Effect of hydrolectric dam operations on salmon productivity

What is it about?

We studied the effects of operational constraints implemented at a hydroelectric dam to reduce the effects of discharge fluctuations on the population of salmon that spawns and rears downstream from the dam. We used stock-recruit analysis to identify changes to the population's freshwater productivity that occurred over a 30-year period and coincided with changes to dam operations.

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Why is it important?

We showed that altering the timing and magnitude of discharge fluctuations can minimize the adverse effects of operating hydroelectric dams on the productivity of downstream fish populations. The information gained from this study may be used to guide future efforts to mitigate the effects of hydroelectric dam operations on downstream fish populations in other areas. In addition, the methods we used proved to be an effective approach for assessing population-level effects of flow management.