slot fishways depend mainly on the specific pool design, i.e., the geometry of the pool. This paper presents the results of a study on sixteen different designs of vertical slot fishways with two different slopes. The flow field is studied using both a physical-scale model and a numerical model which solves the 2D depth-averaged shallow water equations coupled with a k–ɛ turbulence model. Several hydraulic parameters, such as the average velocity in the slot or the water depth, are considered in order to evaluate their biological efficiency. Based on the results, it appears that the length of the pool is the main geometric dimension that affects the flow in the fishway. The numerical and experimental agreement is very satisfactory.