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Bull Trout and Westslope Cutthroat Trout movement in a dam tailrace.

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/3030267· OSTI ID:3030267
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [4];  [5];  [5]
  1. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
  2. Eastern Washington Univ., Cheney, WA (United States)
  3. Coville Confederated Tribes
  4. Kalispel Tribe of Indians
  5. US Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, DC (United States)
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Populations of Bull Trout Salvelinus confluentus and Westslope Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi in the Pend Oreille Basin have declined, partly due to fragmentation caused by hydropower dams. This study aimed to analyze the movements and behavior of these species downstream of Albeni Falls Dam over two years to inform fishway design. Radiotracking investigations were conducted to monitor 10 adult Bull Trout and 17 adult Westslope Cutthroat Trout from September 2008 to July 2010. Macro and micro detection zones were delineated to study fine- and large-scale movements in the tailrace. Macro zones included the spillway and powerhouse tailrace areas. Micro zones were nested within macro zones to identify regions close to the dam where fishway structures could be built. Both Bull Trout and Westslope Cutthroat Trout exhibited high mobility in the dam tailrace, transitioning between macro detection zones. Seasonal variations influenced their distribution patterns. During the spring freshet migration season, both species were primarily detected at the left powerhouse micro zone. In sedentary periods (fall/winter and summer), fish actively swam throughout the tailrace, displaying search behavior. These behavior observations suggest that potential fishway entrances located near dam concrete would be effective: the area near the left powerhouse was identified as the optimal construction location. This study highlights the feasibility of designing fish passage structures to mitigate population fragmentation and support species recovery.
Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)
Sponsoring Organization:
Department of Energy
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-76RL01830;
OSTI ID:
3030267
Report Number(s):
PNWD-4459
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

Hydropower