Fish Passage Through Culverts: Volume 990

Calvin O. Baker · Frank E. Votapka · Technology & Development Center (Missoula, Mont.)

ene 1990 · U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration

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The success of fish migration through culverts is dependent on the swimming ability of the fish and the hydraulic conditions of the culvert. Properly designed and constructed culverts can minimize the impact on fish passage. Because culverts are typically more economical than bridges, it is appropriate to evaluate when to use culverts and to predict the effects of such culvert installations. During the consideration of alternatives for structures for fish passage, culverts should not be automatically eliminated. This publication has tried to examine the aspects of culvert design and operation relative to the existing information that has been published in previous studies. Ideally, a culvert installation should not change the conditions that existed prior to that installation. This means that the cross-sectional area should not be restricted by the culvert, the slope should not change, and the roughness coefficients should remain the same. Any change in these conditions will result in a velocity change which could alter the sediment transportation capacity of the stream. A truly successful culvert design would include matching the velocities of the fish's swimming zone in the culvert to the swimming capacity of the design fish. Unfortunately, not enough research has been completed to make this an acceptable criterion of culvert design. This approach is preferred because it is easier to reduce the velocities in the swimming zone by increasing the boundary roughness than it is to reduce the mean velocity of the entire culvert. This publication contains some relatively simple guidelines which can reduce the installation problems of culverts in streams containing migrating fish when combined with the expertise of an experience fish biologist, engineer, and hydrologist.