Use of Multiyear Salmon Acoustic Telemetry Data through Bonneville Dam to Guide Operations on the Columbia River

To improve survival and passage of juvenile salmonids migrating through the Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS), the US Army Corps of Engineers has used hydraulic models of the dams to test structural and hydraulic changes to prioritize modifications.  Acoustic telemetry has been used to address 1) the evaluation of structural and hydraulic improvements, and 2) quantify passage and survival of juvenile salmonids through the lower FCRPS between 2008 and 2012.  During this period, 73,549 juvenile Chinook salmon and steelhead were surgically implanted with Juvenile Salmon Acoustic Telemetry System (JSATS) acoustic transmitters and passive integrated transponders, which after release were monitored on dam mounted and autonomous receivers.  Using these multi-year datasets, we were able to evaluate survival of juvenile salmon passing through the turbines at Bonneville Dam  over the entire turbine operating ranges to identify the best operating conditions of the turbine units that provide juvenile salmonids with the safest and most efficient passage conditions.  We also evaluated spillway survival to determine if survival was reduced in certain regions of the spillway due to erosion and if survival varied across the range of spill conditions.