EF Humptulips Fish Ladder

Posted by: seabeckraised

EF Humptulips Fish Ladder - 01/20/24 03:51 PM

Wondering if anyone on the board was familiar with the fish ladder built at RM 18 on the East Fork Humptulips River? Apparently it was put there as a way to allow fish past a natural waterfall at the same location. Can’t find much information about it on the internet, other than in a Chehalis Basin Strategy PDF.

Not sure when it was built, but was this a common strategy in the past in order to allow access to more spawning habitat?

Hoping someone on here has some knowledge of it.
Posted by: eswan

Re: EF Humptulips Fish Ladder - 01/20/24 08:25 PM

https://www.whitewaterguidebook.com/washington/east-fork-humptulips-narrows/

Mentions the location 1.9 mi below put in. There's a lot of great info on nw rivers from whitewater kayak books
Posted by: seabeckraised

Re: EF Humptulips Fish Ladder - 01/20/24 08:33 PM

That’s actually one of the websites I came across. There’s a few kayaking videos on YouTube showing it as well.
Posted by: eswan

Re: EF Humptulips Fish Ladder - 01/20/24 08:49 PM

https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Document/view/id/1659

I thought this book had some good info in it too
Posted by: Salmo g.

Re: EF Humptulips Fish Ladder - 01/22/24 08:49 AM

Originally Posted By: seabeckraised
Wondering if anyone on the board was familiar with the fish ladder built at RM 18 on the East Fork Humptulips River? Apparently it was put there as a way to allow fish past a natural waterfall at the same location. Can’t find much information about it on the internet, other than in a Chehalis Basin Strategy PDF.

Not sure when it was built, but was this a common strategy in the past in order to allow access to more spawning habitat?

Hoping someone on here has some knowledge of it.


Wow, that's one I never heard of. Yes, after WWII, WDF built ladders around natural barriers (Deschutes, SF Skykomish, Wind) or blasted out small barrier falls (Cascade River) to allow salmon passage into what the Department considered "barren waters." The presence of native trout didn't matter to WDF, which was salmon centric, and they barely talked to WDG, which was trout centric.
Posted by: Rivrguy

Re: EF Humptulips Fish Ladder - 01/22/24 08:57 AM

Quote:
The presence of native trout didn't matter to WDF, which was salmon centric, and they barely talked to WDG, which was trout centric.


Many years back in rather heated exchange with a WDG manager I objected to the Chambers Cr. Steelhead stock plants as QIN netting those fish was destroying native Satsop Late Coho. His response " that is WFW's problem " has stuck with me.
Posted by: seabeckraised

Re: EF Humptulips Fish Ladder - 01/22/24 09:34 AM

Originally Posted By: Salmo g.
Originally Posted By: seabeckraised
Wondering if anyone on the board was familiar with the fish ladder built at RM 18 on the East Fork Humptulips River? Apparently it was put there as a way to allow fish past a natural waterfall at the same location. Can’t find much information about it on the internet, other than in a Chehalis Basin Strategy PDF.

Not sure when it was built, but was this a common strategy in the past in order to allow access to more spawning habitat?

Hoping someone on here has some knowledge of it.


Wow, that's one I never heard of. Yes, after WWII, WDF built ladders around natural barriers (Deschutes, SF Skykomish, Wind) or blasted out small barrier falls (Cascade River) to allow salmon passage into what the Department considered "barren waters." The presence of native trout didn't matter to WDF, which was salmon centric, and they barely talked to WDG, which was trout centric.


I’ll try to post a picture on this thread, bear with me.
Posted by: Carcassman

Re: EF Humptulips Fish Ladder - 01/22/24 11:23 AM

I was in a 3-way FAB once between WDG, WDF, and Nisqually about a chum/steelhead issue. The Gamie said he could only talk about steelhead. But, WDG expected WDF to consider steelhead when salmon and steelhead co-occurred in a fishery. Kinda two-faced.