Capitol Lake dam fish ladder to be repaired beginning Tuesday

Repair work that will begin on the Capitol Lake dam fish ladder early Tuesday morning (Sept. 8) will require the temporary closure of the sidewalk next to the dam.

The state’s Enterprise Services Department will lower the lake by about 2 feet during the repairs. The work will be done by Rognlin’s Inc. of Aberdeen.

The fish ladder was damaged earlier this year. While the cause of the damage is unknown, officials say it was likely caused by logs or other debris passing through the ladder.

The fish ladder, which was constructed in the 1990s, consists of 11 pools or cells ascending from Budd Inlet to the lake. The water level in each ascending cell is about one foot higher than the one below. Each cell is about 20 feet deep.

The cells are formed by walls made of thick boards stacked on top of each other and laying perpendicular to the concrete walls. Several boards in two of the cells are damaged, blocking fish passage through the ladder except at high tide.

The fish ladder is the pathway used by hatchery chinook, wild coho and other seagoing fish to navigate past the dam each year as they head upstream.

The repairs likely will be finished in two to three days, but the contractor can only work during the daytime low tide — about a three-hour window each day — so the job could take longer.

This story was originally published September 5, 2015 at 10:01 AM with the headline "Capitol Lake dam fish ladder to be repaired beginning Tuesday."