randomErr writes: Bad pun aside, Cornell researchers have built a solution to help migrating eels bypass dams on their journey upstream. They call their solution the “eelevator.” “Dams are one of the main impediments to the recovery of American eels,” reports UPI. “The removal of old dams has proven a boon to the endangered species, but many dams remain and not all can be demolished. […] Eel ladders have been installed along a number of dams, but the newest device is liftable and works with the assistance of human volunteers. Eels looking to move upstream can climb a ramp of netting, kept wet by hoses, into a holding tank of circulating water. Twice a week, volunteers can check to see if eels have arrived. The tank can be raised, like an elevator, and the water deposited into the river above the dam.” This is similar to a concept implemented by the Isle of Wight’s Island Roads, Environment Agency, Arc Consulting, and Artecology back in May.
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