New tools to assess the Suitability Physical Habitat (SPH) and the Weighted Usable Area (WUA) for fishes

Abstract

The assessment of the Suitability of Physical Habitat (SPH) and the Weighted Usable Area (WUA) for fishes has been traditionally performed by means of simple habitat models based on experimental campaigns. In parallel with the improvements of the computer capabilities, some eco-hydraulic numerical models have been developed for the detailed analysis of river hydrodynamics. Recently, specific modules for habitat simulation have been introduced in several 2D hydraulic models. This work presents a new modelling tool to assess fish suitability based on the hydraulic model Iber. The model has been developed to work in a coupled way with the other modules, using the same easy workflow of Iber. The model includes enhances as tools for the geometry / mesh built-up process (LIDAR points cloud), the possibility to choose several fish species from a database or defiend by the user, the possibility to calculate different steady flows in the same simulation and a specific postprocess tools to represent the WUA as a function of discharge.