Salmon Ladder - 2005: ET Foundation - Hydro Sustainable Design Honorable Mention
Salmon ladders are common used in areas where dams are present. The dams block a salmon’s path to its spawning ground. A salmon ladder creates a series of shallow pools that salmon can use to bypass a dam, allowing them to reach their spawning ground and mate. Ladders are commonly made from wood or concrete and become a permanent fixture of the area.
This aluminum extrusion replaces the traditional salmon ladder. Aluminum provides several advantages to this ladder unlike those made from concrete or wood. The aluminum is strongly resistant to corrosion, unlike porous concrete and fiberous wood. The design is modular, allowing for one mold to produce all of the aluminum pieces. Besides being modular, the design is knockdown; it allows the ladder to be moved around the area, taken down in the off season, shortened or lengthened, or re-oriented to be more effectively utilized by the fish. Another benefit of being modular and knockdown is the ladder’s stackability and portability.
Each pool consists of two identical extrusions, and two identical end caps. The two extrusions come together to form one basin, and are closed by two polyethylene plastic caps, held in place by eight bolts on each side. By using an extrusion, the size of the pools can be increased to allow a larger breed of salmon to use the ladder.