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Abstract:
The first Very Low Head (VLH) turbines in Canada were put into operation at Wasdell Falls on the Severn River, ON, with the possibility of future deployments across Canada. I carried out this two-part study to rectify the knowledge gap regarding risk of this type of turbine to temperate North American fish species. In Chapter 2, I used acoustic telemetry to determine risk of entrainment where I found that there was no fish passage through the VLH turbines and that fish usage of the VLH forebay was limited. In Chapter 3, I experimentally introduced fish into the turbines and recaptured fish downstream using balloon tags. I found minimal differences between treatment and control groups and a mortality rate of 1.16% of entrained fish. Overall, the findings suggest that the risk posed by the VLH turbines is low for the species and life stages studied here.