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Turning 50!
The Whitehorse Rapids Fishladder turned 50 in 2009! Some historical facts about the fishladder:
- The fishladder was put into service in June 1959. That first year, 1,054 salmon went through the ladder.
- Construction cost: $875,000
- Size: 366 metres (1,200 feet) long with a rise of more than 15 metres (nearly 50 feet), making it the longest wooden fishladder in the world
- Construction materials: timber and reinforced concrete
- While the fishladder included three viewing windows to allow the public to see the salmon as the fish traveled up the ladder, there was initially no visitor reception centre. Instead, students were hired to operate a small information booth during the summer months. It wasn’t until the 1980s that an interpretive building was built and a series of outdoor walkways was added.
- Today the Whitehorse Rapids Fishway is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Yukon. As many as 30,000 people a year come to see the salmon.
Yukon Energy has had a podcast prepared that reflects the last 50 years at the ladder, and explains why the fishladder and the salmon are so special. You can download the podcast here: fish_ladder_podcast.mp3