A fishway (a fish ladder, fish pass, and fish steps) allows fish to travel around barriers like dams, locks, and waterfalls. Fishways help fish continue migration and get from one body of water to another.
Each fishway is unique! Water speed, the angle of an incline, and the types of fish that use the fishway influence the design of these structures. Depending on the location, scientists may manually operate a fishway or have remote monitoring technologies for fish to migrate independently.
In this lesson, we’ll explore how ecologists use fishways to help keep ecosystems healthy and the design factors engineers consider when building a fishway. Then, we’ll create our fishway using the Climate Action Kit!
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
The SDGs are 17 goals created by the United Nations to make the world a better place. This lesson will help us reach three goals: 6, 11, and 14.
As you complete the lesson, consider some of the following questions:
- How might water quality, chemical spills, or other hazards affect the health of a fishway or ecosystem?
- How does the design and construction of fishways help restore ecosystems in rivers, wetlands, aquifers, or lakes?
- How does the construction of fishways help protect natural habitats?
- How do fishways help restore marine ecosystems and enhance conservation?