York Haven Fish Passage Project
GPU-Genco
Susquehanna River, PA
The Kleinschmidt/Cianbro Joint Venture Team completed the final design of the
York Haven fishway in the Spring of 1999. The fishway, which was constructed
at GPU/Genco's York Haven hydroelectric development on the east channel
of the Susquehanna River in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, is the latest major
component of a more than thirty year effort to restore anadromous shad
and river herring to the Susquehanna River basin. The new facility provides
both upstream and downstream passage and follows previous construction
of fish passage facilities at the three downstream dams between York
Haven and Chesapeake Bay. Migrating fish will now have access to more
than 100 square miles of additional habitat upstream of the York Haven
dam.
The York Haven fishway primarily consists of a 67-ft long notch in the
11-ft high east channel dam that allows downstream passage if the river
flow is low during the annual migration period from April 1 to the end
of June. The flow of water through this notch is controlled by a new
upstream permanent structure that has two 20-ft wide gated openings.
The water flowing through the notch also provides attraction flow to
help upstream migrating fish locate the staggered pool vertical slot
fish ladder which is also part of the fishway. The fish ladder will allow
the fish to migrate upstream during periods of low river flow. The fishway
has been hydraulically designed to also allow upstream passage through the dam notch and 20-ft gates during higher river
flows as well. The overall York Haven fishway design requirements were incorporated into a Settlement Agreement signed
February 1997 between the GPU/Genco subsidiary York Haven Power Company and five resource agencies. The agreement
required the new facility to be operational by April 1, 2000 and this schedule was incorporated into Phase 1 preliminary
design followed by the second Phase of detailed design and actual construction. To reduce the project's cost, shorten the
construction schedule, and limit risk, GPU/Genco solicited design/build proposals from a prequalified list of bidders in
May 1998. A design/build joint venture of Kleinschmidt and Cianbro Construction Company was awarded the project and
immediately began the project's final design. Construction of the first task, consisting of the upstream gated structure
began at the end of July 1998. The Joint Venture's proposal to alter the original concept and install an upstream
cofferdam so that the gated structure could be constructed in the dry, was accepted by GPU. This approach resulted in
shortening the Phase 1 length of construction, and improved the quality of the structure's bond with the foundation.
For more information contact Tom Kahl, P.E.