Providing fish passage

Fish friendly controls

Artificial controls have their drawbacks. While increasing low flow accuracy, they can increase sedimentation and disrupt fish migrations.

Water managers are increasingly required to consider fish passage around control structures. If a control is identified as disrupting native fish passage, the site may need a fish friendly alternative.

Fish friendly controls, fish ladders and fish ways, allow fish to migrate upstream and downstream of the site. They are designed to create ideal conditions for native fish movement, including rapids and resting pools.

The following principles are best practice for considering new fish friendly controls:

• should be suitable for all native fish that move through the site
• should be designed to provide year-round passage for fish over the full range of flows or, as a minimum, ensure passage when fish are migrating
• should provide both upstream and downstream fish passage
• should be designed to minimise fish injury
• resting habitat should be provided within the fishway.

The Regional Water Monitoring Partnership (RWMP) works closely with the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research (ARI) in identifying the sites that pose the largest risk to native species, and to design and install fish friendly controls.