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FishXing 3.0Modeling Fish Capabilities and Culvert Hydraulics for the Assessment and Design of Stream Crossings

Project TeamMichael FurnissMichael LoveSusan Firor, P.E.Antonio Llanos, P.E.Kathleen MoynanJeff Guntle

Michael Love and Antonio LlanosMichael Love & Associates, Eureka CA

Stream Crossing Barriers are Common

Crossings assessed on fish bearing streams:

66% (246)

5 Counties Northern California

60% (312)

CalTrans District 1 NW California

53%(47)

Trans Labrador Highway (Canada)

75%(1,119)

Tongass National Forest (Alaska)

68%(5,157)

Oregon & Washington (Federal Lands)

Blockages(n)

Location

n = number of culverts assessed

Oregon

Washington

Federal Lands in OR & WA

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Sites needingassessment

Fish Passage Assessment Tool Needed

from CalFish Database

19,408 potential blockages on fish bearing streams

Barriers to Fish Passage

1.Excess drop at culvert outlet2.Insufficient pool depth for leaping3.Insufficient water depth in culvert4.Excessive water velocity and culvert length

Common culvert blockages to fish passage:

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9%

73%

Flows Meeting Passage Criteria

Passage Conditions Change with Flow

18%

Insufficient Water Depth

Qhp

Qlp

Excessive Water Velocities

Software and Learning Systems for fish passage through culvertsFishXing

Our Sponsors: FishXing Software combines culvert hydraulics and fish locomotion

• An assessment tool providing quantitative objective results of fish passage conditions verses flow.

• A design tool for both “hydraulic” and “stream simulation” design approaches.

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Culvert InputsFish Information Culvert Information

Hydrology InformationTailwater Information

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A Longitudinal Profile is used to define key elevations and slopes:

• Survey with level and tripod• Generally need only 5 points

Channel Survey

Slope (+)

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Tailwater Depth changes with flow affecting passage conditions:

Tailwater ControlCross-Section

Culvert

OutletPool

Tailwater Control

Available Culvert Shapes

Low and High Profile Archesand Metal Box Culverts

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Embedded Culverts

Stream Simulation Designs

• Depth Embedded• Roughness of bed material

Embedded 3 feetEmbedded 3 feetn = 0.040n = 0.040

Composite Roughness

( ) ( ) 32

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5122

5111

⎟⎟⎠

⎞⎜⎜⎝

⎛++

=PP

nPnPn

..

composite

Culvert Hydraulics

FishXing predicts the hydraulic environment encountered by the fish.

And approximates velocities and depths in locations of Rapidly Varied Flow

dy/dx = (So – Sf)/(1-Fr2)For Gradually Varied Flow

• Inlet Contraction Velocities• Hydraulic Jumps• Free Surface Outlets• Plunging Flow

The model assumes:One-Dimensional, Steady-State, Non-Uniform Flow

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eentrancencontractio KVV += 1

Culvert Hydraulics

Inlet Contraction VelocityInlet Zone

(Length = 2– 3 ft)

Culvert Hydraulics

Identifies Location of Hydraulic Jumps

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Culvert Hydraulics

Free Surface Outlet

Plunging Flow Calculations• Based on Projectile Physics• Water Follows Parabolic Path• Neglects Frictional Effects

• Estimates velocities and depths in rapidly varying flow

• Improves prediction of water’s Exit Angle for Plunging Flow

Outlet Zone

Occupied Velocities

Velocity (ft/s)

Trout sized fish

Define Reduction Factors forInlet, Barrel, and Outlet Zones

AverageVelocity

OccupiedVelocity

ReductionFactor

= 3.1 ft/s

= 1.5 ft/s

= = 0.51.53.1

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Fish Swimming

Swim speeds:

• Sustained - Maintained Indefinitely• Prolonged –Maintained for 20 sec to 200 min• Burst – Highest speeds, usually maintained < 20 sec

Select Prolonged and Burst swim speeds (67 species and 229 records) obtained from peer-reviewed scientific literature

Fish Performance Database

Common Dace

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Total Swim Time in Burst

Time to Exhaustion>

Yes

Water Velocity

Prolonged Capability>

Swim at Burst Speed

Barrier(Exhausted Burst)

Yes

Swimming Calculations

Swimming Algorithm (simplified)

Fish Leaping

(1) Calculate Leap Velocityneeded for horizontal landing

(2) Is Leap Velocitywithin fish’s abilities?

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Hydraulic Criteria Option

State and Federal Fish Passage Guidelinesuse established hydraulic criteria

Max Water Velocity

Min Water DepthMax Outlet Drop

Swimming Model

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Swimming Model

Barrier and Passage Reporting

Migration Flowsmeeting passage criteria

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Application: Large Area Assessment

Use Project Summary to:

• Rank inventoried sites or

• Compare alternative designs.

Assessment Results for Lake Earl Watershed

Percent of Migration Flow Meeting Passage Criteria

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Application: Stream Simulation Design

Culvert is wider than adjacent channel with a natural bottom.

Hydraulic variables used in stream simulation design:

• Wetted width • Shear Stress• Darcy Friction Factor

• Energy Dissipation Factor • Stream Power • Composite Roughness

The User Manual

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Limitations and Future Improvements

Fish LocomotionCulvert Hydraulics• Culvert Manning’s

n-values at fish flows

• Inlet loss coefficients for fish flows

• Velocity distribution within the culvert

• Deterministic model for individual fish

• Distribution of swimming abilities for a population

• Behavioral factors

FishXing Team working with R&D• Incorporating latest research into

User Manual and on-line library

• Incorporating results from Skookumchuck culvert test bed

• Working with USGS Conte Lab to improve swimming model

Flow

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FishXing is free and available on the web at:

www.stream.fs.fed.us/fishxing(version 3Beta now available)