Photo of a 1:4 scale model of the novel d-cylinder fish ladder in the hydraulics laboratory in Turners Falls, MA.
Kevin B Mulligan
Dr. Kevin Mulligan is Research Hydraulic Engineer at the USGS S.O. Conte Research Laboratory at Turners Falls, Massachusetts
Kevin’s work primarily focuses on improving the performance of fish passage structures through hydraulic modeling and experiments with live, actively-migrating fish. In conjunction to his research, Kevin has served in multiple organizer roles for the International Fish Passage Conference since its inception in 2011 and currently serves as the Vice Chair of the American Fisheries Society Bioengineering Section & American Society of Civil Engineers Environmental Water Resources Institute Joint Committee on Fish Passage. Kevin is also an adjunct professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He received his Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering specializing in fish passage engineering in 2015. In 2009, he received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering and became an Engineer in Training (E.I.T.).
Professional Experience
Fish Passage Engineer; Region 5 of the United States Fish and Wildlife
Education and Certifications
Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering, 2015, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Affiliations and Memberships*
American Fisheries Society - Bioengineering Section
American Society of Civil Engineers - Environmental Water Resources Institute
Science and Products
Evaluation and Development of Fish Passage Structures and Technologies
Conservation Engineering
Fish Passage Hydraulic Flume
Flume facility data collection at the S.O. Conte Anadromous Fish Research Laboratory in Turners Falls, MA for the 2016-2017 Fishway Entrance Gate Project
Photo of a 1:4 scale model of the novel d-cylinder fish ladder in the hydraulics laboratory in Turners Falls, MA.
Wall diffuser velocity effects on American shad (Alosa sapidissima) inside a fishway entrance channel
Fishway Entrance Palisade
Effect of backwatering a streamgage weir on the passage performance of adult American Shad (Alosa sapidissima)
Effects of plunge pool configuration on downstream passage survival of juvenile blueback herring
Fishway entrance gate experiments with adult American Shad
Downstream fish passage guide walls: A hydraulic scale model analysis
Hydraulic and biological analysis of the passability of select fish species at the U.S. Geological Survey streamgaging weir at Blackwells Mills, New Jersey
Sensitivity of the downward to sweeping velocity ratio to the bypass flow percentage along a guide wall for downstream fish passage
A computational fluid dynamics modeling study of guide walls for downstream fish passage
Derivation and application of the energy dissipation factor in the design of fishways
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
- Science
Evaluation and Development of Fish Passage Structures and Technologies
Dams can be found in just about every major river, and for good reason. Society has received many benefits like flood control, hydropower, water supply storage, and places to recreate. However, many fish and other life in our rivers can’t swim around these barriers. Often, the best spot for a fish to live and reproduce is out of reach because they can’t pass by a dam. This has not gone unnoticed...Conservation Engineering
Engineering has an important role to play in the conservation of migratory fish species. As a result of anthropogenic development on river systems, full and partial barriers to fish movement commonly exist in watersheds worldwide. There is an estimated 2.5 million barriers to fish migration in the United States alone. These barriers typically consist of small to large size dams, culverts, and...Fish Passage Hydraulic Flume
Many existing upstream and downstream fish passage structure designs (fishways, culverts, screens, downstream bypasses, etc.) function poorly or only for a narrow range of species or environmental conditions. Resource agencies consistently seek new or improved designs that pass a broader range of species with high efficiency and reliability, under a wider range of hydraulic operating conditions... - Data
Flume facility data collection at the S.O. Conte Anadromous Fish Research Laboratory in Turners Falls, MA for the 2016-2017 Fishway Entrance Gate Project
This data was collected over the course of two years, from 2016 to 2017, within the flume facility laboratory. The research project that was conducted evaluated different fishway entrance designs and their effect on the passage of adult American shad. The data consists of 15 columns and 1925 rows. Each row entry pertains to the performance of a single fish during one of 64 trials over the two year - Multimedia
Scale model of a novel fish ladder
Photo of a 1:4 scale model of the novel d-cylinder fish ladder in the hydraulics laboratory in Turners Falls, MA.
Photo of a 1:4 scale model of the novel d-cylinder fish ladder in the hydraulics laboratory in Turners Falls, MA.
- Publications
Wall diffuser velocity effects on American shad (Alosa sapidissima) inside a fishway entrance channel
Attraction water for fishways is typically introduced through a diffuser inside the entrance channel, often through the floor or wall. In the spring of 2019, this laboratory study examined how 151 adult American Shad (Alosa sapidissima) responded to different gross velocities through a wall diffuser inside a full-scale fishway entrance channel. Two velocity conditions were studied, 0.152 m/s and 0AuthorsKevin Mulligan, Marcia Rojas, Brett Towler, Bjorn Lake, Richard PalmerFishway Entrance Palisade
This technical report summarizes the work that was conducted by the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the United States Geological Survey (USGS), along with other project partners, on the Fishway Entrance Palisade (EP), a projected funded through the Department of Energy’s (DOE) funding opportunity titled ‘Innovative Solutions for Fish Passage at Hydropower Dams’ (DE‐FOA‐0001662). The periodAuthorsKevin Mulligan, Richard Palmer, Brett Towler, Alexander Haro, Bjorn Lake, Marcia Rojas, Elizabeth LotterEffect of backwatering a streamgage weir on the passage performance of adult American Shad (Alosa sapidissima)
Streamgage designs often include a full-width artificial hydraulic control (e.g., concrete weir) to aid in the computation of streamflow. While important to water resource managers, these weirs also tend to act as full or partial barriers to fish migration, effectively hindering the health and survival of these populations. In this study, we conducted experiments to quantify the effect of head droAuthorsKevin Mulligan, Alexander Haro, John NoreikaEffects of plunge pool configuration on downstream passage survival of juvenile blueback herring
Anadromous alosines are widespread throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Juveniles of this clade are notoriously fragile animals that are at high risk of injury and death associated with passage at hydroelectric facilities. Although turbine mortality is a common concern, conditions encountered when bypassed around these routes may also be hazardous. Downstream bypass structures typically discharge iAuthorsTheodore R. Castro-Santos, Kevin Mulligan, Micah Kieffer, Alexander HaroFishway entrance gate experiments with adult American Shad
The goal of this multiyear study was to examine how changes to an upstream fishway entrance impacted the passage rate of adult American shad (Alosa sapidissima). We evaluated a total of nine treatment conditions that consisted of three fishway entrance gate types and three submergence depths (i.e., the water surface elevation of the tailwater relative to the height of the gate crest). ApproximatelAuthorsKevin Mulligan, Alexander J. Haro, Brett Towler, Bryan Sojkowski, John NoreikaDownstream fish passage guide walls: A hydraulic scale model analysis
Partial-depth guide walls are used to improve passage efficiency and reduce the delay of out-migrating anadromous fish species by guiding fish to a bypass route (i.e. weir, pipe, sluice gate) that circumvents the turbine intakes, where survival is usually lower. Evaluation and monitoring studies, however, indicate a high propensity for some fish to pass underneath, rather than along, the guide walAuthorsKevin Mulligan, Brett Towler, Alexander J. Haro, David P. AhlfeldHydraulic and biological analysis of the passability of select fish species at the U.S. Geological Survey streamgaging weir at Blackwells Mills, New Jersey
Recent efforts to advance river connectivity for the Millstone River watershed in New Jersey have led to the evaluation of a low-flow gauging weir that spans the full width of the river. The methods and results of a desktop modelling exercise were used to evaluate the potential ability of three anadromous fish species (Alosa sapidissima [American shad], Alosa pseudoharengus [alewife], and Alosa aeAuthorsAlexander J. Haro, Kevin Mulligan, Thomas P. Suro, John Noreika, Amy R. McHughSensitivity of the downward to sweeping velocity ratio to the bypass flow percentage along a guide wall for downstream fish passage
Partial-depth impermeable guidance structures (or guide walls) are used as a method to assist in the downstream passage of fish at a hydroelectric facility. However, guide walls can result in a strong downward velocity causing the approaching fish to pass below the wall and into the direction of the turbine intakes. The objective of this study was to describe how the ratio of the vertical velocityAuthorsKevin Mulligan, Brett Towler, Alexander J. Haro, David P. AhlfeldA computational fluid dynamics modeling study of guide walls for downstream fish passage
A partial-depth, impermeable guidance structure (or guide wall) for downstream fish passage is typically constructed as a series of panels attached to a floating boom and anchored across a water body (e.g. river channel, reservoir, or power canal). The downstream terminus of the wall is generally located nearby to a fish bypass structure. If guidance is successful, the fish will avoid entrainmentAuthorsKevin Mulligan, Brett Towler, Alexander J. Haro, David P. AhlfeldDerivation and application of the energy dissipation factor in the design of fishways
Reducing turbulence and associated air entrainment is generally considered advantageous in the engineering design of fish passage facilities. The well-known energy dissipation factor, or EDF, correlates with observations of the phenomena. However, inconsistencies in EDF forms exist and the bases for volumetric energy dissipation rate criteria are often misunderstood. A comprehensive survey of EDFAuthorsBrett Towler, Kevin Mulligan, Alexander J. HaroNon-USGS Publications**
Towler, B., K. Mulligan, and A. Haro (2015), Derivation and application of the energy dissipation factor in the design of fishways, Ecological Engineering, 83, 208-217, doi: 10.1016/j.ecoleng.2015.06.014Mulligan, K., B. Towler, A. Haro, and D.P. Ahlfeld (2015), An analysis of partial-depth, floating, impermeable guidance structures for downstream fish passage at hydroelectric facilities, Doctor of Philosophy in Civil and Environmental Engineering Dissertation submitted to the University of Massachusetts Amherst**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
- News
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government