Wetted Ramps Selectively Block Upstream Passage of Adult Sea Lampreys

Abstract

Dams fragment stream habitats and fishways around dams typically serve few species that are strong swimmers or jumpers. We tested a prototype wetted ramp designed to allow upstream passage of small-bodied fishes while blocking upstream movement of invasive sea lampreys in the Laurentian Great Lakes. We tested short, smooth ramps with 5–10 mm water depth in various combinations of ramp angle, water flow, and swim channel width with the aim to selectively block adult migrating sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) while passing sub-adult white suckers (Catostomus commersonii) and creek chubs (Semotilus atromaculatus). Sea lampreys easily passed a 0.75 ramp at a 5° angle, but very few individuals passed a similar ramp at a 10° angle, and none passed a longer ramp at a 5° angle. Limiting the amplitude of tailbeats in a narrow channel did not hamper lampreys or the other species. Greater water flow, and thereby greater immersion depth on the ramp, fostered passage for all species. Smaller-bodied individuals of creek chubs and white suckers performed best on the ramp. We showed that wetted ramps could be incorporated into fishways at low-head dams to aid the passage of smaller-bodied fishes while also blocking the spawning migration of adult sea lampreys.