Dam Stories: Salmon Transport and Robotic Fish

April 11, 2012 By: Marshall Cutchin

Pitlochry Fish LadderIf you’ve ever had a hard time visualizing what happens to salmon that reach a modern dam that is managed to enable migrating fish to return to their natal waters, you’re not alone.  Popular Science just published a new piece on the mechanics of salmon transport, using a recently installed $109-million facility on the Deschutes River as an example.  As the article illustrates, it’s a complicated process.

In a related story, Popular Mechanics author Tom Ferris writes about the robotic fish invented by Tom Carlson, a fisheries specialist at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.  Carlson’s device simulated the effects of dams on fish health and enabled engineers to develop turbines that did less damage.

Creative Commons License Photo Credit: Duncan Stephen