Abstract
This study aims at examining the structural and managemental problems of the existing fishways which affect the migrations of fishes, and at suggesting alternatives to improve the fishways' efficiency. The study focuses on the fishways constructed in the diversion weirs in the lower reaches of 41 rivers(2 national rivers and 39 rural rivers) in the eastern coast of Korea. Most of water-using facilities in Korean rivers are diversion weirs, and fishways are established as subsidiary facilities of most of the weirs. Among the 58 or so fishways examined in this study, only a few are doing their proper function, and most of them need improvement. This study aims at strengthening those fishways function and increasing their economic efficiency and migration efficiency. Based on the results of this study, the followings are suggested. In case the fishway sticks out downstream from the apron, a subsidiary fishway diverging from the main is suggested to attract fish. The entrance to the subsidiary should head below the raised part of the apron and a pool should be constructed in the connecting part with the main. To attract fish and let the upstream migrators rest for a while, an entrance pool should be constructed in the fishway. Most of the examined fishways have low side walls, which allow the upstreamers to jump out of the fishway. Those side walls are suggested to be raised above the jumping height of target fishes. The exit parts of most fishways are too shallow, or have no grass to protect the fish from the birds. Protective facilities are suggested to keep the birds from entering the fishway. By the time Ice-harbor type and Vertical-slot type fishways are scientifically proved to be defective, the fishway should not diverge from the standard design.