Migrating salmon on the Deschutes River received a boost from the hatchery upgrade, which combined fish-ladder extensions and expanded holding and juvenile-rearing ponds. The ponds have new viewing windows for visitors to gain a greater appreciation of the role of migratory fish in the Pacific Northwest ecosystem. The improvements will expand hatchery production to more than 3.8 million chinook salmon annually.

Scheduled for completion before the start of salmon spawning season, the project required close coordination and water-flow bypassing to provide a safe working environment while also keeping a surrounding community park open. Unexpected delays in removing bedrock required the team to resequence many construction activities. Crews reconditioned existing facility pumps to provide holding ponds with a temporary water supply until the new water intake system was completed. Temporary settling tanks were used to clean water encountered at the site as a safeguard against potentially contaminated soil from former industrial sites nearby.

Back to ENR Northwest's 2020 Regional Best Projects