Fish Guidance Systems are delighted to announce that it has extended its maintenance contract of the BioAcoustic Fish Fence (BAFF) installed at Barkley Lock, Kentucky, and will work alongside partners such as the Army Corps of Engineers and the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Service, among others, to help continue the trial of the BAFF on the Cumberland River.
The innovative and groundbreaking trial project, which helps stop the spread of invasive carp, has been extended until the end of August 2024, with Fish Guidance Systems providing the full maintenance package required to continue operations, including real-time diagnostic telemetry and reports.
The new maintenance contract will also include the removal of silt that is accumulating in the vicinity of the BAFF, along with a number of sound surveys, in addition to other regular maintenance.
Preliminary results so far have been incredibly encouraging, with deflection percentages well above expectations across all reports released so far.
BioAcoustic Fish Fence
The BioAcoustic Fish Fence (BAFF) has been determined by organisations such as the Tennessee Valley Authority as being the preferred method to stop the spread of invasive carp species.
The BAFF system utilises sound and light signals with an air bubble curtain. Sound Projectors are mounted on a chassis in sections, along with bubble pipes, and these sections are lowered to the river bed. This allows a curtain of sound and bubbles to prevent carp from moving up stream, without affecting recreation or commercial navigation.
The system itself is 200 feet long and made up of five concrete sections. The trial equipment and design also goes further than the typical guidance application as it also offers the potential of an area for capturing fish, made possible in part by the layout of the chosen site.
Ongoing Project
David Lambert, Managing Director of FGS stated “We are delighted to be able to help fight the spread of invasive carp species at Kentucky’s Barkley Lock. The system is on trial, and so regular upgrades and maintenance are important for both practical and research purposes. Extending this project to at least 2023 will allow us to continue to innovate the BAFF and allow other states to see its effectiveness.”
For more information on the BAFF system, please contact us at [email protected]
