Fish Screening & Irrigation Diversion Protection | Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife

HELP | EMPLOYMENT | NEWS | CONTACT

For more information on habitat issues, please contact the
WDFW Habitat Program.
habitatprogram@dfw.wa.gov
Phone: 360-902-2534

For more information on WDFW managed lands including wildlife areas, please contact the
WDFW Wildlife Program.
wildthing@dfw.wa.gov
Phone: 360-902-2515

Fish Screening & Irrigation Diversion Protection

Guidelines

Surface Water Diversions
An excerpt from the Fish Passage Barrier and Surface Water Diversion Screening Assessment and Prioritization Manual

Regulations

RCW 77.57.010
- Fish guards required on diversion devices--Penalties, remedies for failure.

RCW 77.57.040
- Director may modify inadequate fishways and fish guards.

RCW 77.57.070
- Diversion of water--Screen, bypass required.

In Washington, stream flows are commonly diverted or pumped to provide irrigation to crops and livestock, which has detrimental effects on fish. There are thousands of in-stream diversions or pumps currently withdrawing water from Washington streams. To adequately protect fish, including salmon and steelhead, from being washed into agricultural fields through irrigation channels or killed through irrigation pumps, fish exclusion devices are necessary. Currently, only a small percentage of stream diversions or pumps are believed to be fully screened to protect fish.

The Fish Screening Technical Assistance unit is an essential part of the state’s salmon recovery efforts. This unit is a recognized leader in regional fish protection technologies and has been the primary installer of fish screening facilities in the state. However, unscreened diversions and pumps are so numerous in the state that WDFW cannot tackle the problem without the assistance of landowners, other state and federal agencies, local governments, Indian Tribes, Regional Fisheries Enhancement Groups, Lead Entities, private citizens, and others. For this reason, WDFW has developed guidance documents for the inventory, assessment, and prioritization of poorly screened irrigation diversions and for the design of new structures. WDFW also created a Technical Assistance group to provide statewide assistance with screening project development, conceptual design, screen fabrication design, screen type selection, application of current state and federal screening criteria, and assistance in procuring project funding.

FISH SCREENING & IRRIGATION DIVERSION PROTECTION TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
Area of Specialty	Staff/Position	Location/Contact
Fish Screening	Eric Egbers Technical Assistance Environmental Specialist Contact for FRIMA grants	Yakima Construction Shop 3705 West Washington Ave. Yakima, WA 98903 Phone: (509) 575-2734 Eric.Egbers@dfw.wa.gov
Fish Screening Surveying Stream Flow Measurements	Pat Schille Technical Assistance Environmental Specialist	Yakima Construction Shop 3705 West Washington Ave. Yakima, WA 98903 Phone: (509) 575-2735 Pat.Schille@dfw.wa.gov
Administrative	Sonya Ortiz Office Assistant	Yakima Construction Shop 3705 West Washington Ave. Yakima, WA 98903 Phone: (509) 575-2733 Sonya.Ortiz@dfw.wa.gov
Construction Shop Manager Fish Screening	Chuck Lenberg Construction Maintenance Project Supervisor	Yakima Construction Shop 3705 West Washington Ave. Yakima, WA 98903 Phone: (509) 454-7825 Chuck.Lenberg@dfw.wa.gov
Screening Design Surveying Stream Flow Measurements Computer Aided Drafting & Design	Bob Gowen Technical Assistance Engineering Aide Contact for DOT Scoping	Natural Resources Building 1111 Washington Street SE 600 Capitol Way North (Mailing) Olympia, WA 98501-1091 Phone: (360) 902-2548 Gowenwrg@dfw.wa.gov
Fishways Flood Hazard Management Habitat Restoration Fish Screening Culvert Fish Passage LWD Structures	Bruce Heiner Eastern Washington Technical Assistance Engineer Primary Contact for Region 1 & Region 2	325 NW State Pullman, WA 99163 Phone: (509) 332-0892 heinebah@dfw.wa.gov