Oxbow Fish Hatchery

Originally constructed in the 1960s by Idaho Power, the Oxbow Fish Hatchery (OFH) serves as a crucial mitigation and conservation hatchery for the Hells Canyon Hydroelectric Project on the lower Snake River. Over six decades of operation, the OFH has adapted its mission and facilities. Given the facility’s age, its evolving mission, and the desire for more efficient operations, Idaho Power initiated a comprehensive renovation of the OFH. Schnabel Engineering was brought on board in 2019 to provide essential bioengineering, programming, planning, architecture, and engineering design for a new hatchery. This project marked the third new or complete fish hatchery renovation Schnabel has completed for Idaho Power Company.

The primary functions of the hatchery include sorting and transferring fish captured at the Hells Canyon Trap; spawning, incubating, and holding adult steelhead broodstock; providing overflow incubation for spring Chinook salmon; and short-term cool water holding for adult spring Chinook. The revitalized hatchery features a new river intake and pump station on the Snake River, along with the rehabilitation of the site’s two production wells.

Before water is distributed throughout the hatchery, it passes through a surface water and groundwater gas stripping and aeration tower. The site includes piped distribution systems more than a mile in length, which are designed to move fish and water around the site efficiently. Schnabel also completed the structural design of a new two-story masonry block sorting and spawning building, reinforced concrete adult holding raceways with a steel moment frame shade structure overtop, and a wood frame hatchery and shop buildings. The OFH renovation showcases myriad design innovations for adult sorting and spawning facilities, including custom mechanical fish crowders, a modern arrangement of the adult holding raceways, and a new staged sorting/spawning approach.