The Western Division American Fisheries Society is pleased to present a Conservation Achievement Award to the Chelan County Public Utility District (PUD) of Wenatchee, Washington. The Chelan County PUD is a non-profit, customer-owned organization that owns and operates the nation’s second largest nonfederal, publicly owned hydroelectric generating system.

The project that is worthy of this award is the multi-million dollar Juvenile Fish Bypass system that the PUD installed this year at its Rocky Reach hydro project on the Columbia River. The mid-Columbia River supports populations of two endangered species, spring Chinook salmon and steelhead trout, as well as summer/fall Chinook salmon.

The Fish Bypass is the culmination of 7 years of study of salmon survival through various prototype systems. This is part of the P.U.D.’s 50-year program to ensure their hydro projects have "no-net-impact" on mid-Columbia salmon and steelhead runs. This innovative juvenile fish bypass system will help move young salmon and steelhead quickly and safely past the Rocky Reach Hydro Project. In 2002, work started on a permanent system to replace the 7-year-old prototype. The new system will be completed by March 31, 2003, in time for the migration of spring Chinook salmon.

The UCG, a citizen’s group active in salmon recovery efforts in North Central Washington and who nominated the Chelan County P.U.D. for the award, believes that this project, at an estimated cost in excess of $132 million dollars, demonstrates a real commitment by the P.U.D. to the conservation and recovery of salmon and steelhead. It also demonstrates that the PUD is dedicated to the protection of the natural resources entrusted to it. Therefore, the WDAFS is pleased to present this Conservation Achievement Award to the Chelan County P.U.D.