Too bad that this kind of interest and involvement has not or can not be generated on issues that really matter for the fish of the region!

The "dam" here is a relatively low weir to insure a constant diversion of water to the intake. From the project discription it looks like that "impoundment" behind that weir will have about 2 surface acres (average depth of 10 feet). Hardly the vision that comes to mind when talking about "daming" the South Fork Skykomish.

Interest in a low head hydro - run of the river project has been around since at least the early 1980s. These kinds of projects are a different animal than say the large "Spada" type projects. Snohomish County has two operating low head hydro projects in the Basin (one on Woods Creek and another on Youngs River) and a couple others proposed on tirbutaries of the North Fork Snoqualmie.

Maybe some folks here have had the chance to look at the Youngs River project can report on.

The big fish issue with projects like this are screen fish away from the intake, ramping rates at start up and shut down, and in this case attraction of adult fish to the fish trap at Sunset Falls. In saure that the tribes and various state and Federal agencies have been and will be all over the requirements to protect the fish.

BTW -
As part of the project it is reported the PUD will invest in upgrading the fish trap and haul facility at Sunset Falls. The facility is more than 50 years old and reaching the end of its useful life.

Tight lines
Curt