Assessing the fate of returning upper Yukon River Chinook salmon

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Yukon Energy is a publicly owned subsidiary of the Yukon Development Corporation, and is the primary**electrical energy generator in Yukon. The Whitehorse Hydro Plant (WHP) is their largest facility, and is**located on the Yukon River in Whitehorse. A population of Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)**spawns upstream of the WHP after making one of the longest migrations of any salmon in North America (over**3000 km). A fish ladder was installed in 1959, providing salmon access to upstream habitat. Yukon Energy**works to minimize the environmental impacts of their facilities, which is of high importance to the Yukon**community and First Nations. There have been longstanding concerns about the effects of the WHP on**Chinook Salmon. Only limited research has been conducted on potential limiting factors such as attraction**efficiency (i.e., the proportion of fish approaching the ladder that enter it), post-passage survival, and the**effects of turbines on smolt and fry during outmigration. Conducting this research in partnership with**stakeholders and Carleton University provides opportunities to increase objectivity and transparency and**address a long-standing issue that is essential for Yukon Energy to maintain its social contract with the**community and First Nations, and will provide Yukon Energy with scientific knowledge that informs their**interactions with regulators. This project has two goals; to track the movement of Chinook Salmon following**passage of the Whitehorse Rapids Fishladder, and to assess the attraction and entrance efficiency of the ladder.**This research will inform Yukon Energy's operation of the fish ladder, and discussions with stakeholders and**regulators about the effects of the facility on the environment.**