about this project

The Thompson Falls Hydroelectric Project (FERC No. 1869) has been in operation since 1915 and is located on the lower Clark Fork River near the town of Thompson Falls, Montana. In 2008, the Licensee of the Project proposed the construction of an Upstream Fish Passage Facility at the dam to provide safe passage and improve habitat connectivity for trout, specifically federally-protected bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus), to their native upstream spawning waters.

In 2009, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved construction of a permanent upstream fish passage facility (fish ladder), at the Project. Construction was completed in 2010 and the fish ladder commenced oPPL Montanaperations in 2011. The fish ladder operates annually between March and October and provides passage for bull trout, as well as several other salmonid and non-salmonid species.

The fish ladder was entirely funded by the Licensee as part of their ongoing commitments to fisheries and river resources, as well as compliance with the Endangered Species Act.

2017 fish ladder captures

The fish ladder opened for the season on March 22, 2017

2017 Weekly Fish Counts
Date Water
Temp*		 RB  RBx
WCT		 WCT LL  BULL LT  LN SU LS SU N PMN SMB PEAx
NPM		 PEA MWF EB  EBx
BULL		 WE  LMB Daily
count
9/18 15.1 5 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8
9/17 no ck                                    
9/16 no ck                                    
9/15 no ck                                    
9/14 18.6 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
9/13 18.9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
9/12 19.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
 Total this Week: 10
    5 0 0 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  
 Total for Year:  498
    166 1 11 94 1 0 0 34 6 123 2 0 0 0 0 0 0  
  * Water temperature is in Celsius

  Abbreviation Key:
RB rainbow trout N PMN northern pikeminnow
RBxWCT rainbow X westslope cutthroat trout hybrid SMB smallmouth bass
WCT westslope cutthroat trout PEAxNPM peamouth X northern pikeminnow hybrid
LL brown trout PEA peamouth
BULL bull trout MWF mountain whitefish
LT lake trout EB brook trout
LN SU longnose sucker EBxBULL brook trout X bull trout hybrid
LS SU largescale sucker WE walleye
  LMB large mouth bass

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