Fish-Friendly Turbine Study Completed for New York Dam

New turbine designs at the St. Lawrence-FDR Power Project could boost American eel survival rates to over 98 percent.

Updated on Oct. 2, 2026 in Energy

Isometric editorial illustration featuring a stylized turbine blade fragment and geometric water flow patterns, representing hydroelectric infrastructure improvements. — The New York Power Authority is evaluating the installation of fish-friendly turbine runners at the St. Lawrence-FDR Power Project to protect migrating American eels. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Natel Energy has finished a feasibility study for installing fish-friendly turbine runners at the St. Lawrence-FDR Power Project. The new designs are projected to minimize mortality for migrating American eels without requiring changes to the dam structure.

Why it matters

Current turbine operations pose a significant mortality risk to migrating adult American eels in the St. Lawrence River. Implementing these specialized runners could mitigate this environmental impact while maintaining nearly the same energy production levels.

The study utilized computational fluid dynamics to evaluate designs featuring 50cm thick leading edges and 35-degree forward slants. Proposed efficiency levels hit 94.6% and 94.3% for the facility's two primary turbine unit types.

The players

Natel Energy

This company specializes in the development of fish-friendly turbine technology and hydropower solutions.

New York Power Authority

This is the state organization responsible for operating the St. Lawrence-FDR Power Project.

The details

The proposed turbine modifications aim to protect aquatic life at the 2000MW power project without reducing overall electrical output by more than 0.5 percent. The research, funded by the Fish Enhancement, Mitigation and Research Fund, focuses on the 16 turbine-generator units operated by the New York Power Authority.

1997: Turbine passage mortality was measured at 26.5 percent.
2006: An upstream passage ladder for juvenile eels was installed at the project.
2006: Previous fish-friendly turbine technology was evaluated and rejected.

The Big Picture

The study follows the precedent set by the Fish Enhancement, Mitigation and Research Fund, which provides a targeted mechanism for funding hydropower environmental upgrades. This work shifts the paradigm toward integrating wildlife protection directly into infrastructure design rather than relying solely on separate bypass systems.

The successful adoption of these turbine runners could secure a more environmentally sustainable future for hydropower in New York. This technology may eventually serve as a blueprint for other dams across the country to improve ecological outcomes while protecting energy capacity.

The takeaway

This development highlights that high-efficiency power generation and wildlife protection are increasingly compatible goals for modern infrastructure. Operators looking to balance ecological responsibility with energy needs may find these blade geometry advancements a viable path forward.