Without Stopping

Fish Bypass and Spawning Channel (FBSC)

Stroitransgaz GC is building the fish bypass and spawning complex at the Bagaevsky Hydroelectric Complex in the Rostov region at a high pace. The complex includes a fish bypass and spawning channel (FBSC) and six spawning areas for young and adult fish. The FBSC has a special significance in developing fishery in the Don Region. The artificial spawning area will allow increasing the fish growing period, and the channel capacity will exceed the modern values by 2.5–3 times.

The fish bypass and spawning channel includes a water supply tract made as a channel, intake portal and head control gate. All facilities in the complex facilitate the set tasks to increase fish population. According to the design, the structure of the intake portal will provide conditions for increasing the number of fish coming for spawning. The cross section of the channel itself has a trapezoidal form with elements of higher roughness on the channel bottom throughout its length, which structurally facilitates formation of different speeds of the current for the various types of fish. The head control gate (regulating facility) will ensure water supply to the channel during fish spawning and migration and will stop water supply in the inter-spawning period, as well as in case of repair and maintenance.

Earthwork in FBSC Head Control Gate Pit

The works to lower the level of underground water (water lowering) in the head control gate pit are being actively performed at the site of the fish bypass and spawning channel of the Bagaevsky Hydroelectric Complex.  Wellpoint systems are used for this purpose – pumping units consisting of wellpoints, water collector and pumping unit. The wellpoints are submerged around the perimeter of the pit to the depth of seven metres. Water is taken outside the pit. Water lowering will occur in tiers, i. e. when the wellpoints reach the first tier, they move to the second tier, and the earthwork in the pit begins. The process will repeat until the design elevation of the pit is reached.  As of today, the elevation of the first tier is reached. Earthworks commenced. In the nearest days the reaching of the water lowering elevation of the second tier is planned. While works are in progress in the pit, water will be pumped out continuously.

Water lowering in the tract of the fish bypass and spawning channel is performed in parallel.

Project background:

The Bagayevsky Hydroelectric Complex is the most important infrastructure project not only for the Rostov region, but also for the whole country. The hydroelectric complex under construction will be composed of a shipping lock with a central control room, upper and lower approach channels with mooring-guiding structures, a spillway and earth fill dam, a meandering fish bypass and spawning channel and a fish passage lock, industrial, service, engineering and auxiliary facilities, and housing for operating personnel. To ensure the navigation safety, channel-regulating dams are being constructed, as well as shore protection dams that will prevent the development of bank erosion processes (washout and collapse), protect from the impact of ship waves and reduce the negative impact of waters on the population living in these areas. In order to ensure guaranteed waterway dimensions (depth – 4 m, width – 80 m, bending radius – 500 m) in the section from the Kochetovsky Hydroelectric Complex site at km 3004.5 of the waterway of the Integrated Deep Water System (IDWS) to the Bagaevsky Hydroelectric Complex site at km 3089 of the IDWS waterway, dredging and river cut-off are envisaged.