Within the SHAREe “Sustainable Hydropower to Alleviate and Reduce Environmental externalities“ project funded by the EEA Grants Portugal, a group of researchers from CERIS, Isabel Boavida, Maria João Costa, and Renan Leite (FLUVIO PhD candidate), went to Trondheim, Norway to visit different hydropower schemes representing best practices in sustainable hydropower and to attend the Sustainability in Hydropower Conference SUS HP 2023.
Before the conference we worked with our partners from SHAREe, Tor Bakken and Knut Alfredsen, to select and share the best practices in sustainable hydropower. When in Norway we went on a two-day visit led by the enthusiastic Jo Halvard Halleraker, a Norwegian colleague, to the Orkla, Surna, Driva, and Gaula National Salmon Rivers to see the best practices in hydropower and environmental design for salmon and sea trout.
During the two-day visit, the CERIS researchers saw examples of how to mitigate hydropeaking through e-flows, by-pass valves, and ramping restrictions. An interesting fish barrier to migration was shown as an important measure to eradicate a non-native parasite of Atlantic Salmon from the Driva River. Instead of allowing salmon to migrate, technicians are blocking Salmon migration when affected by the parasite. The visit included also different river restoration actions implemented within the scope of the Water Framework Directive to cope with multi-pressures on riverine ecosystems. Salmon fishing and all the associated tourism generate significant revenue for Norway’s Economy. Several Norwegian governance entities dedicate a massive effort and enormous investment to protect these impressive salmon rivers. The Portuguese team was visibly impressed when witnessing such a disparate reality!
It was a very fruitful visit despite the differences between Portugal and Norway in terms of hydropower schemes, hydrology, and fish ecology. The CERIS researchers brought new insights on sustainable hydropower and environmental design to Portugal.