Engineering Solutions to Upstream Migrant Trapping and Sorting in the Willamette Valley, Oregon

The United States Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District, (USACE) has constructed three upstream fish passage facilities and designed two others over the past six years in the Willamette Valley. The completed projects are Minto, Foster, and Cougar fish facilities on the North Santiam, South Santiam and Southfork McKenzie respectively. The design for Dexter on the Middle Fork Willamette is nearly complete, and Fall Creek fish facility will begin construction this year. These facilities will improve upstream passage of adult salmon above USACE dams, support Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) hatchery spawning operations, and in some cases, serve as juvenile hatchery acclimation facilities. USACE has designed these facilities in collaboration with National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), ODFW, and other regional stake holders.  In most cases the design team was able to meet NMFS and ODFW criteria which led to innovative solutions.  Each of the challenges required a unique design to meet the different objectives; run sizes, staffing limitations, and physical constraints.  The presentation will discuss several examples of Portland Districts’ solutions to: debris management, volitional passage, and fish sorting, handling, and transport at our facilities.