Hydro Facility Monitoring

Cle Elum Dam, Washington
Priest Rapids Dam OLAFT, Columbia River, Washington
Roza Diversion Dam, Washington
Robert Moses Dam, New York
Baker Lake Dam, Washington
Albuquerque Water Purification Diversion Channel
Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, Puget Sound, Washington
Priest Rapids Dam, Washington
Prosser Diversion Dam, Yakima River, Washington
Wells Dam, Columbia River

Cle Elum Dam, Cle Elum River, Washington

Biomark was contracted by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, in cooperation with the Yakama Indian Nation, to design, construct and install a PIT-tag Antenna System at the temporary spillway flume at Cle Elum Dam on the Cle Elum River. The antenna system consists of two FS1001A transceivers and two 4 ft. X 5 ft. X 4 ft. ID (1.2 m X 1.5 m X 1.2 m) pass-through antennas designed to detect PIT-tags moving at speeds up to 34 fps. The antennas are separated by approximately 300 ft. This antenna system monitors the passage of juvenile salmon as they exit the Cle Elum reservoir and migrate downstream.

Priest Rapids Dam - OLAFT, Columbia River, Washington

Biomark was contracted by Grant County Public Utility District to design a PIT-tag Antenna System for the Off Ladder Adult Fish Trap (OLAFT) at Priest Rapids Dam on the Columbia River in Washington. The antenna system consists of a FS1001M multiplexing transceiver and three shielded 20 inch ID (51 cm ID) circular pass-through antennas mounted to a section of the flume structure. The first two antennas were designed to counter potential grouping of tagged fish moving through the system. The third antenna was designed with a wide antenna field to count fast moving fish. The overall detection efficiency estimate of the antenna system is 99.97%.

Roza Diversion Dam, Yakima River, Washington

Biomark was contracted by the Yakama Indian Nation, in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, to design, construct and install a PIT-tag Antenna System for the adult fish ladder at Roza Diversion Dam on the Yakima River in Washington. The antenna system consists of three FS1001A transceivers and three 24 inch X 22 inch ID (61 cm X 56 cm ID) pass-through antennas located in consecutive weirs. Weir notches were widened to allow installation of the antennas without affecting fishway hydraulics. The antennas were designed so that all fish ascending the ladder pass through each antenna.

Robert Moses Dam, St. Lawrence River, New York

Biomark was contracted by the New York Power Authority to design, construct and install multiple PIT-tag Antenna Systems for the upstream eel passage facility at the Robert Moses Dam on the St. Lawrence River in New York. The eel ladder, designed by Milieu, Inc. permits juvenile American eels to move upstream of the facility where they can live up to 30 years before returning to the ocean to spawn. By detecting PIT-tagged eels, the antenna systems allow researchers to gather data on the numbers and timing of migrations.

More information in the Water Power Magazine Article - Providing safe passage

Baker Lake Dam, Baker Lake, Washington

Biomark was contracted by Puget Sound Energy to design and construct a PIT-tag Antenna System assembly for the upper Baker Lake Floating Surface Collector (FSC). The antenna system consists of a FS1001M multiplexing transceiver and three antennas mounted on a fiberglass flume section within a drywell container. The FSC fish passage system was designed to improve fish passage success of juvenile salmon downstream from Baker Lake. The PIT-tag Antenna System detects tagged fish as they pass through the FSC facility. The system also provides an output signal that can be used to route PIT-tagged fish to various holding raceways.

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Biomark was contracted by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to design, construct and assist with the installation of a PIT-tag Antenna System for a fish passage channel at the City of Albuquerque Drinking Water Diversion Project. The antenna system consists of a FS1001M multiplexing transceiver and two 12 ft. (3.65 m) antenna arrays, each antenna array includes two 6 ft. (2 m) crump weir antennas. This antenna system was designed to monitor the movement of Rio Grande silvery minnows as they pass around the inflatable diversion dam through the passage channel.

Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, Puget Sound, Washington

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District contracted with Biomark to establish PIT-tag detection at the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks in Ballard, Washington. The locks allow for the passage of boats to and from Puget Sound and the fish ladder allows salmon to pass between fresh and salt water. Biomark designed and constructed a PIT-tag Antenna System to detect PIT-tagged fish passing through the submerged orifices as well as the fishway overflow slots. Flow deflectors were incorporated into the design of the overflow antennas to eliminate adverse conditions for fish passage.

Priest Rapids Dam, Columbia River, Washington

Biomark designed and constructed a PIT-tag Antenna System for the fishway at Grant County Public Utility District's Priest Rapids Dam on the Columbia River in Washington. Installed in 2003, the antennas were the largest submerged orifice antennas to date and measure 24 inches X 55 inches ID (61 cm X 140 cm ID). Another unique aspect of this project is that the antennas are attached to a metal video count box. The detection efficiency of the system was evaluated using run-of-river salmonids and ranged from 92 to 100% depending on species.

Prosser Diversion Dam, Yakima River, Washington

Biomark was contracted by the Yakama Indian Nation, in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, to construct a PIT-tag Antenna System for the fish passage facility at the Prosser Diversion Dam on the Yakima River in Washington. Biomark optimized existing schematics for the antennas provided by Digital Angel Corporation and potted the antennas to reduce the potential for damage from water intrusion. Antenna installation was facilitated by the use of fiberglass C-channels in the orifices.

Wells Dam, Columbia River, Washington

Biomark designed and constructed pass-through PIT-tag antennas for the adult fishway at Douglas County Public Utility District's Wells Dam on the Columbia River. The antenna system was the first in situ PIT-tag interrogation system on the Columbia River. The pass-through antennas were bolted to the upstream face of the selected weirs eliminating the need to remove concrete for installation. A performance evaluation was conducted using direct released adult sockeye salmon and run-of-river adult salmonids and showed that the antenna system had a detection efficiency of 99.9%.

Biomark - Specialists in EID (Electronic Identification)