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Fish Study Season Begins at Grant County PUD
Advanced Technology and Cost Savings Highlighted
EPHRATA
,
WA
– Whether it’s flying a modern helicopter or operating a small radio-controlled model boat, Grant County PUD employees and contractors are working at improving
Columbia River
fish passage and survival. These activities are part of the 2006 fish survival study season now underway at the Priest Rapids Project.
The study process includes extensive coordination between a helicopter pilot and ground crews as they work to place juvenile steelhead and Chinook in the Columbia River at several locations between the tailraces of
Rock Island
and Priest Rapids Dams. This 56.5 mile stretch of the Columbia River starts downstream of
Wenatchee
to a point upstream of the Hanford Reservation.
This is the first year that Grant PUD has conducted survival studies using juvenile steelhead. In this first study season, nearly 120 helicopter flights will place approximately 3,000 acoustic-tagged fish at river release locations on a daily basis throughout May. Roughly 1,500 Chinook will be released for behavior studies.
“These studies help our scientists gain additional knowledge about fish survival and behavior at project dams,” said Grant PUD Director of Natural Resources, Stephen Brown. “Grant PUD conducts these tests on an annual basis as part of our ongoing pursuit of more effective measures for the protection, mitigation and enhancement of salmon, steelhead and other resources.”
Each year, millions of juvenile salmonids migrate downstream through the
Columbia River
and the Wanapum and Priest Rapids Dams. Agreements between Grant County PUD, federal and state agencies and Indian tribes formalize long-term adaptive management protection programs. This effort focuses on the mitigation and enhancement of salmon and steelhead, which may pass or be affected by the Priest Rapids Project, including requirements for the utility to monitor the survival of juvenile fish.
One of the most effective methods for learning about juvenile salmon behavior involves the use of acoustic telemetry. This process acts like a GPS system and indicates fish position by assessing location using three coordinates. The tag, implanted in the fish, emits a pulse that is detected by hydrophones, or receivers, that reveal the precise location of the fish both up and downstream of the Priest Rapids Project.
Throughout the five-week study period, it’s vitally important that the hydrophones are working properly. Each hydrophone station is visited daily to insure proper operation, check the accuracy of the internal clocks, AC voltage and to process data. In the past, inspections have been conducted with two boat operators and a scientist on board. In an effort to improve the monitoring system, to reduce safety risks and minimize fish spill stoppage, staff developed a solution for this year’s inspections utilizing a 55-inch radio controlled boat. The boat, made of fiberglass composite can move nimbly with a monitoring device hanging from the bottom. The boat is controlled from a safe location on the spillway deck, is paced back and forth in the forebay, it monitors the operational status of the receivers. This solution saves the utility the time of three employees, reduces fuel costs and adds to the safe working conditions of those conducting the survey.
“For more than 40 years Grant County PUD has focused considerable time and expense to achieve high levels of safe fish passage at Wanapum and Priest Rapids Dams,” said Brown. “Utility biologists and engineers work diligently to craft solutions that increase fish passage efficiency while ensuring adequate power production, preservation of water quality and cost savings to Grant PUD ratepayer-owners.“
For additional information on Grant PUD’s fish protection measures, please visit www.gcpud.org.
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Grant County Public Utility District owns and operates the two-dam Priest Rapids Project on the Columbia River and an electric distribution system serving all of
Grant
County
, in
Central Washington
. Together, Priest Rapids and Wanapum developments have the capacity to produce nearly 2,000 megawatts of clean, renewable and reliable electricity - enough to supply a city the size of
Seattle
. Environmental stewardship and providing affordable energy to millions of customers throughout the Northwest are top priorities for Grant PUD. The utility launched the Zipp Network to bring high-speed fiber optic access to homes, schools, businesses and farms in this rural part of
Washington
.
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