Behavioural adaptations of rheophilic fish radio-tracked in a river highly fragmented by hydroelectric plants. Outcomes of a partial reopening of their migration routes.

Using water resources for hydroelectricity production influences and limits the quality and quantity of habitat available for use by fishes and influences fish mobility. In the Amblève (River Meuse basin, Belgium), the major part of the river is fragmented by hydroelectric power plants that largely prevent the biological movements of the fish population. In 2007, in the hydroelectric site of Lorcé, a modern pool-type fish pass was constructed, re-establishing the upstream movements of fish after more than 80 years of total obstruction.
Sixteen different fish species promptly used the new fish pass and the objective of our study was to analyse their behavioural tactics and spawning activity once released upstream of the dam in a previously inaccessible environment. The study focussed on rheophilic holobiotic species, the nase (Chondrostoma nasus), the barbel (Barbus barbus), the European grayling (Thymallus thymallus) and the brown trout (Salmo trutta), which are highly representative of the fish population of the river. The fish were radio-tagged and intensively located using
manual tracking techniques during their circum reproduction periods. The results indicate that most individuals of the different species seem to have found usable spawning areas and exploited a large part of the newly usable river stretch (as well as tributaries) located upstream of the fish pass. However, a major problem was observed during the post-spawning period, when the tracked individuals tried to reach their original departure sites
(located downstream of the fish pass). The absence of a downstream migration device combined with the passage of all the water through the turbine severely disrupted their post-reproductive movements.