Price-Stubbs Dam Fish Ladder - Palisade, CO
Posted by: 
Outspoken1
N 39° 07.671 W 108° 19.472
12S E 731273 N 4334373
The Price-Stubbs Dam was removed and the fish ladder completed in 2008 allows fish to continue upstream on the Colorado River. The fish ladder features a radio tracking station to track fish who have previously been microchipped.
Waymark Code: WMP6A0
Location: Colorado, United States
Date Posted: 07/08/2015
Views: 5
"Low-head dams were constructed early in the 20th century to provide irrigation water for farms in Colorado’s Grand Valley. Although important to agriculture, these dams blocked upstream fish movement and eliminated many miles of habitat once suited to the endangered fish. Working with its partners, the CRFP helped restore fish passage on the lower Gunnison River near Grand Junction in 1996 with the completion of a fish ladder around the Redlands Diversion Dam. From 1996 to 2012, some 115,000 native fish have ascended the Redlands Fish Ladder including 122 endangered Colorado pikeminnow, 28 razorback sucker, eight bonytail, and one humpback chub. Fish passage was also provided on the Colorado River upstream of Palisade, Colorado with the completion of fish ladders at the Grand Valley Project Diversion Dam in 2005 and the Price-Stubb Diversion Dam in 2008. Through 2012, 58,000 native fish have passed the more upstream dam, including two razorback sucker, six humpback chub, and 22 bonytail." (from Management tab - (
visit link) )
The 8-foot (2.4 m) tall Price-Stubbs Dam was built in 1911. In 1919, the dam was no longer used due to the construction of the Grand Valley Diversion Dam. But it was still a barrier to the fish. The dam was removed in 2005 and the fish ladder constrcuted. (excerpted from (
visit link) )
In 2014, 216 microchipped fish (PIT Tags) were documented using the Price-Stubbs fish ladder. (from a report by Mr. Travis Francis, Fish Biologist, USFW, Grand Junction, CO)
The fish ladder was not too visible when I was there because the river was running very high. The USFW provided photos (properly cited) of construction so you can see the fish ladder style.