7845

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7845
• Author: Miller, W. J. and D. Laiho.
• Title: Final Report, Upper Colorado River Basin Recovery Implementation Program, Feasibility Evaluation Of Non-Native Fish Control Structures.
• USFW Year: 1997.
• USFW - Doc Type: \
• Copyright Material: NO

1
young fish to reach habitat occupied during the majority of their life cycle; and 3) movement back
and forth along the river as a part of normal movement of resident river fish. The stated purpose of
this study is closest to subject area 2. Subject areas 1 and 3 are not applicable to this study.
The evaluation of the control structure options to restrict downstream movement was conducted
using a combination of a review of literature and interviews with key individuals who are currently
operating and/or designing fish protection facilities throughout the nation. The literature is
summarized in the annotated bibliography in the Appendix. A description of personal contacts is
provided in Section 7.
1.3.1 Summary of Information Sources, Geographic Locations, and Target Fish
Species
The initial literature search identified over a hundred publications and associated references which
were reviewed. This served as the basis for identifying other publications, grey literature sources
and initial personal contacts. Professional acquaintances of the primary investigators and additional
individuals suggested by the people contacted were also targeted for interviews. This resulted in
individuals from a wide range of agencies and organizations being contacted to get input regarding
various protection devices and, in particular, on containing warm water species within reservoirs.
These entities included: National Marine Fishery Service, Oregon Department of Wildlife,
Washington Department of Fisheries, Washington Department of Ecology, California Department of
Fish and Game, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, National Biological Service,
Turners Falls Anadromous Fish Labs, and Alden Research Lab in Boston, Massachusetts. In
addition, key personnel in the Bureau of Reclamation in Denver, Washington and California were
contacted concerning both existing and proposed fish protection facilities. A list of persons
contacted is in Section 7.
Current fish protection facilities are located mainly in the Pacific Northwest, Northern California and
in the northeast. In general, these facilities are used to protect anadromous salmonid species,
normally smolts, from mortality at hydroelectric facilities or irrigation diversions during their
downstream passage. Facilities also exist to retain game fish, to separate non-game and game fish,
and to protect selected valuable (endangered, game or food) fish from mortality. Very few facilities
exist to control fry size fish and smaller life forms.
1.3.2 General Characteristics of Exclusion Facilities
The general characteristics of these facilities are to safely bypass downstream migrating fish past a
danger point and return them to the receiving stream below. Most such facilities are in use
seasonally versus year round as the primary diversion purpose is for irrigation. Each facility consists
of some sort of screen or diversion device to direct the fish toward a bypass. A small amount of flow
is then directed down the bypass with the fish entrained in the flow and that flow is returned to the
stream downstream of the facility. For the evaluation of this study, an alternative concept was
investigated. In particular, that concept included no fish bypass facility, and retained the fish within
the reservoir without bypassing them downstream. This is a substantial difference from the usual
concept of fish bypass or fish screening facility. -
Control Structure Feasibility Evaluation 1-2
Miller Ecological Consultants, Inc., February 18, 1997