AHSAHKA, Idaho – During the past week, approximately 200 dead adult steelhead have been discovered in the tailrace just below the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Dworshak Dam on the North Fork of the Clearwater River.
The exact cause of the mortalities is still under investigation by the Corps, but initial information points to steelhead injuries associated with non-routine upgrades of the Dam’s turbine unit 2, specifically new digital governor commissioning. The Corps had requested an assessment from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff at Dworshak Fish Hatchery, which found the steelhead mortalities were likely caused by contact with structural features of the turbine unit.
The Corps will be coordinating with appropriate federal and state agencies and other regional fish managers, including Native American tribes.
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Release no. 16-081