1. Adult PIT-tag Interrogation System Wells Hydroelectric Project (System Design, Installation and Evaluation)    
Shane Bickford*
Public Utility District No. 1 of Douglas County.
East Wenatchee, Washington
            
John Skalski and Rich Townsend
School of Aquatic and Fisheries Science.
University of Washington
Seattle, Washington
      
Scott McCutcheon and Ryan Richmond
Biomark Inc.
Biose, Idaho

2. Outline Unique Features of Wells Dam System Design Installation
Evaluation
Methodology
Results

3. Map courtesy of the US Army Corps

4. Features of the Wells Hydrocombine
Switchyard
10 Kaplan Turbine Units
840 MW Capacity
2 Adult Fishways

5. Features of the Wells Hydrocombine
11 Spillways
5 Fish Bypass Systems

6. Adult PIT Project Design
mikeb
2/25/2019

7. Adult PIT - Design Concerns
Avoid Overflow weirs.
Install in noise free environments.
Prevent leakage of water into coils.
Do not impede fish passage.
The smaller the orifice diameter the better the detection rate.

8. Project Goals
Install Prototype Adult PIT-tag detection equipment in both fishways at Wells Dam (winter of ).
Evaluate detectors during the 2002 adult migration.
Fall 2002: Determine whether additional detectors are needed and whether prototype design is appropriate for site.

9. Wells Ladder Cross Section

10. Control Weirs: Adult PIT Coil Site
Pool 68-67

11. Downstream View of Orifice – Weir 68
Width
17”
Height
30”

12. Downstream View of Orifice – Weir 68
Width
29”
Chamfer 6”

13. Downstream View of Orifice – Weir 68
Height
42”

14. Upstream Face of Orifice – Weir 68
Chamfer 1.5”
Chamfer 0.5”
Width
21”

15. Upstream Face of Orifice – Weir 68
Height
34”

16. RF coil back side
RF coil upstream view

17. Coil mounted on Weir 68, left bank orifice.

18. Weir 68 coils completed and ready to tune.

19. Communication Infrastructure

20. Interrogation System Goals
99% Detection Efficiency for tagged adult salmon and
steelhead by the spring of 2003.
Real-time Data feed to PSMFC database.
Do not impede or delay fish passage.

21. Interrogation Evaluation Goals
Estimate detection rates for sockeye tagged at Wells Dam as adults.
Estimate detection rates for run-of-river sockeye, steelhead, chinook and coho.
Determine whether there are species specific difference in detection rates.
Determine whether the adult PIT interrogations system impedes or delays adult fish passage.

22. Sockeye tagged at east ladder trap at Wells Dam

23. Interrogation System Results*
Wells Tagged Adults: ( )
Run-of-River Adults:
Chinook ( )
Coho (1.0000)
Steelhead ( )
Sockeye (1.0000)
East Ladder: ( )
West Ladder: ( )
No significant differences in the rates of detection by species or between the east and west ladders.
* All results reported with a 95% Confidence Interval

24. Interrogation System Adult Passage/Travel Time Results
No increased incidence of fallback within the ladders.
No obvious accumulations of fish downstream of coils.
Per Weir Travel Time:
Chinook (1.642 – 1.350)
Coho ( )
Steelhead (0.983 – 0.892)
Sockeye (5.183 – 1.675)
Per Weir travel times not significantly different before and after installation of adult PIT-system.

25. Conclusions
Detection rates for all species exceeded the preseason goal of 99%.
Real-time data feed to PSMFC successful.
No increase in travel time, delay or rate of fallback within the ladder observed in 2002 or 2003.
No need to modify the existing in-ladder system.

26. Conclusions (Continued)
No leakage into coils.
Noise events can be intense but are very short and infrequent.
Recommendation to install automated detectors at brood collection traps located downstream of the PIT-detectors.

27. Visit us on the Web: http://www.pittag.org/web/Adult/index.html#
(Adult returns Query)