In 2021, OMP was involved in the Fishheart-fishway project that was built to the Fortum Leppikoski hydropower plant. OMP's responsibilities in the project included the construction of the maintenance platform, modification of the access stairs, the pipeline foundations and concrete work.
"The project was carried out on a tight schedule, but as planning and construction went hand in hand, the project was successfully completed within the given time. All in all, the project was very interesting for OMP," comments Project Director Jani Ahola.
The aim of the fishway is to strengthen migratory fish populations in the river Oulujoki. The purpose of building the Leppikoski fishway was to strengthen the population of the endangered lake trout. After the construction of the fishway, the lake trout population has had a good opportunity to migrate to the spawning grounds above the dam.
The Fishheart fishway is a Finnish innovation that enables fish to pass over migration obstacles. The fish passage is installed in the lower channel below the power plant, where the decoy flow created by the device directs the fish to its entrance. The Fishheart fishway uses artificial intelligence to identify fish that have swam into the system before they move over the dam via a pipeline.
Along the river where the fishway was built, there have also been sigthings of the critically endangered river pearl mussel for which the lake trout is a host fish necessary for reproduction. The strengthened population of the lake trout could also revive the mussel population in the area.