The Fishcon lock was installed at the Sauer Mühle in Bavaria after a flood damaged parts of the existing hydropower plant at the site and repair work became necessary. 

Description

This is not only the first Fishcon lock in Germany, but also the first system in the new IPE design. The Fishcon lock by the “Rauhen Ebrach” river is designed for fish with a length of up to 70 cm and overcomes a height difference of approx. 2 m in a very small space. It is operated with a flow rate of 100 l/s. 

In spring 2024, the fish ascents were documented by the University of Applied Sciences Weihenstephan-Triesdorf and compared with the underwater fish population of the river Rauhe Ebrach, which was determined by electrofishing. A total of 1,846 fish ascents of 21 different species were documented, with two species being considered non-native. Due to the very positive results, the Fishcon lock on the river Rauhe Ebrach can already be assessed as functional according to the Austrian guideline Woschitz et al. 2020, although no autumn monitoring has yet been carried out at the site. The Fishcon lock is also already functional according to the German BWK standard.

Numbers & Facts

Fish region: Barbel region
Lead fish: Barbel 70 cm
Height difference: 2 m
Attraction flow: 100 l/s
Assessment: Functional according to Austrian regulations and German standards
Implementation: Beginning of 2023

Data Sheet Download