GRANITE FALLS, Wash. – A vital lifeline for local salmon and steelhead populations, the Granite Falls Fish Ladder is out of service following a series of copper wire thefts that began in early October 2024.
The facility, which enables Chinook salmon and steelhead to access 57 miles of critical spawning habitat in the Upper South Fork Stillaguamish River, has been inoperable since the incidents, threatening both the ecosystem and the economy.
The ladder, originally built between 1954 and 1956, consists of 51 vertical slots guiding fish through a 300-foot tunnel. It underwent a significant upgrade in 2000 with the installation of an automated gate to manage sediment buildup, and another in 2020 following a failure in 2017. The gate has since been instrumental in keeping sediment out, ensuring uninterrupted operation—until the thefts occurred…