The PassagePortal™ Model F offers a number of benefits for fish passage, management, and research, such as: 

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Minimizes stress, injury, and mortality for native fish 

The PassagePortal™ Model F does not require any handling, netting, or trapping of the fish. It offers, safe, timely, effective, and economical fish passage.  The PassagePortal™ takes advantage of air flow rather than water flow for a gentler, faster, and more efficient fish migration experience. Misted, cooled air is used to facilitate passage. This reduces the stress, injury, and mortality rates for the fish. The fish can also swim freely and naturally into the PassagePortal™, and because the attraction water used is from the tailrace, rather than the head pond, less passage delay/stress is feasible. 

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Provides unprecedented data and image collection on every fish 

The PassagePortal™ Model F has advanced sensors and cameras that allow it to identify the fish species, count, size (length and girth), wild or hatchery, tagged or injured (and in the future, male or female). This data and more is automatically recorded and transmitted to a designated storage database, where it can be accessed and analyzed by fisheries managers and researchers at any time. This provides valuable information on the fish population dynamics, migration patterns and behavior, and health, which can inform the conservation and management strategies for the fish. Accurate data eliminates speculation and unreliable estimates, improving critical license compliance. 

 

Autonomous selective passage of desired species 

The PassagePortal™ Model F can automatically sort the fish in real time, based on their recognition, and direct them to designated MigratorTubes™, depending on the desired outcome. For example, the fish managers can choose to allow only native species to pass upstream, while diverting invasive or unwanted species downstream. This can help to restore the natural balance and diversity of the fish community, re-establish the natural food web, and prevent the spread of diseases or parasites carried by non-native and invasive species. 

 

Reduces the environmental impact and operational costs of fish passage 

The PassagePortal™ Model F does not rely on hundreds or thousands of CFS of water being diverted from the forebay for fish passage, as is required for a traditional ladder solution.  This reduces the environmental impact and carbon footprint of the fish passage system. The PassagePortal™ Model F also requires little maintenance, (no more shoveling sediment buildup left in a ladder or lift). This lowers the operational costs and labor requirements for the fish passage system, and reduces maintenance downtime by weeks or months each year. 

 

More power plant production and higher passage survival 

Given that the PassagePortal™ Model F relies on air rather than hydraulics to provide fish passage, up to 10% more of the river's water can be allocated for power production rather than fish passage, which will have a direct impact on your ROI and efficiency metrics.