Blade shape alone raises sturgeon survival in hydropower turbines

In a controlled study, juvenile white sturgeon were run through both a conventional turbine blade and a reshaped, blunt-edged blade at matched head and shaft speed. Survival with the conventional runner ranged from 42% to 78% with about one-third severed; the reshaped blade produced near‑100% survival at four speeds and 95.6% at the fastest. The only variable was blade geometry, suggesting geometry can dramatically improve fish passage; DOE has approved outdoor eel testing at Garvins Falls to explore field performance.