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The effect of cascaded huge dams on the downstream movement of Coreius guichenoti (Sauvage & Dabry de Thiersant, 1874) in the upper Yangtze River

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Abstract

Huge dams (installed capacity > 100 MKW) are generally built on large rivers that display high biodiversity and include major migration routes for many diadromous and potamodromous fish. As a result, these dams lead to severe ecological impacts and receive more attention than smaller dams. Most previous work on the impact of huge dams on fish downstream movement has focused on a single dam and reservoir, so little is known about the effect of cascaded huge dams and reservoirs on downstream movement. During the period 2012–2014, two huge dams (the Xiangjiaba and the Xiluodu) were constructed on the upper Yangtze River and the reservoir impoundments began, respectively in October 2012 and May 2013. These cascaded hydroelectric projects could have a large adverse effect on the downstream movement of an important potamodromous fish species, Coreius guichenoti. To study the effect of cascaded impact of sequential huge dams and reservoirs on passive and active downstream movement of C. guichenoti, eggs and larvae were collected in the Yibin section during 2012–2014 and fish were collected monthly at a site in the Hejiang section from June 2012 to July 2014. Our results showed that, compared to one huge reservoir and dam, cascaded dams exert a more serious effect and obstruct downstream movement of eggs, larvae and young fish (particularly the yearlings and two-year-olds) of C. guichenoti. Individual C. guichenoti were able to pass with relative ease through one reservoir and dam, but passing through both reservoirs and dams was very difficult. To allow access to the spawning grounds upstream, a fish passage should be built on the Xiluodu dam. However, due to the hydropower development in the whole upper basin, captive breeding and maintaining at least 60 km of riverine habitat upstream of a spawning ground could be a more cost-effective approach to maintaining C. guichenoti populations in the Upper Yangtze River.

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Acknowledgements

We sincerely thank Yun Gong, Qiong Xiao and Pengxiang Duan for their help on the sample treatment in the laboratory. We also sincerely thank David Mark Johnson for helping to modify the English language. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51379134 and 51309168) and the Ecological and Environmental Monitoring Programs of China Three Gorges Project Corporation (Grant No. 0799527).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Ministry of Water Resources for Ecological Impacts of Hydraulic-Projects and Restoration of Aquatic Ecosystem, Institute of Hydroecology, Ministry of Water Resources & Chinese Academy of Sciences, 578 Xiongchu Avenue, Wuhan, 430079, Hubei Province, China

    Zhi Yang, Huiyuan Tang, Jiangping Tao & Na Zhao

  2. Hubei Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center for Water Resources Security, Wuhan, 430072, China

    Zhi Yang, Huiyuan Tang, Jiangping Tao & Na Zhao

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  1. Zhi Yang
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  2. Huiyuan Tang
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Correspondence to Na Zhao.

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This study complies with the Chinese law. All the living fishes were released into their natural environment after sampling.

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Yang, Z., Tang, H., Tao, J. et al. The effect of cascaded huge dams on the downstream movement of Coreius guichenoti (Sauvage & Dabry de Thiersant, 1874) in the upper Yangtze River. Environ Biol Fish 100, 1507–1516 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-017-0661-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-017-0661-7

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