About Us
Overview
EcoPeak4Fish stands for four E’s: Ecology, Engineering, Economy, and Ecosystem, which are displayed in the tasks of the project. The four E’s are complementary and mandatory to account for, if the development of hydropower schemes is to be made in a sustainable way.
EcoPeak4Fish will deliver: 1) a prototype flow-refuge to be applied in peaking rivers; and 2) a framework to assess the trade-offs between hydropower profits and habitat availability focused on fish.
This will strongly support self-sustaining fish populations. Therefore, promoting the transition for a more ecological hydropower production.
The knowledge gained will help policy makers to regulate hydropeaking and tackle the challenges of hydropower development to cope with climate change. Hydropower managers will benefit from easy-to-use tools to reduce the impacts of hydropower on fish without compromising hydropower profits and production.
3-year project
1 March 2021 – 29 February 2024
Goals
The main goal of EcoPeak4Fish is to assess the effects of hydropeaking in cyprinid species, propose a flow-refuge prototype and assess its cost-effectiveness; and develop a framework to adapt the HPP operation scheme to maximize profits and environmental benefits for a sustainable use of hydropower energy.
Specific objectives are to:
(1) assess fish habitat preferences in peaking rivers,
(2) assess the effects of peak flows on fish movements, stress and energy expenditure,
(3) assess the efficiency of flow-refuges to reduce the negative impacts of hydropeaking in fish,
(4) propose a flow-refuge prototype to implement in peaking rivers,
(5) evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the proposed prototype,
(6) propose a methodology to estimate the trade-offs involved in the HPP operation, particularly regarding profit maximization and fish habitat preservation.
Workpackages
WP 1
Fish ecology and microhabitat assessment
WP 2
Experimental testing of flow-refuges at the indoor flume
WP 3
Implementation and evaluation of flow-refuge prototype
WP 4
Assessment of environmental and economic trade-offs in the operation of a HPP
Team members
Isabel Boavida
PI & IST team leader
Environmental engineering | ecohydraulics | hydropeaking | e-flows
António Pinheiro
IST team
Hydraulic structures | ecohydraulics | fish passages | e-flows
Maria João Costa
IST team
Freshwater ecology | hydropeaking | river restoration
José Maria Santos
Co-PI & ISA team leader
Freshwater ecology | fish passages | habitat suitability
Rui Mota
NOVA SBE team leader
Environmental economist | ecosystem services | environment
Pedro Leitão
Hidroerg team leader
Economist | hydropower management
Francisco Godinho
External consultant
Freshwater ecology | aquatic environment | ecohydraulics
Jeffrey Tuhtan
External consultant
Environmental sensing technologies | ecohydraulics
Students
Funding
PTDC/EAM-AMB/4531/2020
