HORSESHOE BEND
Payette River
Horseshoe Bend, Idaho
PROJECT CHALLENGES: Fish passage was needed to fulfill the requirements of a hydropower plant. The community enthusiastically supported a multiple-use engineering design which would also suit whitewater recreation.
ATTRIBUTES OF THE DESIGN: The engineering solution developed by the engineers who are now principals at our parent company McLaughlin Rincon created the following features:
This was the first regulated hydroelectric project in the nation to facilitate whitewater recreation, and the first diversion design to include an integrated fish ladder with a whitewater course. For the first time, a fish ladder was designed to not only encourage upstream passage of breeding salmon, but also to encourage recreational access. While it was recommended for its economical efficiency, the inflatable bladder has become known for having created the first "adjustable whitewater."
Link to Horseshoe Bend on the web.