Presentation Abstract
The Salish Sea is ringed with human development and infrastructure of multiple generations, some of which strongly influenced patterns of early development and continue to this day to maintain significant elements of the human environment. These developments are not going away, we will not “preserve” our way out of the environmental challenges they pose. Thus, it remains the role of the scientists, engineers, and owners to collaboratively guide their modification and maintenance to make their operation and presence more benign to the fish and the environment. One such development is the US Army Corps of Engineers owned and operated Hiram M Chittenden Dam and Locks in Seattle, Washington. This facility just celebrated its 100th year this past summer, in part with improvements to downstream fish passage and monitoring facilities and equipment. Aging downstream fish passage infrastructure, consisting of wedge wire flow dissipation screens and pipe flumes that dropped downstream migrants 20 to 30 feet to the water on low tides, were replaced by a large rectangular fiberglass smolt flume with updated passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag antennas. The profile of the flume mirrored the profile of the dam ogee and is segmented for removal for storage during the winter months. Safety of smolt passage through the flume was evaluated using Normandeau’s HI-Z Turb'N Tag, a proprietary balloon tag technology and found to safely pass smolts with no harm or visible physical damage. Tagged coho smolts were held for 48 hours for observation of delayed effects. All fish were found healthy and vigorous at the end of the holding period. Two more flumes are presently under construction to be ready for installation in the spring of 2018, completing the change to the new downstream fish passage approach.
Session Title
Big Objects Need Big Solutions: Addressing the Environmental Effects of Major Infrastructure Around the Salish Sea
Keywords
Fish passage, Smolts, Flume
Conference Track
SSE1: Habitat Restoration and Protection
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2018 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE1-544
Start Date
6-4-2018 2:30 PM
End Date
6-4-2018 2:45 PM
Type of Presentation
Oral
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Fishways--Hiram M. Chittenden Locks (Seattle, Wash.); Flumes--Hiram M. Chittenden Locks (Seattle, Wash.); Fishes--Effect of dams on--Hiram M. Chittenden Locks (Seattle, Wash.); Smolting--Hiram M. Chittenden Locks (Seattle, Wash.)
Geographic Coverage
Hiram M. Chittenden Locks (Seattle, Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Included in
Fresh Water Studies Commons, Marine Biology Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons
Downstream fish passage improvements at Hiram M. Chittenden Lock and Dam, Seattle, WA: a new Approach for an old dam
The Salish Sea is ringed with human development and infrastructure of multiple generations, some of which strongly influenced patterns of early development and continue to this day to maintain significant elements of the human environment. These developments are not going away, we will not “preserve” our way out of the environmental challenges they pose. Thus, it remains the role of the scientists, engineers, and owners to collaboratively guide their modification and maintenance to make their operation and presence more benign to the fish and the environment. One such development is the US Army Corps of Engineers owned and operated Hiram M Chittenden Dam and Locks in Seattle, Washington. This facility just celebrated its 100th year this past summer, in part with improvements to downstream fish passage and monitoring facilities and equipment. Aging downstream fish passage infrastructure, consisting of wedge wire flow dissipation screens and pipe flumes that dropped downstream migrants 20 to 30 feet to the water on low tides, were replaced by a large rectangular fiberglass smolt flume with updated passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag antennas. The profile of the flume mirrored the profile of the dam ogee and is segmented for removal for storage during the winter months. Safety of smolt passage through the flume was evaluated using Normandeau’s HI-Z Turb'N Tag, a proprietary balloon tag technology and found to safely pass smolts with no harm or visible physical damage. Tagged coho smolts were held for 48 hours for observation of delayed effects. All fish were found healthy and vigorous at the end of the holding period. Two more flumes are presently under construction to be ready for installation in the spring of 2018, completing the change to the new downstream fish passage approach.
