Question: How do the physiological responses compare between groups of hatchery adult rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss after traveling through an early prototype of the Whooshh Fish Transport System (WFTS) or by trap and haul transport?

Conclusion:  The results indicated that fish that were passed through the Whooshh Fish Transport System were not severely stressed or injured from the Whooshh tube experience when compared to trout that were transported by trap and haul. 

Lab: USGS Columbia River Research Laboratory 

Contact: Matt Mesa & Steve Waste

Species: Rainbow Trout

Published Study Results: PDF

Question:  Is it possible to safely transport hatchery steelhead 250 ft through the Whooshh fish transport system?

Conclusion: Yes.  Hatchery steelhead were transported ~250 ft in an average of ~13 seconds.  All steelhead exiting the tube immediately swam away in a direction of their own choosing.

Study Report: PDF (Kalama Falls doc)

Lab: Kalama Falls Hatchery

Contact: WDFW

Species: Hatchery Steelhead

Question: Do fall Chinook salmon travelling through a 40' or a 250' Whooshh fish transport system incur epithelial injury?

Conclusion: No. Fish passing through the Whooshh tube incur no epithelial damage as indices of epithelial injury suggest that no differences could be distinguished between Whooshh transported, trap and haul transported and control-net handled fish.

Lab: PNNL

Contact: Alison Colotelo/David Geist

Species: Fall Chinook

Study Results: PDF

Additional Study Info: PDF   

Slides: PDF

Question: Is the percentage of viable eggs collected and fertilized from a group of Chinook transported by the Whooshh system equivalent to the percentage of viable eggs collected and fertilized from a group of hand-carried Chinook?

Conclusion: Yes. Egg viability percentages were very high and were statistically equivalent between the groups of fish transported by the hand-carry and the Whooshh system methods.

Lab: Yakama Nation -  Cle Elum Hatchery

Contact: David Fast

Species: Spring Chinook

Study Results: PDF

Additional Study Data: PDF

Question:  Is the survival rate of hand carried Chinook broodstock comparable to the survival rate of Whooshh transported Chinook broodstock at Roza dam on the Yakima River?

Conclusion: Yes, in fact in this 2014 study the survival rate of Whooshh transported Chinook broodstock was better than that of the hand carried Chinook broodstock.  Although the total number of fish transferred was small, the Whooshh fish mortality rate was approximately one-half that of the hand carry transport method. 

Lab: Yakama Nation -  Cle Elum Hatchery

Contact: David Fast

Species: Spring Chinook

Study Results: PDF

Additional Study Data: PDF

Question: Does transport method affect adult salmon survival: comparative study evaluating fall Chinook salmon travelling through a 40' or 250' Whooshh Fish Transport System, trap and haul transport and control fish?

Conclusion:  No, transport methods evaluated had no impact on adult salmon survival. No significant differences in survival rates were detected between the transport study groups.

Lab: PNNL

Contact: Alison Colotelo/David Geist

Species: Fall Chinook

Study Results: PDF

Additional Study Info: PDF     

Question: What is the feasibility of having salmon voluntarily enter the Whooshh system without the assistance of human handling?

Conclusion: Yes, it is feasible, adult salmon ascended a steep pass and descended down a flume. They entered into a V notch head first and then glided into the Whooshh tube entry and passed safely and successfully through the WFTS into the holding tank.

Lab: Yakama Nation -  Cle Elum Hatchery

Contact: David Fast

Species: Spring Chinook

Study Results: PDF

Question: Do fall Chinook salmon travelling through a 40' or a 250' Whooshh fish transport system incur additional physiological stress compared to the trap and haul transport or control-net transport fish?

Conclusion:  No. There was no significant difference in elevated immune response levels among the study groups measured 2-3 days post-transport. Additionally, there was no indication of a difference in female cortisol levels, as an indicator of stress, attributable to the Whooshh Fish Transport System experience.

Lab: PNNL

Contact: Alison Colotelo/David Geist

Species: Fall Chinook

Study Results: PDF

Additional Study Info: PDF   

Question: Is gamete survival of fall Chinook salmon affected by adult transport through a 40' or a 250' Whooshh fish transport system prior to spawning relative to trap and haul transported and control-net handled fish?

Conclusion: No. Survival of gametes to the eyed egg stage, an indicator of whether survival of offspring is successful or compromised, was not significantly different among the four study groups.

Lab: PNNL

Contact: Alison Colotelo/David Geist

Species: Fall Chinook

Study Results: PDF

Additional Study Info:  PDF    

Question: Is reproductive readiness of adult fall Chinook salmon affected by transport travel through a 40' or a 250' Whooshh fish transport system as compared to transport travel via a trap and haul or control-net handled?

Conclusion:  No. There was no indication that transport method had any effect on reproductive readiness.  Female fish plasma vitellogenin concentrations for the female fish that were transported through the Whooshh system or via trap and haul were similar to the control group.

Lab: PNNL

Contact: Alison Colotelo/David Geist

Species: Fall Chinook

Study Results: PDF 

Additional Study Info: PDF  

Question: Will fish experience any extraordinary, potentially harmful, G forces when travelling through the Whooshh fish transport system?

Conclusion: No. The instantaneous G forces experienced by fish going through the Whooshh system are overall quite low.  They are less than half the G force a fish experiences when falling back into the water either onto its belly or backwards from a 36 inches height, which is a scenario typically experienced when fish are discharged from a truck in a trap and haul operation or down and out a fish slide where the fish do not re-enter the water head first.

Lab: PNNL

Contact:  Zhiqun Deng

Species: N/A - Electronic Sensor

Study Results: PDF     

Video: MOV

Other reference study 1: PDF

Other reference study 2: PDF

Question: Are the spring Chinook adult survival, productive spawning and egg viability data of Whooshh transported verses hand and haul transport reproducible?

Conclusion: Yes. Although 2015 was an exceptionally hot year, the comparative results between Whooshh transport and hand and haul of 2014 were reproduced in 2015.

Lab: Yakima Nation Fisheries

Contact:  Mark Johnston

Species: Spring Chinook

Study Report: PDF

Question: Can Whooshh demonstrate volitional entry and effective transport of pink salmon through the Whooshh fish transport system?

Conclusion: Yes.  500 pink salmon, on their own volition, swam into the Whooshh fish transport system position downstream of Buckley dam on the White River and were safely transported to a tank on a transport truck.

Lab: Puyallup and Muckleshoot Indian Tribes

Contact: Justin Paul

Species: Pink salmon

Study Report: PDF

Videos:  

1.  MOV  

2.   MOV

Question: Do live adult Atlantic salmon safely travel through the Whooshh system when oriented to enter either head first or trail first?

Conclusion: Yes. The Whooshh system successfully transported all fish whether facing forward or backward. There was no statistical difference between fish transported in the Whooshh system related to fish entry orientation.

Lab: Conservation Fund Fresh Water Institute

Contact: Steve Summerfelt

Species: Atlantic Salmon

Study Results: PDF 

Video: MOV 

Question:  Will Lake Sturgeon safely transport through the Whooshh fish transport system?

Conclusion: Yes. There was no indication of external injury to study fish caused by passage through the Whooshh Fish Transport System. No mortalities occurred in the study: Whooshh and control transport groups. These results support the potential of the Whooshh system as a viable method for sturgeon passage upstream or downstream at dams.

Lab: Alden Research Laboratory Inc.

Contact: Steve Amaral

Species: Lake Sturgeon

Study Abstract: PDF

Video: Not Yet Available

Study: PDF

Question: Is it feasible to safely, efficiently and effectively transport salmon 1,100 ft distance with a 100 ft elevation via the Whooshh Fish Transport System?

Conclusion: Yes. In the summer of 2016 58 late spring summer Chinook were transported via WFTS 1,100 ft with a100 ft elevation in ~35 seconds with controlled deceleration into a hatchery truck.  The fish were hauled to Cle Elum hatchery and observed for adult survival until ripe for harvest (1-3 months )and egg viability. Comparisons of adult survival and egg viability were drawn between the 1,100 ft WFTS Chinook and ~85 ft hand carriage or 40 ft Chinook groups.  No difference in adult survival or egg viability was observed between the groups. 

Study Report: PDF  (Roza Yr 3 document)

Lab: Yakama Nation

Contact: Dave Fast, Mark Johnson, Bill Bosch

Species: SpringChinook

Videos: USBR MOV

  Whooshh MOV

Question: Does fish transport through either a 40' or an 1100' long and nearly 100' high Whooshh Fish Transport System significantly affect adult survival, reproduction or egg viability outcomes?

Conclusion: No. There was no significant difference in survival of Chinook salmon held up to four months after travelling through the Whooshh tube as compared to the control group - a typical trap and haul operation.

Study Plan: PDF

Lab: Yakama Nation Fisheries

Contact: Dave Fast & Mark Johnston

Species: Chinook

Study Results: PDF

Video: MOV

Question: Does transport of Sockeye  through the Whooshh fish transport system measurably affect their upstream migration? 

Conclusion: No and Yes. There were no findings of significance affecting migration, homing, or survival. However, the sockeye that passed over the top of the dam  through the Whooshh system 

Study Plan: PDF

Lab: CRITFC

Contact: Jeff Fryer

Species: Sockeye

Study Results: PDF

Video: MOV

Additional Study Info: PDF

Question:  Comparing hand carriage vs 40 ft Whooshh transport followed by hatchery truck haul are the adult survival and egg viability rates comparatively reproducible? An evaluation of three-years worth of data.

Conclusion: Yes. Although the environmental conditions varied considerably across the three years of study (2014, 2015 and 2016), the impact did not affect the comparative adult survival and rates within a given year.There was no statistical difference in adult survival rates between the hand carriage and 40 ft Whooshh tube transport. Egg viability rates were not influenced by environmental conditions and remained very high, >92% across all groups and years. The outcomes support the conclusion that the WFTS is are liable, durable, viable alternative to the standard hand-walking transport method from the fish safety perspective and provides a reduced risk benefit to the fish of damage due to accidental dropping. From the fish handler perspective, the WFTS is easy to use, fast, may reduce potential fish injury, and adds a measure of safety for the fish handler. The results of this comprehensive comparative study strongly endorses the recommendation of WFTS use for safe transport of live fish.

Study Report: PDF  (Roza Yr 3 document)

Lab: Yakama Nation

Contact: Dave Fast,Mark Johnson, Bill Bosch

Species: Spring Chinook

Question: Does the Whooshh Fish Transport System (WFTS)  provide for better fish welfare (less stress on the fish) as compared to aqua pumps or hand carriage handling?

Study Plan: PDF

Conclusion: The WFTS itself does not impose stress, behavior or other welfare concerns on the fish. Attention must be paid to other transfer processes to minimize stress pre-Whooshh transport.

Lab: SINTEF

Contact: Ulf Erikson

Species: Atlantic salmon

Study Results: PDF

Video: MOV

Question: The sorting by species and passage efficiency of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)  and steelhead (O. mykiss) through the WESS-WFTS was assessed.

Conclusion: PNNL found that the WESS-WFTS was able to sort the fish by size, few fish had external injuries, and few unexpected events (e.g. backward transport, discontinuous transport) occurred. PNNL results support the use of the WESS-WFTS as an effective transport system for adult salmonids when used in conjunction with a volitional fishway entrance.

Lab: PNNL

Contact: Alison Colotelo

Species: Chinook, Steelhead

Research Highlights: A Bene-fish-al Solution for Salmon and Steelhead Passage

Presentation: Evaluation of Volitional Entry and Passage of Adult Pacific Salmonids through a Novel

Fish Passage Technology

Study Report:  Evaluation of Passage and Sorting of Pacific Salmonids Through a Novel Fish Passage Technology. 

Question: Can a Whooshh system safely transport sockeye salmon over a 180' x 1700' high head dam in less than a minute.

Conclusion: Yes, statistical equivalence with  a trap and haul control group was achieved within 4 days of operation and optimization using real time adaptive management.

Lab: USGS

Contact: Tobias J. Koch

Species: Sockeye

Study Report: PDF

Question: What design features are incorporated into the Elverator, floating elver trap, and how well does it perform?   

Conclusion: Floating design, EF-16 climbing substrate, covered, water delivery to climbing substrate, supplemental attraction flow, and collection vessel location, all contribute to a successful design.  The Elverator outperformed, in number of elver collected, when compared to a conventional ramp trap in a study on River Lagan, Sweden in 2016 and three conventional pipe traps on River Gota alv, Sweden in 2018.  In addition, the Elverator collected a greater range of elver sizes.   

Presentation: Joint Annual Meeting of American Eel and Sturgeon hosted by EPRI 

Contact: Jonas Elghagen

Species: European juvenile eel (elver), Anguilla anguilla   

Study Results: PDF

Question: How do three different elver climbing substrates compare?   

Conclusion: The stubbed substratum, EF-16 climbing substrate, demonstrated “superior performance” in attracting more elver approaches, initiating more climbs and the elver traveled measurably faster up the studded substratum in contrast to either the bristle or open weave substratum. “To recover endangered migrating species, enhancing the performance of passage solutions at barriers between habitats is a critical factor.”

Lab: Karlstad University, Sweden   

Principle Investigator: Johan Watz   

Species: European juvenile eel (elver), Anguilla anguilla      

Study Results: PDF