Idaho Power employs a large staff of aquatic scientists; from biologists who study fish to those who study tiny snails and aquatic insects. They study the biology of these organisms as well as their habitat needs to determine how different flow levels from Idaho Power dams affect these habitats.

Water Quality

The company also has developed programs for monitoring the water quality of the Snake River. Water quality affects habitat needs of fish and insects. The monitoring program tracks water quality relative to standards and criteria that define the level needed for the various organisms living in the river.

Our biologists also monitor the quantity of spring water flowing into the Snake River and the organisms associated with these springs.

Very unique species of aquatic life are associated with spring habitats including snails and small fish called sculpin that rely on the habitat created by springs.

Shoshone Sculpin Fish

One species, the Shoshone sculpin, is found only in springs flowing into the Snake River in the Hagerman, Idaho area. Monitoring the health of Shoshone sculpin populations is part of Idaho Power’s Fish Population Monitoring program.

Malad River Rainbow Trout Passage

The Malad River is a tributary to the middle Snake River located near Hagerman, Idaho. Cold, clear spring water enters this tributary near its mouth making the Malad River excellent habitat for rainbow trout.

Idaho Power operates two hydropower dams in the lower three miles of the Malad River and was required to construct and operate fish passage facilities at these diversion dams under a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license mitigation requirement.

The first of these fish passage facilities was completed and operational in March 2008. The Lower Malad fish ladder is the first operational fish ladder constructed by Idaho Power in about 50 years and has since been shown to be very successful in passing rainbow trout both upstream and downstream of the Lower Malad Dam.

Idaho Power uses a state-of-the-art video imaging system to record the movement, species and size of fish swimming past a viewing window in the side of the fish ladder.

Since its operation began more than 2,500 rainbow trout annually use the fish ladder to travel upstream and downstream.