Eel Lifts

When the height of the dam prohibits eels from passing in a timely manner, an eel lift provides a potential solution. Shown here are some mechanical lifts Lakeside Engineering, Inc. has designed and / or fabricated, with lift heights up to 65 ft. Mechanical lifts typically consist of a hopper, guided by a set of rails or cables, and lifted by a hoist. The hopper is hoisted regularly from its fishing position and emptied at the top of the dam, either into a holding tank or sluiced into the headpond.

The mechanical hoist is contrasted by the EelStream lift, which raises the eels in a stream of water.