Evaluating the biological response of American eels to safe downstream passage technologies at Chaudiere Falls

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Energy Ottawa is a fully-owned subsidiary of Hydro Ottawa, and is Ontario's largest municipally-ownedprovider of green power. Their largest facility is located at Chaudière falls, a site with local and Nationalhistoric importance located adjacent to Parliament Hill. Their Chaudière Falls Expansion Project is currentlyunderway, and the new facilities will begin operating in summer 2017. In addition to providing open publicspace and recognition of Canada's First nations and Ottawa's industrialist past, the goal of this project is toproduce renewable energy in an environmentally responsible way. In particular, the project was designed tohave minimal impacts on the aquatic environment, with an emphasis on the endangered (in Ontario) AmericanEel. The expansion project will include the installation of an eel ladder to offer an upstream migration routefor juveniles, as well as safe downstream passage for adults. Downstream mortality is particularly problematicfor the species, and cost-effective solutions are limited particularly on large rivers. Energy Ottawa is in theprocess of installing a technologically innovative solution that includes a screen to prevent fish from enteringthe turbines, coupled with bypass channels that provide safe passage around the turbines. This also required are-design of the forebay channel to ensure that water velocities were low enough for fish to avoid impingementon the screen. Screens and bypass channels have been installed successfully on smaller rivers, but this is thefirst time that this technology has been used in Ontario and on such a large river. This technology has thepotential to minimize or eliminate turbine mortality for American Eel during downstream migration whilecontinuing to produce clean, renewable energy in a profitable manner. Dr. Cooke and his team would assist theindustry partner in evaluating the biological response to the safe downstream passage technology usingdefensible research methods. Does it work? And if not, how could the infrastructure be refined to improveoutcomes for American Eel? Such research is essential to maintain the social contract with the community andto ensure that Energy Ottawa has scientific knowledge to inform their interactions with provincial and federal