Duncan Dam Fish Passage Restoration

Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group proposed a restoration project on Duncan Creek Dam, privately owned by Skamania Landing Owners Association (SLOA) and located in the Columbia River Gorge. Due to changes in the operation of the Columbia River tailrace levels below Bonneville Dam during 2001, the confluence of Duncan Dam fishway outfall created a seasonal fish passage barrier. In 2010, SRFB funded the Duncan Dam Design project (#10-1027) during which final designs, construct permit applications and construction was completed to restore unobstructed salmonid access to the recently restored WDFW Duncan Springs chum salmon spawning channels and increased salmonid access to 1.94 miles of Duncan Creek spawning and rearing habitat. The retrofit of the Duncan Dam fish passage facilities increase adult passage for ESA listed (threatened) Lower Columbia coho, Chinook, steelhead and chum salmon populations during the peak spawning migration periods in the low flow fall/winter months.

In the first season of operation, as of 12/01/ 2015, over 145 adult chum had used the new fishway. As comparison, the previous seasonal high count was a total of 85 adults in 2011. Since December 18, 2015, 153 chum salmon, 15 coho, and 1 steelhead have accessed the trap at Duncan dam (data per phone call with Todd Hillson, WDFW). The high number of adult chum using the new fishway is indicative of project success and funds well spent!

This project restored salmonid access to the recently restored WDFW Duncan Springs chum salmon spawning channels and increases salmonid access to 1.94 miles of Duncan Creek spawning and rearing habitat.