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Fish screens are devices installed on water diversions to prevent juvenile fish from being drawn into pumps or canals,
protecting them from injury and ensuring they can safely remain in their natural waterways. All fish screens required on
water diversions in Oregon should comply with NOAA Fisheries’ Anadromous Salmonid Passage Facility Design Manual. The
NOAA guidance outlines the federal criteria for protecting juvenile salmonids and ensuring that screens are
appropriately sized, installed, and maintained to prevent injury or entrainment. Following NOAA’s design standards helps
ensure consistency across projects and provides a scientifically supported basis for evaluating fish screen performance.
Contact the local ODFW Screens Coordinator for free technical assistance when planning a fish screen. Contact Information.
Directions for Fish Screen Certifications
Please allow at least 4-6 weeks for ODFW to complete a certification.
When a fish screen is a mandatory condition of a water right or any other permitting process, the owner must provide sufficient information for ODFW to review the
existing or proposed screen to ensure it meets criteria. It may take several months to fully review a fish screen and
issue a certification letter, depending on project complexity and current workload. In some cases, we can complete the
certification virtually if the information and photos provided clearly demonstrate that the screen meets our criteria.
However, many projects will require an on-site visit to verify installation details, site conditions, or confirm that
the screen meets standards.
Providing the information listed below will help ensure we can review your project and certify the fish screen in an
efficient and timely manner. Complete and accurate details about the diversion, screen, site conditions, and associated
water rights allow us to determine whether the screen meets required criteria. Supplying this information up front helps
streamline the process and reduces the likelihood that we will need to request additional documentation later.
For pump screens with a single point of diversion under 3 CFS the Fish Screen Compliance Application can be used to submit the required information.
- Water Right Information
- All water rights information or permit numbers – please attach current documents
- Total diversion amounts (CFS, GPM, or pump capacity)
- Maximum diversion rate (CFS, GPM, or pump capacity)
- Diversion Information
- GPS point(s) of the legal point of diversion
- GPS points for any associated reservoirs (if applicable)
- Pump Information
- Pump make, model, horsepower, and capacity
- Intake pipe size and max flow rate (GPM/CFS)
- Any available manufacturer documentation
- Fish Screen Information
- Type/model of the screen (e.g., Pump-Rite, manufacturer details)
- Measurement of the functional screened surface area dimensions (length and width/diameter) and mesh size (measure on
the diagonal)
- Description of submersion and flow conditions
- Pictures of the screen – include pictures of all sides of the screen and a close up of screen material with ruler or
tape measure for scale
- Date installed
- Any invoices, specifications, or documentation from the installer
- Site Photos
- Photo of the stream or river location where the screen is or will be installed
- Upstream and downstream images from the legal point of diversion
- Photo of the general diversion or pump setup
- Reservoir Specific Information (if applicable)
- GPS points for each reservoir
- Copies of any ODFW review paperwork for reservoir applications
- Contact Information
- Best phone number and email for follow-up with the landowner/water user
Below are links to suppliers that offer fish screens commonly used in Oregon. Not all screens found at the links below
will meet criteria, so check with ODFW prior to purchasing any screen. These sources are provided for convenience based
on what many water users have selected in the past. This is not a complete list, and ODFW does not endorse or recommend
any specific manufacturer. Any screen that meets our criteria is acceptable, regardless of supplier.
- Passive screens for water diversions under 3 CFS for areas with adequate sweeping flow:
- Actively cleaned screens, for larger water diversions, or diversions without adequate sweeping flows.
- Some brands may require modifications with porosity controls (baffles) to meet ODFW requirements. Contact ODFW for
more information.
- Water users also have the option to design and build their own fish screens, provided the screen fully meets all ODFW
and NOAA screening criteria. We strongly encourage anyone considering this approach to contact ODFW before purchasing
materials or beginning construction, as staff can review proposed designs, offer technical assistance, and help ensure
the screen will meet requirements before installation.
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