Overview of typical compensation measures and results of the monitoring campaign on the Upper Rhine at two HPPs
10.09.2018 / FIThydro, Augsburg / Jochen Ulrich Overview Upper Rhine HPP Rheinfelden and Ryburg-Schwörstadt (Average discharge Upper Rhine: 1030 m³/s)
HPP Ryburg-Schwörstadt
HPP Rheinfelden
Basel
Lake Constance
10.09.2018 2 FIThydro / Compensation measures / Jochen Ulrich Overview Upper Rhine HPP Ryburg-Schwörstadt (max. 1460 m³/s, 120 MW, production: 760 Mio. kWh/a)
10.09.2018 3 FIThydro / Compensation measures / Jochen Ulrich In total 17 compensation measures (to get new approval / no technical changes4 at the HPP) 12.08.2014 B. Karrer Overview Upper Rhine HPP Rheinfelden (max. 1500 m³/s, 100 MW, production: 600 Mio. kWh/a)
10.09.2018 5 FIThydro / Compensation measures / Jochen Ulrich Former HPP Rheinfelden – Construction: 1894-1898 …biggest river power plant at that time // Main changes and impacts of new HPP
Higher Water level +1,4m -> changes in hydraulics and ground water
Loss of rock formation and habitat
10.09.2018 6 FIThydro / Compensation measures / Jochen Ulrich Rheinfelden hydro power projekt Overview after construction / Overview fishways In total more than 80 compensation measures
Roughened fischway
Near-nature water course Vertical-Slot fishway
10.09.2018 7 FIThydro / Compensation measures / Jochen Ulrich Overview compensation measures Examples will be shown in the presentation
• Fish passage (technical or near-nature fishways) • Residual flow / Minimum flow • Reconnecting oxbows, flood plains and small tributaries • Renaturation • Structural diversity of the shore and the river bed • Specific measures to the protection of species • Ground water • Cultural Heritage • Landscape / Recreation
10.09.2018 8 FIThydro / Compensation measures / Jochen Ulrich Fish passage / Minimum flow / Habitat structures Ecological functions of the near-nature water course / Separate turbine for minimum flow purposes
Ecological functions: • Riffles built out of gravel (spawning ground for common nase and barbel) • Pools with gravel banks (habitat for different species) • Deeper flow path (to ensure Separate turbine 30m³/s fish passage) to ensure minimum flow on the rocks (to save • Ecologically effective spezialised species of habitat structures (Gravel moss ) islands, rootstocks, trees, …) (positive results in the last monitoring period!)
10.09.2018 9 FIThydro / Compensation measures / Jochen Ulrich Fish passage HPP Ryburg-Schwörstadt Two entrances with connection to the river bed and attraction flow
300 kW turbine / electricity + attraction flow
3D Graphic- Tailrace HPP Ryburg-Schwörstadt The attraction flow is generated by the discharge of a separately built 300 kW - turbine 10.09.2018 10 FIThydro / Compensation measures / Jochen Ulrich HPP Rheinfelden Results of fish counting
Fish passage Upper Rhine 2005-2006 compared with the results of the 2012-2013 and 2016-2017 fish countings in Rheinfelden
2016-2017
Quelle: Guthruf 2017 Quelle: Aquarius 2013
10.09.2018 11 FIThydro / Compensation measures / Jochen Ulrich Comparison of the results of the Rheinfelden 2012- 2013 fish counting with the counting 2005/2006 Upper Rhine, total number of species
The counting 2016-2017 showed almost the same Quelle: Aquarius 2013 results like the 2012-2013-counting 10.09.2018 12 FIThydro / Compensation measures / Jochen Ulrich Results fish counting – Length of the registered fish (logarithmic diagram)
Quelle: Aquarius 2013
10.09.2018 13 FIThydro / Compensation measures / Jochen Ulrich Comparision of the migrating species in the two fishways (left: water course, right: vertical slot)
• Near-nature water course: 34 species Quelle: Aquarius 2013 • Vertical slot: 24 species Different abundance of species
10.09.2018 14 FIThydro / Compensation measures / Jochen Ulrich Fish passage HPP Rheinfelden Fish counting - summary
• High number of migrating fish • Very high number of species • Abundance of rare species has significantly grown • No selectivity • Target species are present
• Similar results at the HPP Ryburg-Schwörstadt
10.09.2018 15 FIThydro / Compensation measures / Jochen Ulrich Structural diversity of the shore and the river bed Gravel deposits / 1500 m³ every two years
10.09.2018 16 FIThydro / Compensation measures / Jochen Ulrich Structural diversity on the shore and in the river bed
Quelle: Aquarius 2018 10.09.2018 17 FIThydro / Compensation measures / Jochen Ulrich Structural diversity of the shore and the river bed Gravel deposits
Objectives: • Spawning ground, reactivation of sediment transportation
Results monitoring: • More gravel on the river banks and the river bed: • But only few greylings in the initial feeding stage • Spawning ground only in small quantities, gravel is eroded within short time
Optimization of the measures: • Find a better site • Coordination on the whole Upper Rhine
10.09.2018 18 FIThydro / Compensation measures / Jochen Ulrich Structural diversity of the shore and the river bed Artificial erosion of river banks
Quelle: Aquarius 2018 10.09.2018 19 FIThydro / Compensation measures / Jochen Ulrich Structural diversity of the shore and the river bed Artificial erosion of river banks
Objectives: • Structure, small bays, trees as habitat
Results monitoring: • Small scale gravel deposits • Greylings an barbels
Optimization of the measures : • none • From time to time: remove vegetation
10.09.2018 20 FIThydro / Compensation measures / Jochen Ulrich Reconnecting flood plain (Aue Wallbach)
Quelle: Aquarius 2018 10.09.2018 21 FIThydro / Compensation measures / Jochen Ulrich Reconnecting flood plain (Aue Wallbach)
Objectives: • Dynamic, Structure, new oxbow, more habitats and retreat areas for juveniles and small species
Results of monitoring: • Sedimentation in the upper part, no more oxbow, but now backwater • High fish density and many species – high improvement • Valuable retreat area and habitat for juveniles and small species
Optimization of the measures: • Backwater – very valuable – no measure to ensure reactivation of oxbo • If sedimentation goes on – take some measures to ensure the backwater habitat.
10.09.2018 22 FIThydro / Compensation measures / Jochen Ulrich HPP Rheinfelden Monitoring vegetation
2013: Succession area 2016: Quelle: Ruess 2017 More vegetation on the Succession areas
10.09.2018 23 FIThydro / Compensation measures / Jochen Ulrich HPP Rheinfelden Monitoring vegetation Results – total species
total species:
2010: 251
2013: 318
2016: 335
Highest level in succession areas and meadows
Quelle: Ruess 2017
10.09.2018 24 FIThydro / Compensation measures / Jochen Ulrich HPP Rheinfelden Monitoring vegetation Results – total number of endangered species (CH)
Endangered species (CH):
2010: 14
2013: 28
2016: 30
Highest level in succession areas and meadows
Quelle: Ruess 2017
10.09.2018 25 FIThydro / Compensation measures / Jochen Ulrich Results landscape – slightly improved in the whole perimeter
Low quality High quality
Low quality Medium quality
Quelle: Ruess 2017
10.09.2018 26 FIThydro / Compensation measures / Jochen Ulrich Results landscape – slightly improved in the whole perimeter But also some places with lower quality
Low quality
High quality
Quelle: Ruess 2017
10.09.2018 27 FIThydro / Compensation measures / Jochen Ulrich Monitoring HPP Rheinfelden Birds
Goosander family close to the rock formation Great Crested Greep is breeding at the intake of the near-nature water course
Quelle: Ruess 2018
10.09.2018 28 FIThydro / Compensation measures / Jochen Ulrich Monitoring HPP Rheinfelden Birds
Artificial erosion sites are breeding places for the kingfisher
10.09.2018 29 FIThydro / Compensation measures / Jochen Ulrich Compensation measures at HPP Rheinfelden and HPP Ryburg-Schwörstadt Summary
• The results in upstream migration, vegetation and landscape are very good. • Most of the results in fauna are good as well, some of the measures probably take some time to reach full ecological function. • Most of the measures to improve the structural diversity of the shore and the river bed are very successful: i.e. artificial erosion, trees, oxbows/backwater. High fish density in these places. • Finding the right place for gravel deposits that result in spawning grounds for greylings seems to be difficult.
• Overall the compensation measures at the HPP Rheinfelden and Ryburg- Schwörstadt are very successful and improve the habitat of terrestrical and aquatic species significantly.
10.09.2018 30 FIThydro / Compensation measures / Jochen Ulrich