The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is a U.S. Department of Energy laboratory located in Washington state that conducts research in energy, security, and environmental sciences. PNNL studied the effects of structural modifications at John Day Dam on survival and passage of juvenile steelhead from 2008-2012. The study found that installing spillway weirs and bird wires helped improve steelhead survival and meet federal standards, demonstrating the importance of these modifications for protecting fish.

1. ABOUT
Pacific Northwest
National Laboratory
The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
located in southeastern Washington State,
is a U.S. Department of Energy Office of
Science laboratory that solves complex
problems in energy, national security, and
the environment, and advances scientific
frontiers in the chemical, biological, materials,
environmental, and computational sciences.
The Laboratory employs nearly 5,000 staff
members, has an annual budget in excess
of $1 billion, and has been managed by
Ohio-based Battelle since 1965.
For more information on the science
you see here, please contact:
Mike Greiner
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
P.O. Box 241
North Bonneville, WA 98639
(509) 427-5838
Michael.Greiner@pnnl.gov
Structural and Operational Modifications to Enhance
Survival and Pasage of Juvenile Steelhead at
John Day Dam, 2008-2012.
Greiner, M.J., M.A. Weiland, G.R. Ploskey, J.S. Hughes, Z. Deng, C.M. Woodley,
T.J. Carlson and M.B. Eppard
FileName//FileDate//PNNL-SA-#####
Introduction
The 2008 Biological Opinion (BiOp) on operation of the Federal
Columbia River Hydropower System(FCRPS) calls for
measurement of juvenile salmon survival and additional
performance measures stipulated in the Columbia Basin Fish
Accords.
Fish survival standards and associated metrics include:
►96% survival (SE ≤ 1.5) for yearling Chinook salmon (CH1) and
steelhead (STH)
►93% survival (SE ≤ 1.5) for subyearling Chinook salmon (CH0)
►No decline in spill passage efficiency or increase in forebay
residence and tailrace egress time
Study Location
►John Day Dam
 At rkm 349
 Height: 56 m
 Length: 2,327 m
 Capacity 2,485 MW
 Powerhouse
•16 active units
• 4 inactive units
 Spillway
•20 gates
Methods
Tagging and Release
Tagging (JSATS and PIT)
Late April thru May
≥95 and < 300mm TL
JSATS micro transmitters
0.438 g in air
11.9 mm long x 5.1 mm wide
1 pulse every 3 seconds
33 d tag life
Steelhead released by year for survival estimates at John Day
Dam 2008-2012.
Fish Release Sites and Array Locations
Conclusions
FCRPS BiOp criteria are being met
Structural modifications have improved
passage survival of juvenile salmonids at
JDA
Installation of spillway weirs has
improved survival by providing a surface-
flow outlet
Placement of spillway weirs important in
guiding fish
Passage survival improved after installation
of bird wires, including turbine passed fish
Structural and Operational Modifications
►2008
 Top spill weirs (TSWs) installed into
spillbays 15 and16
► 2009
 TSWs remained in spillbays 15 and 16
► 2010
 TSWs moved to sbays 18 and 19
(closer to powerhouse)
 Modified spillway deflector installed
at bay 20 (closest to powerhouse)
 Avian exclusion wires partially
installed in tailrace
►2011
 TSWs remained in bays 18 and 19
 Avian wires installation completed
►2012
 Avian wires and TSWs in bays 18 and
19 remained
Background
At John Day Dam (JDA), the US Army Corp of Engineers-
Portland District (USACE-NWP) has made structural and
operational modifications with the intent of increasing
juvenile salmonid survival and meeting standards for
associated passage metrics.
Objectives
Estimate dam and route-specific
survival of JSATS-tagged juvenile
salmonids
Evaluate passage efficiency of the
spillway and two spillway weirs
 2008 – Treatment study
 2009 – Treatment study
 2010 – Treatment study
 2011 – BiOp study
 2012 – BiOp study
Acoustic Receiver Arrays
Cabled receiver systems
mounted to dam face
Autonomous receiver
arrays located across
forebay and tailrace
sections and mid-
reservoir
Results
Overall passage survival for steelhead at John Day Dam,
2008-2012. Vertical bars denote standard error; horizontal line
represents 96% survival goal.
Steelhead passage survival by route at John Day
Dam, 2008-2012. Vertical bars denote standard
error; horizontal line represents 96% survival goal.
Mean Forebay
Residence Time
Median
Forebay Residence Time
Mean Tailrace
Egress Time
Median Tailrace
Egress Time
2008 2 (0.51) 4.3 5.2 (0.46) 1.2
2009 8.9 (0.10) 5.5 4.6 (0.20) 0.5
2010 13.7 (0.51) 4.44 2.5 (0.33) 0.63
2011 6.88 (0.20) 2.91 9.09 (0.70) 0.58
2012 5.79 (0.33) 2.39 6.22 (0.48) 0.46
Travel Time for steelhead at John Day Dam, 2008-2012. Standard error is reported in parentheses.
Spill Passage Efficiency (SPE) and Fish Passage Efficiency (FPE) for juvenile
steelhead at John Day Dam, 2008-2012. Standard error is reported in parentheses.
Spill Passage Efficiency Fish Passage Efficiency
2008 74.4 (1.326) 97.2 (0.357)
2009 76.3 (0.862) 97.4 (0.301)
2010 88.8 (0.007) 98.2 (0.003)
2011 62.8 (0.009) 96.0 (0.004)
2012 74.5 (0.008) 96.9 (0.003)