Landnám laxa ofan Tungufoss í Eystri-Rangá á grunni fiskvegagerðar og fiskiræktar

Jóhannes Sturlaugsson – Björn Theodórsson

Studies from 2021-2023 showed that the area of Eystri-Rangá River above Tungufoss is suitable for salmon after they pass Teitsvötn, a spring-fed river. Eystri-Rangá River is becoming an important habitat for salmon, and this is great news for those working to build a sustainable salmon population in the area. Fishing rights holders below Tungufoss are also happy, as their interests are aligned. Several exciting projects are on the way. Our focus is on creating the best conditions for young salmon to thrive in the area above Tungufoss. We also need to complete the fish passage that will allow salmon to return from the sea to their new spawning ground.

Fish passage construction
Tungufoss waterfall is 4 meters tall while the highest registered salmon jump is 3.5 meters, on average the fish jumps up to 2 meters. This makes it nearly impossible for salmon to travel up the natural barrier. At Keldur, just below Tungufoss, a ravine opens up toward the river, providing an ideal starting point for the fish passage. According to the initial design, the fish passage would go through a rock barrier that would be split open, eventually allowing the passage to emerge about 40 meters above Tungufoss. We can ensure salmon migration to their new habitat by diverting a limited amount of water from Eystri-Rangá into this channel. This slight change will also guarantee the sustainability of the Eystri-Rangá salmon population. Let’s keep in mind that this fish passage project is one of the first steps in fish farming efforts. More detailed plans will be explained in a separate report. As part of this initiative, project leaders have already presented the preliminary drafts and submitted a report to the Fish Farming Fund.

Björn Theodórsson: Aquaculture scientist

Þegar fiskvegurinn verður kominn þá mun lax geta gengið með sjálfbærum hætti upp ána og nýtt svæðið til búsvæða og hrygninga. Hér er verið að horfa til langs tíma, skilgreind markmið og búið að vinna í þeim frá árinu 2021. Þetta er mikli vandaðri aðkoma en ég hef séð lengi. Það er mikill varnarsigur að finna vatnakerfi sem er með sömu lengd og þrefaldar Elliðaárnar eða Laxá í Leirársveiit að lengd.  Nú þegar hefur fyrsti árgangur af sjálfbærum laxaseiðum gengið niður ána til sjávar og von er á fyrstu löxunum til baka í sumar.  Þeir laxar vilja ólmir komast upp á sín búsvæði og er fiskvegurinn þeirra leið þangað. Þessi framkvæmd er líklega ein sú stærsta í eflingu nýrra búsvæða og stækkun íslensks laxastofnsins

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