Thursday December 12, 2024
EIN Newswire —
Kleinschmidt Associates, a leading environmental and hydropower consulting firm, in partnership with Anchor QEA, has launched a landmark project for the Upper Columbia United Tribes (UCUT) to lead the development of fish passage systems at Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee dams.
The effort aims to reintroduce salmon into historical habitat blocked by the dams. These dams represent two of the largest hydropower production facilities in the United States and are the last in the Columbia River Hydropower System without fish passage capabilities.
The project marks a significant milestone in UCUT’s efforts to reintroduce salmon to the Upper Columbia River. It will focus on feasibility studies, planning oversight, and engineering design services to develop the fish passage systems, marking a significant milestone in UCUT’s efforts to reintroduce salmon to the Upper Columbia River.
Kleinschmidt and Anchor QEA will collaborate with UCUT and its member tribes (specifically the Coeur d’Alene, Colville, and Spokane tribes), dam owners, and key regulators to advance the UCUT’s Phase 2 Implementation Plan (P2IP), which aims to balance ecological, cultural, and hydropower priorities in restoring salmon to their ancestral habitats.