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Puget Sound Energy, Baker River Fish Hatchery, $22 Million, Design-Build Project

McMillen prepared detailed plans and specifications for the new Baker River Fish Hatchery facility designed to rear sockeye and coho salmon. The hatchery is fed from a 40 cfs natural springs as well as a backup water supply from Sulphur Creek and Depression Lake. Starting with a detailed hydraulic analysis, McMillen completed the site layout and facility design for all the hatchery components including modifications to the intake structure, new raw water pipeline, flow metering, headtank and Lakos sand separator building, hatchery building, outdoor rearing raceways, adult holding and spawning, storage building, clarifier, and INH chlorine / dechlorination treatment facility. The design also included formalin storage and distribution facilities inside the hatchery as well as outside storage building for the adult holding. The hatchery building includes new administration area with crew work room, mud room, shower and restroom facilities, and offices. Incubation is divided into four sockeye rooms and one coho rooms to provide full disease separation. Early rearing tanks are provided for both species. The existing spawning beaches were improved with new liner, concrete isolation walls, pontoon platforms and jib cranes, and fry enumeration equipment. McMillen worked closely with PSE and WDFW operations staff in the hatchery design, instrumentation and monitoring systems, and hatchery operation protocol.

McMillen is currently working with the design build team executing construction and developing a detailed operations and maintenance plan. Phase 1 of the construction work has been completed, which included modifications to the Intake Structure and new water supply and drain piping to the existing Spawning Beaches. Phase II, which consist of the remaining yard piping and hatchery facilities, will be completed in October 2010.

"In all cases Mort McMillen has demonstrated a talent to combine an exceptional ability to propose efficient technical solutions, bring a large diverse group to focus on the task at hand, and obtain agreement on a single technical design that solves a complex problem. McMillen has consistently meet deliverable due dates with a high quality product as well as being adept in dealing with adversely focused parties."