Hydroacoustic Evaluation of Overwintering Summer Steelhead Fallback and Kelt Passage at The Dalles Dam Turbines, Early Spring 2011

Technical Report · Wed Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 2012

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1041372· OSTI ID:1041372

Khan, Fenton ^[1]; Royer, Ida M. ^[1]

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1. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

This report presents the results of an evaluation of overwintering summer steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fallback and early out-migrating steelhead kelts downstream passage at The Dalles Dam turbines during early spring 2011. The study was conducted by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District (USACE) to investigate whether adult steelhead are passing through turbines during early spring before annual sluiceway operations typically begin. The sluiceway surface flow outlet is the optimal non-turbine route for adult steelhead, although operating the sluiceway reduces hydropower production. This is a follow-up study to similar studies of adult steelhead passage at the sluiceway and turbines we conducted in the fall/winter 2008, early spring 2009, fall/winter 2009, and early spring 2010. The goal of the 2011 study was to characterize adult steelhead passage rates at the turbines while the sluiceway was closed so fisheries managers would have additional information to use in decision-making relative to sluiceway operations. Sluiceway operations were not scheduled to begin until April 10, 2011. However, based on a management decision in late February, sluiceway operations commenced on March 1, 2011. Therefore, this study provided estimates of fish passage rates through the turbines, and not the sluiceway, while the sluiceway was open. The study period was March 1 through April 10, 2011 (41 days total). The study objective was to estimate the number and distribution of adult steelhead and kelt-sized targets passing into turbine units. We obtained fish passage data using fixed-location hydroacoustics with transducers deployed at all 22 main turbine units at The Dalles Dam. Adult steelhead passage through the turbines occurred on 9 days during the study (March 9, 12, 30, and 31 and April 2, 3, 5, 7, and 9). We estimated a total of 215 ± 98 (95% confidence interval) adult steelhead targets passed through the turbines between March 1 and April 10, 2011. Horizontal distribution data indicated Main Unit 18 passed the majority of fish. Fish passage occurred throughout the day. We conclude that adult steelhead passed through turbines during early spring 2011 at The Dalles Dam.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 1041372
• Report Number(s): PNNL--20431-FINAL; 400403209
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

13 HYDRO ENERGY
ADULTS
Adult steelhead
DECISION MAKING
DISTRIBUTION
EVALUATION
FISH PASSAGE FACILITIES
FISHERIES
MANAGEMENT
PRODUCTION
TARGETS
TRANSDUCERS
TURBINES
US CORPS OF ENGINEERS
fallback
hydroelectric dams
kelt passage
sluiceways