Touring Baker Dam
The dam's fish passage features, new fish hatchery, and riparian protection have helped boost sockeye production
- July 08, 2015
- Carol Winkel
Council members and Council staff toured Puget Sound Energy's Baker River hydroelectric project last month to learn about its efforts to reintroduce anadromous fish over the dam.
The 215-megawatt facility is Puget's largest hydropower operation; its two dams form Lake Shannon behind the Lower Baker Dam and Baker Lake behind the Upper Baker Dam.
The facility is located in the Cascade Mountains in northwest Washington on the Baker River, a major tributary of the Skagit River and one of the state's most prolific river systems for fish.
As you can see, it was a beautiful day.
In 2010, Puget completed construction of an advanced fish hatchery and refurbished sockeye spawning beach, which has helped to double sockeye fry production.
In the most recent revision of our Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program, the Council calls for studies to determine the feasibility of reintroducing of reintroducing anadromous fish above Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee dams. Puget's experience with reintroducing salmon past Baker Dam, while a much smaller facility, helps our understanding of the challenges in this effort.