Vislift at Groesbeek Helps Fish Migrate Through Meandering Stream

The Vislift has only been in place since late 2024, but it's already a success. "Approximately 200 fish movements have already been registered," explains project leader Marco Tiernego. "It's outside the migration season, so that's already quite significant." The measures make it easier for fish to swim through the stream. This is important for achieving the goals of the European Water Framework Directive, which aims for clean and healthy water.

"The fish swim here from the Waal River, via a small part of Germany," Tiernego explains. "From the Water Board, we have many pumping stations and weirs to regulate and manage the water. But this is less pleasant for the fish, as they cannot swim further." The Vislift offers a solution for this.

Attraction Current

The Vislift in the Leigraaf can bridge a height difference of 70 centimetres. An attraction current is created which the fish like to swim against. They are then lured into the Vislift via an underwater tube. "The Vislift contains many small gates, allowing the fish to swim upwards," explains Tiernego. "There are also resting chambers, as the fish have to work hard to swim against the current." Eventually, the fish end up in a tube that passes through the weir. On the other side, the fish swim back into the stream.

The Vislift has sensors inside and cameras can be installed. "The camera recognises which fish is swimming. This way we can register the fish." So it's not only good for fish migration, but it also makes an important contribution to research.

The work on the Leigraaf has now been completed. The project was set up in collaboration with local working groups, volunteers, the municipality and the province of Gelderland. The province supports the project with an EAFRD grant (European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development).

Source: RN7 News