Hydro Dam & Fish Ladder, located upstream of the Robert Campbell Bridge, is a hydroelectric dam that provides power for Whitehorse as well as the town of Faro.
The water backed up by the dam forms Schwatka Lake which has tamed the infamous Whitehorse Rapids. On the east side of the dam, you can see one of the world's longest all-wooden fish ladders.
In August, when salmon are running upstream to spawn, you can view the fish through a window at the side of the ladder.
This is part of the ladder.....
... and the walkway to view the dam and fish ladder.....
Janine on the bridge crossing over The Yukon River, we can see the dam from here.
looking downstream on The Yukon River....... huge volume of water here!!
How the fish get thru .....The barrier dam is a low concrete structure that spans the river, preventing fish from swimming up into the turbulent water on the other side of the spillway. The concrete wall is built at an angle to direct fish to the entrance to the fishway.
The entry at the bottom of the fish ladder offers a good resting place. The flow of water in the fishway can be adjusted by valves to attract the fish into the ladder.
The ladder is built in a series of steps. It is about 366 metres long and rises over 15 metres in steps. The flow of water through each section creates a series of eddies, which allows the fish to rest between steps but still provides enough flow to encourage the fish to continue swimming.
About halfway along the ladder, the fish enter a holding area. At this point you can view the fish through the observation window in the interpretation building. Once in the holding tank, gates on both sides are closed temporarily while staff observe and record the size, sex and condition of the fish. Also at this time, some Chinook salmon are collected for the brood stock program at the Whitehorse Rapids Fish Hatchery.
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
www.yukonenergy.ca/services/facilities/fishway/
www.yukonfga.ca/fishway/index.asp
and the webcam to watch the fish arrive is here:
www.yukonenergy.ca/community/multimedia/fishcam/
This really was amazing place to visit, if you ever visit Whitehorse, then you really must see this Fish Ladder !
Next posting :
will probably be on our way to Fraser (BC, Canada) to catch the White Pass Rail to Skagway!
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