Horseshoe Falls Dam Fish Passage & Innovative Eel Passage Design

Fuss & O’Neill developed an innovative approach to provide level flow control autonomously at the Horseshoe Falls Dam, addressing a critical impediment to eel passage at this site for the Wood‑Pawcatuck Watershed Association and other state and federal project partner agencies.

The Horseshoe Falls Dam is an iconic landmark in the state of Rhode Island, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Typical practices to provide eel passage at the site were not feasible due to both aesthetic and maintenance concerns, as well as significant site layout constraints. With support from WPWA and project agencies including NOAA, RIDEM, USFWS, and USGS, a customized flow control assembly was fabricated and installed as an integral component of the fish ladder. This device operates autonomously through varying headwater elevations, providing consistent flow to the downstream eel pass channel without the use of pumps.