Innovative Adult Fish Transport System For Dam Passage

Project ID: 1662
Principal Investigator: Richard Visser
Research Topic: Fish Passage and Entrainment
Funded Fiscal Years: 2016 and 2017
Keywords: None

Research Question

There are many Reclamation dams that were constructed in an era when provision for adult fish passage was not
considered or was viewed as low priority. However, today American society is placing an ever increasing
importance to protect, enhance and restore the country s natural resources. There are ESA listed and/or
non-listed fish populations of cultural, ecological and/or recreational importance in most basins that Reclamation
is responsible for water management. The absence of upstream fish passage at Reclamation storage and/or
diversion dams is a growing concern for the regulatory and management fish agencies. Consequently Reclamation
is being asked to consider and in some cases to provide adult fish passage to allow fish to access historic habitat
blocked by these dams. The cost to construct a conventional concrete fish ladder may be cost prohibitive or not feasible, and trap and haul transport systems can also be expensive to construct and certainly have expensive
long term O&M costs. Whoosh Innovations ' has developed an adult fish transport tube that potentially could be
used to pass adult fish over dams currently without passage.
Our research question is: Can we develop a passive adult fish transport system incorporating the Whoosh
Innovations' fish transport system technology to move fish past Reclamation diversion and storage dams?

Need and Benefit

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Contributing Partners

Contact the Principal Investigator for information about partners.

Research Products

Bureau of Reclamation Review

The following documents were reviewed by experts in fields relating to this project's study and findings. The results were determined to be achieved using valid means.

Evaluation of Sockeye Salmon after Passage through an Innovative Upstream Fish-Passage System at Cle Elum Dam (final, PDF, 526KB)
By Richard Visser
R&D Bulletin completed on September 30, 2019

This bulletin summarizes the research results and potential application to Reclamation's mission.

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Last Updated: 6/22/20