Morphological measurements to promote biodiversity in hydropeaking reservoirs

The purpose of the project is to develop morphological measures to enhance biodiversity in rivers impacted by hydropeaking.

This project will proceed in three steps;

1. Explore the relationship between naturally occurring erosion protection in the form of near-shore boulders, hydropeaking intensity, and ecological quality factors
2. Evaluate the effect on ecological quality factors in three areas in the Ume River where erosion protection mimicking naturally occurring protection has been built
3. Build and evaluate new areas with erosion protection.

The project will have a broad ecosystem perspective, including several species groups and important ecological factors and processes.

The aim is to present measures that can rehabilitate and maintain biodiversity in regulated rivers without a significant negative impact on hydropower production. Finding such measures is crucial to balance the need for renewable energy production and the need to mitigate river ecosystem degradation.

This project will be key in relicensing Swedish hydropower plants against modern environmental requirements and achieving the goals of the EU Water Framework Directive.

Objectives

1. Evaluate to what degree areas with naturally occurring erosion protection structures act as hotspots for biodiversity and important ecological components in regulated rivers.
2. Explore whether there is a threshold or dependence on the magnitude of hydropeaking’s impact on the function of these biodiversity hotspots.
3. Test to evaluate whether we can create areas that function as natural erosion protection in rivers that are heavily impacted by hydropeaking by placing near-shore boulders in strategic places.
4. Explore and demonstrate how this measure can contribute to WFD fulfillment in terms of a positive effect on ecological potential.
5. Develop a handbook that presents measures that can rehabilitate and maintain biodiversity in regulated rivers without significant negative impact on hydropower production.