Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center
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Rajaratnam, N., C. Katopodis and S. Solanki (1992). New designs for vertical slot fishways. Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering. 19:402-414.
An experiment was performed to study 18 designs of vertical slot fishways. Seven designs previously studied in 1986 were further examined (designs 1-7) and 11 more designs (numbered 8-18) were tested. The vertical slope fishway models were installed in a plexiglass flume having nine pools, at a scale of 1:8. Slopes of 0.05, 0.10, and 0.15 were used, and the flow rate was measured by means of a magnetic flow meter installed in the supply line. Designs 8-13 were tested mainly to determine how sensitive the standard length of ten times the width of the slot and the standard width of eight times the width of the slot are for satisfactory performance of the vertical slot fishway. Designs 14-18 were simplified versions of the standard design (design 1). For all 18 designs, the dimensionless discharge was found to vary linearly with the relative depth of flow, with the straight line passing approximately through the origin on most of the designs. The results showed that a width of eight times the width of the slot and a length of ten times the width of the slot for the pools are satisfactory, and minor variations can be made to these dimensions without affecting their satisfactory performance. The performance rating curves were essentially the same for one group including designs 3, 5, 6, and 7 and for another group including designs 1,2, 14, 16, 17, and 18. Design 6 in the first group and designs 16 and 18 in the second group are recommended for practical use because of their ease of construction.