Publication of the guideline for this subject is dependant on future funding. It contains types and applications of screen styles (drums, fixed plate, traveling, pump screens, infiltration galleries), screen design criteria, hydraulic design, fish bypass systems, and debris management.

Guiding Principles for Fish Protection at Water Division:

1. Fish survival at diversions and screens is affected by flow, weather, and other environmental conditions. Therefore, facility design is based on worst-case conditions: salmonids present at the screen at the most vulnerable life history stage and most severe environmental conditions (e.g. fry life history in cold water at high flow).
2. Positive exclusion screening at 100% effectiveness through the entire facility (diversions, screen, and bypass), which is the goal, transports fish around diversions without unnatural injury, stress, delay, or disorientation.
3. A properly functioning facility (diversions, screen, and bypass will:
   1. Properly distribute flow within the facility.
   2. Take advantage of natural migratory behaviors of all species and life history.
   3. Allow all species and stages of fish life to move safely and freely upstream and downstream of the facility.
   4. Return fish to the original channel.
   5. Minimize predation within the facility.
   6. Minimize impacts of instream flow depletion.

4. Appropriate operation and maintenance of engineered facilities at all flow conditions are necessary for effective protection of fish.
5. Cumulative effects of diversions are minimized by conserving water and consolidating diversions.

Works in Progress - These "works in progress" have been developed to show the progress being made with the Aquatic Habitat Guidelines program. Drafts of guidelines currently under development, as well as information pertaining to their development, are presented here. The “works in progress” documents posted on this site illustrate the thoughts of those individuals contributing to the program. The information provided is continually changing and being updated. The “works in progress” documents do not necessarily reflect current guidelines or the policies of state agencies. By entering the links below, you agree to use these documents as discussion drafts only.

• Fish Protection Screen Guidelines for Washington State - (PDF Format 342K).
• Notes From Draft Guidelines Peer Review - (PDF Format) To help ensure that the guidelines drafted as part of the Aquatic Habitat Guidelines are comprehensive and reflect best available scientific information, they are reviewed in workshops that bring together regional experts, users, and regulators to discuss and critique the documents. Input from the workshops, as well as written comments, are reviewed and considered for incorporation into revisions of the guidelines documents.

WDFW -- Fish Passage Technical Assistance - This page contains guidance, policy, and regulations from WDFW on upstream fish passage at dams and culverts and protection of fish at water diversions.