Fisheries and Hydropower

There are a large number of hydropower schemes proposed on the main-stem Mekong River, with several at different stages of consenting or construction.

The proposed Phou Ngoy scheme is a  728 MW hydropower scheme on the middle Mekong, in Laos. The dam has a maximum hydraulic head-loss across it of 11.5 m and has the potential to disrupt the migration of fish within the Mekong, as well as having other impacts of fish populations within the river.

As part of the initial development and consenting of the project, Fishtek Consulting were contracted to provide advice on the potential fish pass facilities that should be included as part of the hydropower scheme. This included the specification of the number, location, type and size of fish passes to be included in the scheme. The conclusion was that two (one of each bank) very large natural bypass channels should be built as part of the scheme in order to ensure the continued upstream and downstream migration of fish at the dam.