Location

Agriculture Production Theater, Oregon State University

Start Date

25-6-2013 2:10 PM

End Date

25-6-2013 2:30 PM

Description

The 366-MW Pelton Round Butte Hydroelectric Project is co-owned by Portland General Electric (PGE) and the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon (CTWSRO). A new 50 year license was issued in 2005. The project consists of three generation facilities located on the Deschutes River. The 247-MW Round Butte Project is the upper most development and impounds a 4,000-acre storage reservoir fed by the Deschutes, Metolius, and Crooked River (Lake Billy Chinook), the 100-MW Pelton Project is located approximately 7 miles downstream of Round Butte Dam and impounds a 540-acre reservoir known as Lake Symtustus. The 18-MW Reregulating Project is located approximately 3 miles downstream of Pelton Dam and impounds a 3 mile long, 190-acre reservoir. When Round Butte Dam was constructed in the early 1960s, a fish passage system for both downstreamand upstream salmonids was constructed. However, after attempting to maintain anadromous passage, the downstream fish passage system was determined to be ineffective, due to the inability to capture downstream migrating fish in Lake Billy Chinook. To mitigate for the loss, the Round Butte Fish Hatchery was constructed below the Dam. As part of the new Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license PGE and the Tribes have committed to reestablishing anadromous fish runs above Round Butte Dam. PGE and CTWSRO re-established downstream passage for anadromous smolts and resident fish species in December of 2009 when the Selective Water Withdrawal structure and associated downstream fish passage, capture, sampling, and transfer facilities became operational. Since then thousands of downstream migrating spring Chinook, summer steelhead, and juvenile Oncorhyncus nerka, (sockeye) have been captured and transported below the project to continue their downstream migration. Beginning in the spring of 2011, adults returning from these efforts have begun to be captured at the Pelton Adult Fish Trap located below the Reregulation Dam. Returning adults began to be transported upstream of Round Butte Dam in 2012. Returning known origin adults are transported from the Pelton Adult fish Trap to the Round Butte Adult Release Facility where they are released into the fore bay of Round Butte Dam to continue their upstream migration.

Comments

James Bartlett received his State of Oregon Paramedic License from Oregon Health Sciences University Portland Oregon. After a few years in the fire emergency service, he decided to continue his education at Portland State University where he completed his bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in Environmental Science. Jim started his career with PGE at the Faraday hydroelectric project in 1999. Jim was originally hired as a fisheries technician responsible for hydro project relicensing and juvenile and adult fish passage. With the new license issued to the Pelton Round Butte project in June of 2005, Jim is currently working as a fish passage biologist, Facility Team Leader for PGEs Pelton Round Butte project. Jim spends most of his time with PGE engineers, agency engineers, and contractors as they designed and continue to design the new intake and downstream fish passage facilities at the Round Butte project. Jim also assists with ODFW, tribal biologist, and other agency personnel in the re-introduction of Spring Chinook, summer steelhead, and sockeye into the Deschutes, Crooked, and Metolius Rivers.

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Jun 25th, 2:10 PM Jun 25th, 2:30 PM

Concurrent Sessions B: Reintroduction Efforts on the Upper Deschutes River - Pelton Round Butte Hydroelectric Project – Juvenile and Adult Fish Passage Improvements

Agriculture Production Theater, Oregon State University

The 366-MW Pelton Round Butte Hydroelectric Project is co-owned by Portland General Electric (PGE) and the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon (CTWSRO). A new 50 year license was issued in 2005. The project consists of three generation facilities located on the Deschutes River. The 247-MW Round Butte Project is the upper most development and impounds a 4,000-acre storage reservoir fed by the Deschutes, Metolius, and Crooked River (Lake Billy Chinook), the 100-MW Pelton Project is located approximately 7 miles downstream of Round Butte Dam and impounds a 540-acre reservoir known as Lake Symtustus. The 18-MW Reregulating Project is located approximately 3 miles downstream of Pelton Dam and impounds a 3 mile long, 190-acre reservoir. When Round Butte Dam was constructed in the early 1960s, a fish passage system for both downstreamand upstream salmonids was constructed. However, after attempting to maintain anadromous passage, the downstream fish passage system was determined to be ineffective, due to the inability to capture downstream migrating fish in Lake Billy Chinook. To mitigate for the loss, the Round Butte Fish Hatchery was constructed below the Dam. As part of the new Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license PGE and the Tribes have committed to reestablishing anadromous fish runs above Round Butte Dam. PGE and CTWSRO re-established downstream passage for anadromous smolts and resident fish species in December of 2009 when the Selective Water Withdrawal structure and associated downstream fish passage, capture, sampling, and transfer facilities became operational. Since then thousands of downstream migrating spring Chinook, summer steelhead, and juvenile Oncorhyncus nerka, (sockeye) have been captured and transported below the project to continue their downstream migration. Beginning in the spring of 2011, adults returning from these efforts have begun to be captured at the Pelton Adult Fish Trap located below the Reregulation Dam. Returning adults began to be transported upstream of Round Butte Dam in 2012. Returning known origin adults are transported from the Pelton Adult fish Trap to the Round Butte Adult Release Facility where they are released into the fore bay of Round Butte Dam to continue their upstream migration.