Incorporating fish ecology into water resources management: current research in Northern Mongolia

• Main Authors: Kaus, Andrew, Karthe, Daniel, Borchardt, Dietrich
• Other Authors: Gurinovič, A.D.
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: English
• Published: Gurinovič, A.D.;; Proceedings of the IWA 1st Central Asian Regional Young and Senior Water Professionals Conference, Almaty/Kazakhstan;; 94 - 102 2011
• Subjects: Salmonid ecology; fish population connectivity; Mongolia; fish passages; impacts of dams on fish; acoustic telemetry tagging; otolith / pectoral fin ray chemistry; endangered fish species; Hucho taimen; Thymallus arcticus
• Online Access: https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=13386

The current dire state of global water resources in meeting essential human requirements in rural regions is well known. Thus the urgent need to establish sustainable, location specific, natural water resource management plans to secure water for drinking, domestic use, agriculture, industry and hydroelectric power can not be disputed. However, in many water management decisions the ecological requirements of aquatic species are rarely met or even thought of. Many economically valuable native fish stocks have been directly affected by the construction of dams, a commonly employed water management tool. These fish populations are prevented from undertaking necessary migrations and face alterations to natural habitat and river flows. As dam are an essential water management method, ways to mitigate the impacts of these water retaining walls on fish populations should also be considered in the construction design. Various structures have been designed to allow fish passage over or around the dam wall while environmentally motivated water discharges can help to reinstate natural river flows and seasonal flood pulses to minimise the impact of new dam construction or assist in the recovery of fish populations in rivers with existing dams. To gain maximum benefits for the effected fish community, it is vital to consider specific ecological requirements of the local fish species so these mitigating measures can be suitably adapted. Current research in northern Mongolia aims to determine species specific information onspatial and temporal fish movements, habitat requirements and inter catchment population connectivity of three economically important salmonids in the region; Hucho taimen, Brachymystax lenok and Thymallus arcticus. On completion of this project the information gained can be incorporated into the water resource management plans in Mongolia and across the geographical distribution of these species to help prevent further populations declines caused by inevitable dam construction across the region.