In the mid-1950's the Oregon State Fish and Wildlife agency developed a plan to improve the run of salmon and steelhead in Oregon's Willamette River. As part of the plan, Portland General Electric Company was required to facilitate the migration of anadromous fish at their T.W. Sullivan plant located at Willamette Falls. In the late 1960s, PGE installed an improved fish ladder replacing an older, inadequate design. With upstream migrating fish accommodated, there still remained the problem of large numbers of downstream swimming fish being drawn through the turbine.