Combining fine-scale telemetry and hydraulic numerical modelling to understand the behavioural tactics and the migration route choice of smolts at a complex hydropower plant.

Mitigation measures for downstream migratory Atlantic salmon smolts (Salmo salar L.) at migration barriers usually turn out to be insufficient to enable safe and quick passage, probably due to a lack of knowledge about their behavioural responses. Combining manual 2D tracking with hydrodynamic modelling has been rarely performed but might be useful to highlight environmental factors influencing smolt behavioural tactics and the choice of a migration route. We investigated the smolt downstream migration at a hydropower plant that offers five migration routes, including a Kaplan turbine and a fish-friendly Archimedes screw. Four behavioural tactics were defined to describe the smolt expressed behaviour, which was mainly complex and hesitant. The majority of the smolts approached more than one migration route before crossing the site and the Kaplan turbine turned out to be the most approached route, contrary to the Archimedes screw. Hydrodynamic modelling highlighted that flow velocity and water depth were used as hydraulic cues in the selection of a migration route, as the smolts preferred higher flow velocities and water depths. The comprehension of the factors influencing the research behaviour at hydropower plants may be useful to design attractive mitigation measures and to guide the smolts efficiently towards safe routes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]