Prototype Test of a Water Jet System to Mitigate the Transport of Asian Carp by Barges
Abstract
The potential migration of Asian carp through the Illinois River, Des Plaines River, and Chicago Area Waterway System is one risk factor facing the Great Lakes today. In an effort to mitigate this risk, the US Army Corps of Engineers has installed a series of electric dispersal barriers within the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC) near Romeoville, IL, to deter fish from using the canal as a pathway to enter the Great Lakes. Previous laboratory studies have shown that tows produce residual currents and forces that can entrain and potentially transport fish across the barrier. The US Army Engineer Research and Development Center was tasked by US Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District, to investigate mitigation measures to remove entrained fish from the recesses between barges. A full-scale prototype jet manifold was constructed and tested in the CSSC to determine the degree to which the jets could dislodge or remove fish during passage. Similar to previous laboratory studies, the jets were most effective for slow tow speeds (< 1 meter per second [m/s]) and higher jet velocities (4.9 m/s). For higher vessel speeds, the barges passed more quickly over the array, which reduced the exposure time and the number of tracers flushed.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 2019
- Accession Number
- AD1087735
Entities
People
- Benjamin Burnham
- Christopher Callegan
- Duncan B. Bryant
- Jarrell Smith
- Jonathan Marshall
- Mary C. Allison
- Richard Styles