Fish passage |
Above: Grand Coulee Dam on the Columbia River
duration of periods when upstream migrations
are inhibited by dams is important for both the conservation of native fishes and control of harmful invasive species. Likewise, understanding fish behaviour during brief windows of unregulated hydrological conditions, when dam gates are raised from the water, is also important for natural resource managers to consider when developing fisheries management plans. Efforts to develop and deploy deterrent
Below: Dam passage survival of spring migrant Chinook salmon and steelhead smolts has been studied on the lower Snake and Columbia rivers in the US
technologies designed to limit the movement of bigheaded carp and disconnect their populations should also balance the needs of native species that benefit from these intermittent pathways created by dam operations. The authors acknowledge that these concerns represent a difficult trade-of for river
managers tasked with protecting important native species and controlling the spread of harmful non- native species.
Salmon restoration Efforts to reintroduce salmon into historical
habitat blocked by dams has been undertaken by Kleinschmidt Associates in partnership with Anchor QEA in the US. Together they have launched a landmark project for the Upper Columbia United Tribes (UCUT) to lead the development of fish passage systems at Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee dams. These dams represent two of the largest hydropower production facilities in the US and are the last in the Columbia River Hydropower System without fish passage capabilities. The project marks a significant milestone in UCUT’s
efforts to reintroduce salmon to the Upper Columbia River. It will focus on feasibility studies, planning oversight, and engineering design services to develop the fish passage systems. Kleinschmidt and Anchor QEA will collaborate with UCUT and its member tribes (specifically the Coeur d’Alene, Colville, and Spokane tribes), dam owners, and key regulators to advance the UCUT’s Phase 2 Implementation Plan, which aims to balance ecological, cultural, and hydropower priorities in restoring salmon to their ancestral habitats. “As we begin the critical step in our 20-year journey
to reintroduce salmon into the Upper Columbia, we are grateful to welcome the expertise of Kleinschmidt and Anchor QEA teams in advancing fish passage solutions. With this partnership, we move closer to restoring a resource vital to the cultural and ecological heritage of the people of the upper Columbia”, said Laura Robinson, Policy Analyst, Upper Columbia United Tribes. “Together, we will ensure that future generations can once again rely on the resilience and abundance of these waters.” “We are excited and honoured to be a part of such an important project, working in partnership with many stakeholders to develop solutions to fish passage problems which the dams have contributed to since their inception,” added Andy Holmes, Project
26 | March 2025 |
www.waterpowermagazine.com
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