(TACOMA, WA) -- On April 26, Tacoma Power received its
fifth-straight Outstanding Stewards of America’s Waters (OSAW) Award from the
National Hydropower Association (NHA). The award, for Recreational,
Environmental & Historical Enhancement, honors the Floating Fish Collector
at the Cushman Hydroelectric Project in Mason County.
The collector is attached to Cushman Dam No. 1; it gathers
juvenile salmon migrating to the ocean. Once collected, they get a
three-mile-long truck ride to Cushman Dam No. 2 and released into the river
below. It is a critical component in Tacoma Power’s overall efforts to help
restore fish populations in the North Fork Skokomish River.
Tacoma Power collaborated with a variety of federal and
state agencies and the Skokomish Indian Tribe to ensure they were satisfied
with the collector’s design and goals.
“The NHA is thrilled to present Tacoma Power with the OSAW
Award for Recreational, Environmental & Historical Enhancement,” said Linda
Church Ciocci, executive director, NHA. “The Floating Fish Collector is a
reflection of Tacoma Power’s commitment to the community, sustainability, and
the environment.”
