C.D. “Buzz” Besadny Anadromous Fisheries Facility - rural Kewaunee, WI - Fish Ladders on Waymarking.com

The fish ladder at this facility is used for spawning purposes. There are signs that tell more about its operation.

“When trout and salmon mature, instinct draws them back to their home streams to spawn. On the Kewaunee River, artificial barriers and structures divert them into the Besadny Fisheries Facility where they are artificially spawned.

“The first barrier fish meet here at the dam. An apron at the front of the dam eliminates the plunge pool that would normally provide fish with a ‘running start’ to jump the dam.

“An apron behind the dam and spillway allows fish that have been passed through the facility or stocked upstream to travel downstream.”

“Screens on the bypass channel direct fish to the ladder leading into the facility. Steps of the fish ladder create a series of small waterfalls that lead fish into the ponds and egg collection building.”

“Once up the ladder, fish swim into the ponds. Spawning crew members use screens to crowd fish through holes in the pond walls into the crowding channel. There, a mesh basket lifts them into the building. Once inside, broodstock are anesthetized, weighed, measured, sexed, checked for fin clips, and finally spawned. Non-target fish are placed in the recovery tank, then slipped through a tube leading back to the river upstream of the dam.”

River/Waterway: Kewaunee River

Visit Instructions:
Please share a self-made picture of the Fish Ladder and tell us something about it. Did you see any fishes? You do not have to be in the picture, neither does your GPSr.

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