Starting shot for the new fish ladder at VERBUND's power plant in Teufelsbruck
New 155 meter long fish ladder goes into use and improves living conditions for fish and co on the river Inn.
In the past 12 months, VERBUND Innkraftwerke GmbH has spent more than 8,000 working hours constructing a new fish ladder at the Inn power plant of Teufelsbruck and, prior to Christmas, began the "trial run" for the fish. Following the positive tests, the ecological construction in the form of a vertical slot pass is going into regular operation. The fish ladder offers domestic fish, such as Danube salmon, grayling, barb and nase, but also other aquatic organisms, the possibility to circumnavigate Teufelsbruck power plant. Investment in the measures runs to a total of EUR 1.5 million.
In line with the European Water Framework Directive, it is intended that all key waterways will be made passable in the coming years. In order to ensure passability of horizontal constructions, such as weirs and power plants, there is a need for so-called fish ladders, which may be executed either technically and/or semi-naturally.
Fish swim around the power plant by means of a 155-metre-long fish ladder
The fish ladder, which has now been newly constructed at Teufelsbruck, has been created in the form of a vertical slot pass and comprises a total of 53 concrete basin passes. The bypass channel stretches over the power plant’s entire drop height amounting to some 8 metres; the difference in elevation between the individual 2.4 metre long and 1.5 metre wide basins amounts to 15 centimetres. The upstream fish migration site will be fortified with between 275 to 290 litres per second throughout the entire year.
As is the case with all other ecological measures by VERBUND, the fish ladder concept at Teufelsbruck power plant was agreed in advance with the nature conservation authority, the Rosenheim water management board, the local fishing association and fishing industry experts.
Flexible hydropower – fish ladders on the Inn
Alongside the Teufelsbruck fish ladder, the fish pass at Gars power plant is under construction and scheduled for completion in 2015. As early as 2013, fish ladders of this kind were employed at the power plants of Feldkirchen and Neuötting in order to restore passability of the Inn. In 2015, construction of fish ladders is due to begin at the power plants of Wasserburg und Stammham.
